Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-08
else their present relations must cease,

else their present relations must oea''
N am so glad" she said soity
"that | am not one Of those who thin'
a perfect object IL necessary Tor lov
Ing | do not think q perfect oeee
isa test oi love, l am not blind
Willred Is very tyranaloal, selfish,
very, very unEind, but, but, as never
ill to-day have fully realized IT, sE
never has he been 50 dear to me-"
This realization awoke tender 70
solve.
~ can never let him 90 away no !
mast prove to him how dear he Is and
must ever DO 10 me-"
From thls came the tender note that
found It's way next morning TO Will
fred Hare -
~ cannot let you go away, DEAR
without one little word. ! know you
are angry with me, and ! Am very
very unhappy, tor never since our en-
gagemcnt, have ] loved you as to-day.
My little word Ia tha, ! must always,
always love you, and that | will never
marry any maa but Wilired Hare
Perhaps some day you will under
stand and forgive me, and then you
will be glad to think OF this"
Very sadly she dropped tho tender
little note in tho mail-box, very drear-
| ily she went back the familiar road TO
her home.
So absorbed was Saidee, that she
did not SEQ the man walking ahead,
who suddenly turned and paused, as
il awaiting her She started as she
drew closer aud perceived him, her
first impulse was to flee ; she shrank
from the sad face that she telt now
was so like hers,
But it was too late. lie had re-
traced hs steps TO meet her and
was now walking at her side.
"Saidee," he said softly, "there are
not many days now. Do not send
me away from you"
He made no effort 10 cloak his
tenderness, either ia word or Look
He had loved her from the happy
time when, as children, they had
walked this road together; she knew
| il, and it had once been the great sor-
row of her life that she could not re-
turn this love.
Despite the sting OF his words,
there awoke IN her heart pity tor
him, such as she had never known be-.
fore n wild, regretful longing that
she could not have loved him a sud-
den, strange realization that she had
wasted her affection, that this mans
s,anch. loyal heart was worth hun
dred such as Wilfred Hares.
This last she bat,led quickly down,
not so the pity or the longing
Strangely moved, scarcely knowing
what she dill, she placed her hand on
his arm, and answered, gently;
"Tbere will be many, many days
for us to walk together, Mark |"
He could but have presentlment
of her meaning, so sadly earnest was
her tone.
"What co you say, Saidee 2" be
asked, with pity for her, and a joy he
could not repress mingllng oddly in
his look and tone.
"That l am not going to be mar
ried, Malk-that is, not yet awhile
Wilfred is angry with me; but !
must not tell you'll do not know
why ! 50 forgot myself. 1t is only
that 1 am to stay with Aunt Ruth for
the present-thot is all, Mark"
She truly said she did not know
why she felt very traitress, thus
openly to blame Wi|tred Hare. She
did not realize, poor Saidee how
pleasant Mark Wales devotion had
suddenly become to her-how plaiu
she Was making this.
But he could not see. He walked
on beside her silently, little dreaming
he was aught to her to day beyond
what he had been before Never had
life seemed 80 dreary to Mark Vale
not even that black morning when he
learned she was to marry Wilfred
Hare. Then his uuselfish soul found
solace in the thought that she was
happy q; now he stood in presence o
her misery-he, who, had he tbt
power, would not have permitted the
wind. to blow roughly on her-ant
could not save her its least paug.
He understood Wilfred Hare better
than she it would have been easier