The Ottawa free trader., 1878-08-10

Indeed, cannot tell; somewhere between
ten and twenty | should Judge this followed
by dolorous sigh.
Are you not we'll" An, what would he
not have given to have been free to let that
blesseded word OF endcarment slide from its
perch on the tip Of his tongue, You seem
sick or sad"
81 am weary. This teaching is tircsomc
work; and then It is 50 lonely here on the hill
when-n
He turned those pervcrsc eyes of his that
would mirror his soul in spite of hlm toward
the open door, and waited for the conclusion
Of her sentence.
But she did not finish. They sat there in
Iquict these two, with glances WIDE apart. 1t
pleased him that this shy being should show
her preference of him before he spoke Of scnti-
mcnt
OF course there was reason for this and
what that reason was is quickly told, He had
years ago loved with young mans fiery pas
sion creature cold as ice, keen Us Il lawyer,
rs hcartess as a sphinx But the passionate
flame burnt high, and the incense surrounded
the adOrcd one and clothed her in "A halo of
glory.
And when the vision spake, and the altar
tumbled AT her touch; when the incense melted
from before his blinded eyes, and his soul saw
her as she was, the flame in his heart smoul-
but scar. And the old axiom Of the burnt
dog dreading the fire proved a verify in his
case for, in his dealings with Miss Van Dyke,
he clung to the mainland Of facts, and kept
from the dangerous ground u! !ancies.
They had known each other some half dOz.
en- of months, and he had called upon her on
an average of twice each week, and sometimes
oftcner, for on Sunday evenings he walked be
side her to and from church He had come TO
,tn ,1nI q l,p I,t,,
and of that little skcin he wOve Il web around
and about himself from which he could not
escape He did not care to escape in fact, but
kept on weaving the threads with which she
unwittingly supplied him like Il human CO.
tCOon.
On this evening of which | write he had
come to her with plan in his head II can
get her to speak out now" he thought, and,
thinking this he said, rather hurricdly, is #
waiting longer to hear what she might say
were thing impossible:
"By the way, Miss Van Dyke, am going
away soon. May hope that YOU will not for
get mc?"
Away She had never thought anything
could change in this duh. sleepy suburb-and
now the greatest change that could happen
had come to her. Going away!
There was no outcry, although the heart
ured under the flaming calico autumn leaves
went lhrobbing on rs il it were Il hammer. In.
to the eye Crcpt a look OF infinite ycarning,
but he saw it not for the womanly pride came
to her rescue, and her glance went rowing over
the faded flowers IN the threepIy carpet be-
meath them.
81 hope that shall not be forgotten" ," he re
Ipcacd.
"Oh, no, Mr. Lcr,' she replied, more ab.
scntmindcd at th. instant than amy dulard
among her pupils,
Thank you, Well | must be oil The train
leaves in half an hour, and just flew up here
TO bid you goodbye"
The train! Goodbye! Absent minded no
longer, but with senses icariuly alert she
reached out her hand To him in farewell. \
touch Of her inger.tips thrilled him through
and through. What Il warm little hand 1t WAS
that he held within his own for II seconds
space. StiH she hHd di"nppoin,od him, hc
had felt sure Of an Outspokcn word of sorrow
at his absence, but she was silent. He drop
ped her hand, turned about and left the house.
"Oh, Philip! Philip" she cried, spurred
on to desperation. And the cry came to him
rs he passed the open window and stopped
him short. He turned ON his heel and came
back.
The gray cleaning was almost swallowed
up by the night Away in II corner where
| there was least light the little brown woman
had dragged herself and crouchcd down. her
heart numb with silent agony; but on hearing
his step returning, she arose and stood waiting
| for him
"You called me- Miss Rose" her chr!s,ened
name coming out despite himself
YES, | called you, Philip Lee, you have
been good friend to me, and if you you never
come back again, remember there is one who
names you in hcrcvery prayer, and who thanks
you with her every breath, for your consider
ate kindness. | have been alone so long she
went ON quickly, that friend, such IL you
have been to me- seems heayen.scnt Let me
thank you again. She was standing before
him now looking with her great liquid eyes
straight into his face,
| mo more than n friend to you-may not
he nearer Than thaty
At this her eyes filled with tears, and clasp
| ing two small hand. before them she stood
there crying quietly.
IL must go--ROsc-little one. Only say
may some time be nearer than trend?' The
tears were more than he could bear.
| He had lett, after kissing in knightly fash
ion her hand-thcreby gloriiying in her eyes
that small member for evermOrc-and had
been just in time 10 catch the upcoming train,
which whirlcd him away To the metropolis.
| Here he stayed two weeks, up to his ears in
business but never so engaged as to lose from
before his mental vision the exact color and
shape of Il pair of very haunting brown eyes.
But he would not write to her. perhaps the
little spark have kindled," he said To him
self "may be coaXcd into Il flame if do not bc
too RASH and he let nothing venture nothing
have" alone with all his might.
! On the day succeeding his departure came
Tercsc Van Tasscl who, to the infinite sur
prise and dismay of Miss Rose, proved herself
| 10 bc-instcad of the child she was expecting
IA woman grown. indeed, one year. older
than the woul,i.be adoplcr herself
How strange it is, Tcrese," she said, in a
blunt, homc-truthy way, "thatyou should have
looked for protector in met And your re-
spcctcd guardian wrote to me that could care
for you, he supposed, as he heard was NAH,
! ing money in IA little school How absurd all
this twaddlc take care of big, stately,
strongly-built woman fully as able 10 work rs
II, Had he never seen you, Tcrcsc, this guard
ION