The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-08-17

tonlngly on his face.
Don't ask me to tell you any more
about it, he said, turning abruptly
away. Men have lived through it be-
fore now, and l SHALL" he added, with
another laugh "Don't bother your
self about me, Helen, but enjoy your
self as best you can
1t was pleasant ride home, in spite
of the thoughts which would keep COM
ing into Robert Braith's mind. She
was by his side, and he loved her!
The old summer seemed to come
back again, with its " light which never
was on land or sea-" to Robert. The
dream of his heart was Just as sweet as
it had been in the vanished days. She
had not changed at all since then, but
was the same winning woman who had
won his heart away, and would keep it
forever.
The days passed like charmed ones,
with rows upon the river, and long, de-
lightful walks at sunset time; with
songs in the brief, delicious evenings,
and quiet talks about books and the
men and women who wrote them. Rob-
ert was not her inferior in the culture
which comes from reading good books;
because he was farmer was no reason
with him why he should be ignorant
and uncultivated. He had studied, and
formed wide acquaintances with ear
nest, thoughtful men-through the
books they had written-and in this
way he had educated himself to a much
higher level than most of the young
men Helen Hunt met in her own circle
at home. But because he lacked their
Self-esteem and conceit, Robert always
thought of himself as lacking some
thing in mind and manner, which those
she came in contact with in her own
sphere of life ought to have, and did
have, for all he knew to the contrary.
Perhaps he was right in thinking they
ought to have it. But she could have
told him that they did not always.
One day Jerome Alstyne came out
from the city. Robert had heard that
he was a lover of Helen's, and he was
sure of it when he saw the mans face
at their meeting. But Helen's showed
no such gladness as ought to express
itself in the face of woman when she
meets the man she loves, and Robert
felt satisfied that she did not care for
Alstyne as he did for her, and the
thought brought sense of eXultation
to him.
Alstyne did not stay long. When he
went away he carried face which had
look OF defeat in it. He had striven
to win the woman he loved and failed.
From the bottom of his heart Robert
pitied him. He had not liked the man
very well before, but when he drove
down to the station with him, and saw
how deeply he felt the loss of what he
had hoped to win, a feeling of kindness
came over him. Must they not both
bear. hencefOrth, a sorrow which came
of loving one neither might possess?
In some way Alstyne understood
what Braith was thinking of. he
turned to him suddenly.
" Braith, YOU are sorry for me-you
pity me-" he said. 81 thank you for
it. You understand what there is to
pity me for. You can well afford 10
pity me. since you have won what |
have lost Iwish you all the happiness
had hoped for myself
II don't understand YOU" Rob
ert said, with strange thrill at his
/ heart. 81 have won nothing you
would have priced.
"Do YOU call Helen Hunt love moth
! ing?n Alstyne cried. 81 would give
the world for it, if | had it to give"
You are mistaken" Robert an
sWered. L.
But Alstyne interrupted him.
Il am not blind" he said. "She
loves YOU, and you will find it so when
the time comes for you to tell her what
You must some day"
She loved him! There was a world
of rapture in the thought. But-and
the haunting specter which comes to
sit by your hearth and mine came
into his heart then-their ways in life
were so far apart that they could not
be bridged over. He could never ask
this woman to stoop to his lOwly life
And he could not lift himself to hers
And vet she loved him! He could no
for one moment forget that. And tC
know it was so sweet, so unutterably
sad
The DAYS, after that, went by more
like a dream than ever. he tried Il
keep away from her, but his hear
would not let him. He tried to schoo
himself to the thought that, since hi
might not have her for his own, 1T
ought not to think of her as a MAJ
thinks of woman he hopes to win
But he could not do that. He coul'
only love her, and tell himself that hi
, love was vain one.
, But it could not always 90 on in tina
way. Fate took the matter in her owl
, hands at last.
, Robert was at work in the meadow
: one afternoon. The loaded wagon wa
driven away to the barn, and he sa
down to rest until it returned. AS h
sat there, Helen came down the lane
- She saw him, and came across tn
meadow and sat beside him, under tn
old apple tree
. What they talked about he neve
, could tell. He remembered, in vagu
way, that they saw a darkening sky
p but that was all, until the sudden fur
of the summer shower broke upo
k them. A flash of binding brightness
4 cry from her, n crash, as if heave
: and earth were being rent in twain
n and he was by her side, with her hea
: upon his knee, and he was crying OF
to her in wild, incoherent way, tel
;nc hnr tb at he loved her