Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-10-04

forbid me speaking to her again. From
that hour | have been a changed man.
My life has been one mad whirl of cx-
citement, in the attempt to drown the
memory of that girl !"
Nina had been standing near him
and looking directly in his face. AS he
ceased speaking she advanced step
towards him and asked -
''And you have succeeded in forget
ting her, Elmer %
"No; think I now fully understand
what Tennyson meant when he wrote
those lines in 'Locksley Hall -
knowledge comes but wisdom fingers, and I linger
And the individual withers and the world is more
and more
knowledge comes but wisdom fingers, and he bears
~ a laden breast, Ia
Full of sad experience, moving towards the stiffness
ofhis rest.
81 do not love her as once did, but
forget her never can" 9
"But, Elmer. why will you not marry
some woman who can by her loving
kindness help you to forget her p
He pointed far off in the western sky
where one star alone sent out its ray
DER the earth, and said In low voice.
..Mina, do you see yonder star? 1t
is bright and beautiful-far brighter
than any of the smaller ones that will
soon spangle the azure vault above-but
it is alone. When the others come forth
it will slowly disappear, as if dreading
their companionship. So it has done in
ages past, so it will continue to do in
all time to come Like that star my
life must be lone and cheerless one
for me there is no companionship. 1t
is my destiny; to fight against it is fol-
ly. Yet if | thought there was one per-
son in all this cold, unsympathizing
world who feels sufficient interest in my
being to offer an encouraging word, |
would struggle against fate, and strive
to, if possible, accomplish something
during the remaining years of my life.
But. no, there is not one, and | have
only to drift with the tide until finally
launched into the broad ocean of eter-
nifty and be forgotten, or, if remembered
at all by whose who once claimed to be
my friends, it will be to have my pecca-
dilloes unearthed and discussed.
Nina came close to him now, and lay
ing her hand on his arm spoke hurried
ly, as though fearful that her courage
would fail ere she had finished what she
wished to say =
Elmer, you are wrong when you say
no one cares for you. care for you,-
] love you, Elmer,-I have loved you in
secret for years and you can never
know how vainly L have striven against
this love- D Elmer, never intended
you should know this. / thought tc
carry my secret to the grave but, wher
| heard you speak so bitterly of all the
world, could keep silent no longer.
Burying her face, now crimson with
bushes, in her hands, she burst into {
passion of tears. ,t
For moment Elmer Royston stood
irresolute, but it was for moment
Drawing the weeping girl to him hi
said :.
NINA. if ever there was an angel il
human form you are certainly one.
never dreamed, until this moment. tina
you cared for me. l will not pretend
to say that love you now, Nina, and
know that | can never love you will
that blind, passionate love with which
| worshiped Shelah Fortescue.-mel
love as loved her but once in life.-
but if some time in the future l cal
come and offer you a lifetime of devO
tion, will you be my wife %
She looked up into his face with ;
happy light in her eyes as she said:- -.
elf you ever ask me to be your wifi
| will not refuse. Elmer"
Those words were not spoken SO yer,
long ago, but already Elmer Royston i
learning to love this girb and often
when he compares her with Shelah Fort
eseue, he murmurs to himself
: "Yes, it was all for the best"