The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-04-12

write aud ask her TO tell the, whole
truth, when \ shorter method of elesr-
ing up the mystery was thrust upon
him. Returning from a solitary
ramble on tue beach, the next morn
ing, with eyes hent upon the ground,
the sound Of q strangely familiar
voice fell upon his ear. He looked up
into the face OF Bertha, for they were
right upon him, and, before he had
time TO more than glance at her COM
paniOns, she had stopped short in her
walk aud reached her hand out to
him with her old impulsive motion.
"You here, Harry Why, 1
thought you were IN the city. 1 am
so glad to see you / never expected
but am forgetting; allow me to
Introduce my friends. Carrie, this Is
my friend, Mr.. Chester. Miss Lever
eft, Harry. Mr.. Leverett, Mr.. Ches-
ter"
Introduetions acknowledged, the
four were walking along the beach to-
gether, Harry wondering to himself if
this girl was playing with him. aud
feeling inwaFdly 8 strong desire to
pitch Leverett into the ocean.
81 was working too hard, and just
ran down for q few days rest" he
said, in answer to Bertha's express
siUns of surprise at seeing him, feeling
that the time and place had not ar
rived in which to tell his real rea-
son.
"My friends and / thought we
would breathe little sea air before
my return. intended to be at home
now, bat You find me here on their
invitation, which 1 could not re-
sist."
situation her manner puzzled him.
She seemed to treat Leverett aud
himself alike. She had too much
wOmanly tact and feeling for Leverett
to do otherwise. He inwardIy re-
solved to have it cleared up as soon az
possible F; he was beginning to feel
angry with her.
"I should like to see you alone" he
said, when they returned TO the
house.
81 want 10 see you, too" she re-
turned, with q smile. "Here is q
private parlor where we shall be Sc
cure from interruption"
He sat down beside her, and took
both her hands In his.
"Bertha, tell me, what Is Mr..
Lsverett's relation to you ?n
THAT Of q noble but rejected lover.
Harry, didn't you know that / loved
you too we'll to admit another into
my affections ?"
He caught her in his arms and held
her close. She was bis once more.
"You know, Bertha, that / didn't
get letter for a whole week, and
then, when you did write, it wasn't
satisfactory, and you were with him
all the time. When [ saw you here
first to-day, / was afraid something
was wrOng.n
She drew his face close to her own.
"I never fully realized how I loved
you until dazzling wealth on the one
Eand and you on the other tremb.ed
before me in the balance. Then l
knew that my love for you out
weighed every consideration. I want
you TO trust me now, no matter how
strange my actions may appear. Can
you not ?"
''Yes, darling, can. But do you
wonder that, loving you as / do, |
was uneasy ?"
"No, don't. know, too, that I
am very provoking. 1 ought not to
have written that lsst letter as L did.
l knew you wOdld not be reassured by
it, but did not dream you would
mind It 80 mu ch. Won't you forgive
me, Harry pT And her arm stole
lovingly around his neck.
"FOrgive you, dear? l could for
give anything now! But you won't
do so again, Bertha" he said, with q
compelling tone in his voice new to
her ear as he raised her from her rest
ing place, and looked into her eyes
with a steady light in his own.
Something in his manner caused
her to say almost humbly:
"NO, will not. Aud, Harry, dear,
won't you be polite to Mr.. Gsvsrett ?
He and his sister are both good
friends OF mine, and he has acted
nobly since had to tell him that l
loved another"
"Oh, yes," said Harry. "I can af-
ford to be polite to him, since he has
not won you from me.n
A week after Harry and Bertha
were again In the city. Hs'found let
ters awaiting him. The first he
opened was the missing one written
by Bertha it was sOlled and sOme-
what crushed, aud had evidently been
carried around In some ones pocket.
On opening the other he found that
In consideration OF important services
rendered be had been promoted to q
high position in his business, on
liberal salary that would enable him
to offer Bertha 3 home OF elegance
and even luxury. He at once carried
the letter to her.
"There," she said, as she looked at
the one she had written. "Carl for
got to mail it, and carried It around g
fortnight, but when he did remember
he acted on the precept, better late
than never
'Now, look at this" he said, IS he
handed her the other, secretly re-
joicing that il was in his power now
to place her in the position she was
fitted to fill.
She looked up from its perussl, her
eyes full of happy tears.
az have your love and the money
too, dear Harry" she said. 'I ought
to be content"
Through the discipline OF years OF
happy married life, Bertha has well
nigh lost her Old-time propensity for
teasing. Her nature has been en-
nObled aud refined, until she has be-
come
"a perfect woman, nObly planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command,
And yet spirit still and bright,
With something of an angel light"
q fair, gentle wife whom he loves as
well as il he had never known Bertha,
and she rejoices In his happiness.