, 1880-05-24

brilliancy of their wit or understand
ing. Once in while, DIR. Paulding
would ride out to Bonny brook, as Con-
stance told him, "from force of habit, I"
but soon it seemed that the nam of mod
icine did not carry on the conversation
with the old ease, grace and spirit.
What had come between Constance
Owen and himself? Something mex
plicable. The noble woman found a
stra.. ge rare pleasure in the society Of
the gifted man; the scholarly man
sympathy with the large hearted, intel
lectual woman which he had never
known or experienced in any of her sex.
True" ho said to himself, she is
not beautiful; indeed, measured by the
rules of beauty, she is positive ugly.
But who can guage the charms of a
melodious voice. or define the tender
ness of an honest. kindly eye?"
And she, too, mnsed in this wise:
"This DR.. Charles Paulding is a mar
velously gifted man. What powers Of
language, what treasures of imagination
he possesses What noble career he
has before him; and Edith"-here sho
would pause and think of that clinging
tendril, not as helping the growth of
the oak, bat as drawing from its
strength. Yet from all such thoughts
as these her stanch and loyal heart
would resolutely turn away-yct for all
this her speech would not come as
" trippingly on the tongue" as in the
Id days, and he would oftentimes fin
ish sentence in the middle of it. and
then lose himself in vague glanees at
the ceiling or out into the gardens.
o, it was dangerous time for both
of these awakening hearts. But they
glided on this treacherous stream, seem
ing only conscious that the hours were
sweet and that the sun shone on the
waves. There was no thought of dis
LOYALTY in either heart. He was above
ali man of h, 1nor. and she, OF all else,
a loysl woman. Yet how hearts de-
lude themselves. In the very pride of
his strength Samson as shorn OF his
locks.
One quiet evening in July, DR..
Paulding had taken tea at Boz ny brook,
and Constance" his hostess" only, she
called herself-strolied down to the
gate with him. His impatient horse
was biting the rough old hitching post |
and throwing up clouds of dust with |
his fore feet. He had been kept there |
four hours, and he seemed more eager |
than his master to leave Bonny brook |
behind him. The doctor idly plucked |
some hellotrope as they strolled down |
she rose-bordere1 paths, and mingled |
with the flowers some dainty mignon-
cite and pale bud or two of the tea
rose. AT last he placed the bouquet in
ler hands and said dreamily:
Read the emblems, Constarce-you |
who are priestess in Flora's beautiful |
temple"
She quickly looked over them.
All, she said. "you choose we'll,
Sir Botanist. Here you have beauty
n retirement, 'constancy'-that is good
and l am not a summer friend
hat is better than all. But you fatter
with your flowers, nevertheless
"Not you," he replied eagerly, al
most tenderly, and in voice that some
now frightened her.
She replied almost coldly-although
ler heart was strangely beating, and
| warm, unusual color was in her face:
My best friends will tell you, Doctor,
hat am ugly and commonplace. Be
ieve them, beg OF you, and do not
ct your Imagination invest me with
my charms"
He seemed all at once to be carried
way by his passion. He leaned over
Ter and replied, warmly: 81 say you
re beautiful, Constance Owen. l feel
'our beauty in lay very soul" But he
aid no more. EFs
The face of Constance was study +
he flush that before had crims0ned her
heeks died out, and she became ghost
y pale. Her fingers, which had
,rasped the flowers, Iowly opened and
hey dropped to the ground at her feet
III at once the vision of the dead wom-
n seemed to present itself to her mind,
nd the trust she was violating struck
old to her heart. Was this the For
ver she had spoken? She staggered
nd would have fallen the arms of
)r. Paulding were about her but she
waved him away in moment with such
piteous, despairing gesture that ne
beyed her without q word. She only
lad strength to falter
Go--and remem Der Edith and
he staggered back into the house, leav-
ng him standing there, bent and trem-
ling.
She did not know how she reached
er own room the strong woman had
earned at the same moment she loved
hat she must sacrifice and renounce.
She stood for hours white and mo-
lonless, looking out at the sunset and
he gathering gloom of evening, with
1ild thoughts chasing themselves
trough her brain and dumb, aching
ain In the heart, every hope trailing in
be dust, like those sweet flowers he
ad given her. She laid her head after
while upon her hands, and wept softly