American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-24

intensity, and he sprang forward so
suddenly in his chair that Sarah looked
up woderingly.
"What is it '' she asked.
The poor fellow looked into her face
with wistful eyes.
"I'm afraid can not make you hap
py," he said, in a choked voice. "I-
L What shall do, SarahP'
"You can do nothing" she answered,
in a low tone. 81 am as happy as l
deserve to be-"
He arose from the table and held out
his hand to her. She did not place hers
in it. She was too honest to play a
double game, and she could not show a
love which she did not feel. He read it
all in her white face and startled eyes,
and turned away without another word.
The next moment he was out of doors
walking rapidly towards little
Enclosure which lay a few yards from
the house. 1t seemed all the
place in the world for him then, and
with great sob he threw himself down
upon the grass and laid his head upon
his baby's grave. Never child 1onged
for the kisses and caresses of its mother
Is Harry Vane longed for the touch of
the baby hands and lips at that moment.
Broken-hearted and alone, a wanderer,
as it were, and oh, so terribly homeless!
he pressed the very gates of heaven to
bring back his child. Above him the
stars looked down coldly; the wind
soughed through the naples and rushed
along the prairie grass, as if to tell him
how barren life lay before him.
When he had lain there long time
he tried to think and plan for the future.
If he could only go away that Sarah
might be free! She could marry the
man who was better suited to her then.
He had never thought much about di-
vorces, nor tried to solve the social
problem which the world has been so
busy working out for years, but lying
under the stars with his head on his
baby's grave and the free western wind
touching his forehead and hair, he got
straight at the heart of his own troubles.
"If she does not love me have no
right to her. My suffering is nothing;
her purity and truth is every thing" he
thought. Sc She shall never look upon
my face again!''
He pressed his cheeks and lips pas
sionately to the dew-wet sod, smoothed
it tenderly with his hands and then went
from it forever. The light was shining
brightly from the cottage windows, but
he turned from it resolutely and walked
with long, rapid strides forward into
the darkness. ,,,..-.,-
It was ten miles to the nearest lake
town, but he was accustomed to walk
ing and the distance was nothing to
him. He only prayed that he might
find a boat ready for sailing at the land
ing for, now that he lad resolved to go,
he could not brook an instant of delay.
He knew every inch Of the way; he had
travelled it many a time when his hard
worked horses seemed to need rest more
than he needed it himself. 1t was his
way to shield and care for every dumb
thing tenderly. When he worked in the
fields, the birds flew about his head and
hoped at his very feet, instinctively
knowing that there was nothing to fear
from his gentle hand.
h yIherosd ran Starlight along by his
own farm; broad green acres well
fenced and carefully titled. How hard
he had worked-but oh, how hopefully
looking forward to the time when the
land should bring him solid wealth for
his labor-when every thing beautiful
that his wife craved or longed for he
could yield her with generous hands.
But that was past now; his back was
turned to his home and straight before
him the great world lay, its arms ever
ready to take in for good or for evil
those who were sfoat and astray.
As he walked on he took his hat from
his head and let the cool wind play over
his forehead. It was hot and fevsrish
| with pain. Once in a while a night
bird screamed above him, flying on
through space. Occasionally a dog
howled in the distance and the Growing
of barnyard fowls smote his ear with q
| lonesome sound. -
As he neared the town he noticed g
black, low-lying cloud in the south, and
thought how frightened his wife would
be if storm should come while she
was alone. While he was looking at il
carriage passed him, coming in from
one of the prairie roads and rolling rap
idly forward. For a moment he stood
quite still, his heart throbbing painfully
He did not know what it meant; but
sensitive and keenly alive to every i'm
him. He ran forward without knowing
why he did 50, the rumbling of the car
i Rage leading thim II went his. owl
way too, straight for the landing, and
turning a corner he saw steamboat
lying at the waters edge. He was il
luck, after all, he thought; this boat was
the Hero, and almost ready to start
The bell was ringing Justify, but the
plank was still out and a few passenger.
were making their way across it. HI
hurried on board and got back into the
shadows where he could see without be
ing seen.T The perspiration was stand
ing in cold drops upon his forehead ant
face, and he trembled so that he coult
hardly stand.
He had always been plain, straight
forward fellow, little given to noting thu