Middletown transcript., 1880-02-07

life or death. But there came an
hour, never to be forgotten, when he
was admitted into her presence.
She was very white, very fragile
but more beautiful than in the color
ing Of perfect health A new express.
ion, too, was in the violet eyes raised
to welcome him.
Il am very glad to meet you again,
she said, gently 81 hear YOU have
been anxious about me. You were
very kind"
Then the words lie had not meant
to speak burst from his lips.
"Anxious! he said "Can a man,
Miss Rayburn perishing with hunger.
hear of the famine without shudderi
/ am presumptous. you will say. 1t
is true. What is my life with its
many sealed pages in which your eyes
could never look, that I should dare
offer it to you. And yet, purified by
your love, l would try to make it
worthy. Tell me-answere me! If !
served as Jacob served Rachael, is
there hope that / may win you !? My
darling! nv darling! I love you
cannot live my life without you! Will
you not share it ?"
Lower and lower dropped the lids,
until the long. dark lashes swept the
marble cheek, while the sweet mouth
trembled but the momentary weak
ness passed as she spoke:
Forget all that you have said, Mr.
Clayton. 1t can never be. !"
You do not love me" he ques-
toned sadly.
Again that swift expression of pain
fitted across her lovely face.
Il shall never marry" she answered.
But" and ip her voice crept an al
most pleading tone, 81 need my friend
very much, Mr.. Clayton, do not desert
me r
Il cannot" he replied. ITO desert
you would be to desert the hope Of one
day forcing you to unsay your cruel
words-the hope which will go with
me to my grave"
What was the barrier between them?
This was the question ever ringing in
Harold Clpyton's ear. As she looked
when she pronounced his doom, SO he
fancied she might have looked when
the statue warmed into life.
Since then she had been colder,
more distant than before but he had
caught the momentary expression and
transferred it to the picture, on which
his every leisure moment was spent.
He was thus engrossed one morning,
ever striving to add new beauty to his
almost perfect work, when low knock
at the door aroused him.
Come in,'' he called, and then bent
anew to his task, without so much as
raising his head, until low laughing
voice sounded beside him.
eve were caught in the shower, Mr..
Clayton, and / persuaded Margaret to
seek shelter with me here. | did not
dream she would find herself forstalled.'
It was Mrs. Somers who spoke-the
lady who first presented him to Miss
Rayburn-whose introduction he had,
unknown to her, carried out.
Margaret" she added, turning to
her friend "you have been sitting for
your portrait and did not let me know.
Why have you kept it such a secret ?"
He had now sprung to his feet in
time to see the rosy tide spread over
Margaret Rayburn's face.
1T was a liberty / took without
Miss Rayburn's knowledge, Mrs. Som
err" he explained. Il assure you l
have never been so fortunate as to Sc
cure a sitting"
"Well, you shall have one now, and
you must thank me for il" she rejoin-
ed, while Margaret turned away to ex-
anime the sketches lying around in
profuse confusion.
"Here are sketches taken while /
was studying abroad. Miss Rayburn,"
said Harold "Will you amuse your
self by locking at them"
Il will return in a few moments"
interrupted Mrs. SUmers. "Wail for
me, my dear"
A word of expostulation rose to Mar
garet's lips, but too late. The door
had closed behind the speaker.
Silence fell between the two thus
left behind, when a low cry arrested
Harolds attention. He sprang to Miss
Rayburn' side.
Her eyes were fixed on a little
sketch she held in her hand. 1t rep
resented a gambling table, at one end
Of which sat a man, haggard, desperate,
despairing, and by him a child, hold
ing out to him a single gold piece,
with a smile in her eyes, and seeming
ly prayer on her lips.
"You would know the history of
that picture" he said. "Let me tell
you: Years ago l was in Hamburg
The gaming tables attracted me, and
every night found me beside them,
losing or winning according to the for
tunes of the hour. One evening the
demon ill-luck pursued me. l lost and
lost, till | found my all was slipping
from me. In the vain hope of retriev-
ing it | went on, until | knew was
beggared Maddened, desperate, I
determined to put an end to my mis-
erable life, when some one touched my
a child angel stood before
me, and slipped into my hand a piece
of gold. For my sake, she whispered.
The croupier's hoarse cry warned me
no time was to be lost. | staked the
gold and won, but turning to give her
back her own she had fed. When
arose from the table / had recovered
all and more, but l vowed a vow to
my unknown deliverer that | would
never again hazard dollar of the for
tune [ considered hers. | have never
found her, Margaret. The child will
never know her work, but I am not
afraid to meet her, for have kept my
pledge
Harold PIT was almost a whis-
per. but something in the tone made