, 1880-06-07

other room. The young minister and
Miss Linda stood in tho center of the
apartment, and he was speaking pas-
sionately, but softly. Then he streye
to clasp her hand in his. but she drew
it away and stood further from him.
nearer to ths doorway. Then heard
his voice husky, it was, and tremu-
| lous.
Linda, dear Linda !" he said, "you
can nevor tell how much / love YOU,
You do wrong to doubt me. NV ex-
istence is worthless without your affcc-
tion. Do not deny me all hope let
me think, at least, that in time my deep
love may win your own that, when you
see how constant and devoted nv heart
is to you, you will think we'll of nae for
that constancy at least. Many better
and greater may WOO you, Linda, but
none can love more truly"
could see great tears in her eyes as
she answered him.
"Do not misunderstood me, Mr.. AL
win. l do think we'll of you. As a
sister. may even say that love you
but ether love than that of a sister
Linda Harrington can never give to
living man. 1-Ih loved once, and
he to whom l was betrothed sleeps be-
meath the waves, or is a wanderer upon
the face of the earth. Living or dead,
he is lost to me forever but a woman
gives her love but once, and mine is his
still, Mr.. Alwyn. Leave me, beseech
you ! Time can never change nay feel
ings, and am glad it cannot"
He took her hand and pressed it to
his lips, and in another moment he was
gone Miss Linda sunk upon the the
seat from which she had arisen the
tears were trickliug down her cheeks,
and her bosom rose and fell convul-
slyeiy. Over her dress, over the floor,
fell a shadow, creeping slowly along
up the whits-washed wall of the school
house, and while watched it the tall
man with the black beard stood on the
Threshold there, with both
arms stretched towards her, until she
turned, and, looking on him, cried,
William oh, my William y and fell
upen his bosom.
At first had imagined that the black
bearded gentleman was about to devour
Miss Linda, or carry her away to his
enchanted castle but when she called
him William; the truth dawned upon
my mind. and l listened quietly, when,
some moments afterwards he knelt be-
side her and spoke thus:
81 have been near you many weeks,
darling-I have watched you to and
from the school and, though 1 never
dreamed you could still love me, I have
loved you every moment since we
parted. When left you I hoped to
return to you soon, happy and prosper
GUS. but bafied and disappointed, I
could not bear to bring my poverty and
grief for you to share, and l battled
with the world, weary and broken
hearted, until I began to doubt all
truth and goodness, a2sl believed that
no woman could welcome back toll
worn, bsggared man, as she would one
who was glad and prosperous.
saw her arm steal about his neck,
and her lip touch his check, and he
went on again.
"Better days dawned upon me, and
came back again, loving you still, to
WOO and win you, if you could forgive
my long and shameful silence. The
first news l heard, darling. was that
you were betrothed to another, and
though it almost broke my heart, l
vowed that if this were true, 1 would
not mar your new-found happiness by
bringing back the memory of the past.
Had you loved him, Linda, you never
should have known that Will Brace
dwelt among living men, although he
would have prayed for your happiness
while he had heart to pray with, and
blessed you until his lips were dumb
forever"
There was another pause, and could
hear her sob.
To-day, Linda, followed my rival,
as I the ught him, to this door I heard
the words he spoke, and I also heard
your answer. I learned, my angel, that
you had forgiven me, that you were
still true to the wandersr whose only
merit was that he loved you fondly, and
no words can tell you the ecstasy of
that moment, the balm that knowledge
poured upon my wounded heart. Will
you be my wife still, Linda? Will
you share the little that I have of
wealth, and let me have q right to the
great treasure Of your womans heart ?"
She did not speak, but her head sunk
lower still, and her white arms twined
themselves tendsrly about the bronzed
neck of the man with tho black beard.
A week later the village paper re-
ported the marriage Of Miss Linda
Harrington and Mr.. William Brace,
and our school was without mistress.
N. Y. Sunday Timss.
Breeding Swine.
A brood SOW is usually at her best, as