Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-07-08

were now at white heat.
ut is lie," said he, in voice of
ominous calm. And she, as sternly and
quietly, sent him from her, with orders
never to return. So he turned upon his
heel and left her there, and their bond
was broken.
After this the days went on quietly
enough. Night succeeded day with re-
morselcss regularity. No one knew what
Sallie Hill suffered; no one knew what
she would have given to recall her bitter
words. She had cast Jack away without
counting the cost; she had learned at last
that she could not afford it; she was a
bankrupt in happiness. Gradually the
slim, naughty figure grew slighter and less
erect: the proud little mouth softened,
and let fall words Of piety with greater
readiness than of old. She was growing
meek through pain. One month changed
her as a year might have done.
Talking one day with Laura Beamis,
who was growing stronger and more
cheerful, she looked down at her ringless
finger with deep detection, and Laura,
following her eyes, said, suddenly:
"Sallie, hoped you would have mar
ricd Jack Arnold. knew him in l.:
he is such good fellow! He and once
had little innocent Irritation, before
bcfore-well, when first left Rockdalc,
and have always since thought of him
as a friend. You are not engaged to
him."
mo" replied Sallie, in tone which
forbade inquiry.
80 that was all" she thought. 81
believe | have lost all for nothing-for
nothing, But it is too late Still her
pride never dreamed of bending.
But further revelations were to come
At last a "Pinafore' company visited
Rockdalc, and Sallic, seated by rustic
swain, who basked in the cold light Of
her rare smiles, heard with languid pleas
urc the inimitable opera. Suddenly, like
the Jest of a mocking iend, there broke
upon her ears the fatal words which had
helped to destroy her peace, the familiar
"What, never: "Hardiy ever Strange
words to be associated with heartache and
misery Yet, absurd as it may seem,
they were, to Sallie's ears, freightcd with
drcarier spell than the ancient cabalistic
mutterings of witch or wizard, or the
fateful utterances of the oracleS For
this, this mere quotation, this idle joke,
she had wrought herself into Il state of
yirtuous Indignation and angry suspicion
of the man she loved And she lost him.
This was the bittcrcst touch; vet more
was 10 come.
When she reached home, Auntic Trib
met her with a ruetul countenance My
grief, Sallic,' she exclaimed; Il don't
b'licvc YOU treated Jack Arnold right.
Here's letter from Free sayln Jack ;
down with typhus fever, or somcthin'
like it, and he says YOU We killed hun, and
that we must come down 10 l. right
off. But, law me what's he thinkin of,
wautin' Won to run your head into con
tiguous disease" lAuntie Trib's words
were often changed at birth, like the cap
tain and Ralph, when she spoke in haste J
"Why, YOU might as well face smallpox
as typhus-not but what I'm sorry for
Jack: but of course we can't 20.
Go" cried Salhc, who had Snatched
the letter. Try to keep me, that's all
| must 90 tonight-tonight! It's typhoid,
not typhus, auntie. Oh, if could take
it and die Oh. Jack Jack" and quiet.
dignifed Sallie broke down, and walled
like child
They could not 60 that night; there
was no train till daybreak; but Sallie
made ready for their journey with feyerish
energy. Her poor bewildered aunt re-
monstrated feebly, but in vain; she was
whirled off in the early morning light,
and sat in a dazed condition on the train,
with her best bonnet all awry, and with
SalEe's white inAexible face beside her,
gazing straight forward, like 4 mournful
Fate. How the young proud heart had
been humbled that night in prayer and
tears Would the journey ever end:
1t ended at last; and Jack, who was,
| am bound to say, not quite so i'll as
Free had represented, awoke from sleep
to find bending over him-not the fan
avenging goddess of his late troubled
dreams, but the sweet woman whom ne
loved. OF course he forgaye her; OF
course he recovered. What would you
expect. He was tender and vehement,
and grief and perplexity and remorse had
broken him down; but he was vigorous,
and ioy and confession and forgiveness
restored him. OF course you knew from
the first how the story would end; it is
but a trihing tale of tempest in tea
cup. But Sallie had learned lesson
which she never forgot.
How Jack laughed when he heard her
explanation! "As 'Pinafore' was the
cause of our despair" he said, "let Pin
afore' express our newly-recovered happi-
ness"
And he began to sing, feebly and IN
correctly, but still heartily,
"'oh, Joyi oh. rapture unforeseen"
Free and Auntie Trib stood by like a
"kindly chorus" smiling benevolently.
"Tll never be so foolish again. said
poor Sallie, meekly.
what never:" Kissed Free in stage
whisper.
mo, of course she never WILL" cried
Auntie Trib, failing to recognize the joke,
although it had been explained to her a