The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-09-27

81 could not help coming back, he
said beginning hurriedly to speak, as il
the words forced themselves from him in
his nervous haste ''Therc was one thing
about which must speak to YOU tonight
about which have wanted to speak tc
YOU for long time. feel'-he was lean
Ing against the chimney piece opposite
his friend, and looking with intense scru-
| tiny into his quiet face" that | have
been dreaming a dream which a word oi
yours could at this moment diSpel. Tell
me if it is 50. 1t will be a greater kind
ness than your silence, though the kind
ness is sure to be the motive of that. Tell
me at once, Dart 1t cannot be very
| pleasant to YOU to see my anxiety. You
are far too good Il fellow to feel pleasure
i in hnt."
''What am | to tell YOU 2" inquired
Maurice Dart, without meeting his com
panions eyes.
"SureN YOU know! | said to myself
| that when met Isabel here in your house,
| tonight, Would find out if my fears were
Well-groundcd; and if | could not dis
cover, | would ask YOU for the truth be
fore | left. Dart end this wearing slls-
| pense for me. 1t has been growing thro'
all these months side by side with my
love, and has become unbearable at last
Maurice raised his head now. and met
his companions anxious questioning eyes.
Il am glad Nou have spoken, Maitland ~
he salH. 81 have guessed at your ankle
ty, WI lie have felt my own and have
often wished to break the silence we have
held on this one point. tancieu you
| hoI ,hHlnt l,inm Ia, aJ1 I Il
| but now, when | saw YOU re-enter the
room
"Indeed, no." exclaimed Walter with
his usual tranlness. II wish to heaven
| had. | wish had dared to SAY that
Isabel had given me encouragement
enough to make me even hope And |
could not ask her toto love me while |
felt that YOU knew how useless it would
be-"
II do not know" returned Dart-his
words sounding very Slowly after Walters
eagerness, yet all his selt-command fail
inc to hide their new ring Of hope. lisa
bel has never heard word Of love from
me. She is gentle and kind and winning
always: but cannot read beyond"
'To me, too, she is bright and pleasant
always" pat in Maitland, restlessly :
land | can discover nothing more.
tancied You could put me out Of one phase
Of this uncertainty"
'And You are very glad cannot" said
the elder partner. And then their eyes
WsttUl for such strong and manly faces
"Dart :" said Mr.. Maitland, you are
| the elder man, the richer - the better,
too. You shall speak first. DO it as soon
as You can
Seniority has no claim in such case
as this, said the senior partner. eve
can wait"
II can wait no longer" put in the
younger man, impatiently ANYTHING
will be better than this suspense Why
on earth should we wait Isabel knows IL
| thoroughly, now. She knows we are both
to Old for this love Of ours to be ANYTHING
but deeply earnest. She knows enough
of Us and our position to make heI de
cision easy to her. So let us know the
worst, or--best. lou have the right to
speak first
'l will not take it :" s;gid Mr.. Dart
speaking more quickly than he had vet
done. 'Lct us write. Let us Write to
gether'
A few minutes silence, While Walter
thought this oycr-Ie leaning his head on
the arm which rested on the chimney
| piece.
''Lct that be decidcd,7 - urged Maurice.
1--WE will write tomorrow. Let her re-
ccVc the two letters together Promise
me your letter shall be ready for to-m0r-
lows post"
Il promise, said Maitland, raising his
head again. "Ihank you for this an
rangCmcnl,"
CHAPTER III.
The fire roarcd and cracked chrclily
IN the private room at the bank, but nei-
| ther of the partners had arrived.
u never knew him so late, remarked
Tom Leslie, as if finishing aloud puz-
zling conjecture
"Who Old Dart 2"
"Mr. Dart Yes :"
'LcsIie feels it incumbent on him to
uphold the dignity Of his partners" put
in another clerk ellis breast sweIls
proudly with clow-tecling"
"What an Idle set You are this morn
ing " remarked Tom, turning from his
| desk with the quick. kindly smile which
made his face so pleasant to look upon.
AS soon as | am senior partner | shall
| give You all u sweeping dismissal"
The listeners laughed, enjoying the alb
| surdity of The idea: and one or two uues-
| toned him, with mock anxiety, as to the
OCCASION Through all the laughter Tom
pursued his work and Dart noticed this
when he entered the bank: and though
it was but very cWtly that he answered
| Toms quiet greeting, yet before he reach
ed the inner door he turned and spoke
| to him.
''Cold outside, Leslie Keep up good
fires. 1t is hard, he muttered to himself,
''to pass him without Il word Then Mr..
| Dart let the spring door close behind
him, and, sitting down in his office chair.
| leaned on one arm only as very calm
men do when they are i'll at ease as well
as tired. He was sitting 50, looking
moodily down into the fire, when Mr..
| Maitland entered the room. The senior
| partner did not turn to greet him; and
even when Walter stood upon the rug be
side him, he did not venture to meet his
eyes.
''Maurice,' began the younger man, II
/
rather hard: vet no one ought to do it 81
heartily as II, who know what good
fellow you are, and what what a wife
you have WON
A glance Of surprise into his friends 5
face, and then Mr.. Dart spoke in few
words, as was his custom.
"Shc has refused me, Maitland"
''Retused YOU
Walter repeated the words, though not
incredulously. Only truth, he knew,
could have weighed them 50 sadly. "Shc
has refused me, too he said. "She has
never cared for me but as triend-sim-
ply and only as a friend"
''In few kind words to me-" said Mr.
Dart, without looking up, ''she told me
she had given her love elsewhere. | was
trying, when You came in to prepare my
self to tell you, 4 rejoice in your happi-
ness, Maitland.' And now you-you come
and say the same to me-"
| Buried in one long sad THOUGHT the