The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-04-03

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minister it was his duty to protect and
honor her. He looked up quickly and
smiled.
Excuse me, dear,'' he said, hoarse-
ly. II was very tired"
He told the truth, and no more. Had
he been capable of deceit, Anne's hon.
est nature would have detected it; but
of an untruth he was incapable; and
now, as he sat beside her, and his
mind returned to its own balance. he
involuntarily began to weigh the pos
sible ameliorations of his dreadful mis-
take. He could not marry Nan now;
she was hopelessly beyond his reach.
One factor of the problem was forever
set aside, and that the greatest. Then
he recalled the letters that he had re-
ceived from Anne. what fine and lovely
traits Of character they disclosed.
Here his head began to whirl again;
for : it asemed impossible to separate
the vision of Nan he had built up on
that very foundation from the reality
which belonged to>Anne. Nan would
have thought his love-making cold in
deed; INIT Anne was shy and reticent
herself. She could feel, and feel deep
"; but she could not be demonstra-
tive, and she dreaded demonstration in
others. It was quite in accordance with
her nature that, after q long, quiet
evening of conversation. Mr.. Norton
should part from her with one grave kiss
on her forehead. Nan would have
clung about his neck, and put her
peach face up to his for caresses, as a
flower seeks the sun. He knew how
it would have been, and for one mad
moment sickened with thwarted pas
sion; but Anne never saw it. She
trusted him implicitly, and after her
pure prayers fell asleep, like q happy
child, and dreamed of him and her
future home. But what a night
awaited him! Sleep fed far away.
He had in her presence been able to
preserve calmness at least, and resolve
to accept the situation; but when he
was alone, all the past came back on
him like an armed man. 1t was a
night never to be forgotten. In the
morning he went to Mr.. Clarke's, and
told them of his engagement, and
asked them to the quiet wedding
next day. They were all surprised,
and congratulated him with such
warmth and sincerity, lavished such
love and praise on Anne, that he felt
almost guilty in accepting the pleasant
words, conscious how little they de-
lighted him. Harry, as soon as they
were alone, proceeded to enlarge on
-Anne's charms.
ITO tell you the truth, old fellow, l
have been nightly smitten with that
lady myself; but she has behaved like
a lay nun the past year. I couldn't
understand it. Somehow or other I
got it into my head you were sweet on
Nan. even went 50 far as to feel
sorry for you when she married Dali
rymple-what waste of the raw ma
terial!- and all the time you were cut
ting me out with Anne. You had not
heard of that marriage till Anne told
you. 1t was a nine days wonder here;
he is fat, fifty and rich as Cresus; that
was his charm. Ducats, my lord, du-
cats! Nan loves a shining mark; she
inherits old Madam Harris tastes as
well as her name, only the madam loved
to save, and Anne to spend"
Here il flashed across Philip that his
letters had all been mistakenly ad-
dressed. Nan was Anne Hart Boyd,
and he had thought the initial belonged
to Anne. From the very first those let
tiers had gone wrong, and in his own
dislike of nicknames he had never used
hers, but called her Annie always
tender softening of the monosyllable
that seemed to express more than the
cold stiff name. The day after, the
wedding was celebrated. Very quietly
and simply Philip Norton and Anne
help owning that the soft folds of dark
rich silk, illuminated with fresh white
roses on her breast and in her hair, the
warm color on lip and cheek, the soft
hazel eyes, dark and clear as the brown
water of forest brook, and the ex-
preston of deep emotion on her face,
made her a very attractive bride; but
even at the altar a glimpse of blue, be-
wildering eyes. floating gold-lit hair,
ineffable witchery and sweetness,
seemed to dazzle his eyes and construct
his heart, but he repealed the dream
sternly, and it fled.
Had Anne beer more selfish and
Philip less strong and sensible, here
now was place and room for a real do
nestle tragedy, Of all tragedies most
vital and least dramatic; but each
began the new life in devotion to the
other, one from love, one from duty.
But if it was Anne who kissed and
Philip who bent the cheek, was she less
happy? The giver is more blessed in
all things; and in time Philip learned
to love Anne as fully as her heart could
ask. He was nightly assisted, no
doubt, by the career of Mrs. Dalrymple,
who soon returned to America, and
asserted herself. in the right of beauty
and money both, as a queen of society.
She did not pretend to care for the
stout, stupid, brusque man of business
who supplied her purse, but ran a wild
course Of folly and fashion year after
year. as only q loveless and childless
woman can. Ten years after his mar
riage Philip met her,. faded, rouged,
overdressed; her laugh false and hol-
low, her smile forced, the childish
ringlets waving in soft mockery about
the worn face, and even her smile me-
chanical. His heart reverted with a
glad leap to the wife he had left at
home, a calm, sweet-faced, gracious
woman, with lovely children clinging
about her, the color of health and hap
piness richly glowing ON her cheek, and
the love and admiration of all who
knew her making halo about her
noble character. He owned to that re-
morseless inquisitor. his own heart,
that he had, indeed, made the best of it
in fuller sense than the poor allow
ance of the proverb, that Anne was as
far beyond Nan as the star bevond the