Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-08-10

| bptH w Npih W rhlHbHt w Wy nlH pliAhN'9
for the next hest thing IN liie,-to get
rich,
II Is u good many years since the end
ing Of that youthful episode, and Penn
broke II not yet rich, Ay0ung Journal
ist, even II he does belong to the class
distinguished ~ "rising," does not
make his fortune very rapidly, How,
ever as proprietor and sdltor'in'ehlei Of
the Argus, Pembroke makes o living,
aud eonld support wife II he had one,
but there seems very little probability
that he will ever have one, From his
landlady and his waslerwoman, to Mrs,
Scott,idyingRtone, who sends him cards
10 all her receptions, though he never
goes, every woman who comes In CON
tact with him understands that he II not
q marrying man,
And now lle sets his lips together,
and Ia very silent, looking down at that
little bit Of paper, which brings him
iace 10 face once more with Edna French,
lie has not seen her, has scarcely heard
OF her, since she married the handsome,
good'for'nothing Clarence Vano but he
realizes NJ this moment, how little his
heart has changed In all these years,
A man like Pembroke, who loves but
once, loves not lightly, io IL not
thinking now that she was false and
foolish, and that all her sex are like
her; but, oh that she had been true TO
him How passing well he loved her
how we'll he loves her yet She IL friend,
less, and in need; that bit Of paper tells
the story but II does not tell tho whole,
IL she widowed, or-what IL quito as
likely-dcsortodY II tho good.for.
nothing husband has forSakcn her, she
wants a friend II she IL free
Pembroke thinks no further He
rises, and takes his hat, glanccs at the
address named in that advertisement,
looks into the prossroom TO notify Mr.
Bminard that ho is going out, and
goes.
lie finds the address readily enough,
II is q street OF decent lodging.houscs,
and she lives in the most decent. Ho
mentions her name at the door, and il
directed TO her rooms and he goes up
many stairs and raps upon panel Of
"socsnd door to the right" He is stir.
red through every fiber OF his being by
the voice that bids him enter
He enters; and lady puts down
some sewing work, and rises to receive
him. A lady whom he would not have
known If he had met her by chance, so
much older and sadder, so pale, so wan,
so worn with many cares. His heart
leaps with great, passionate throb of
tenderness and pity; then different
feeling brings color to his cheek and
flash into his eyes; for she is dressed
in black.
She has recognized him instantly. |
She stands wav, ring for moment, and
then sinks back into her chair, with a
faint exclamation -
"George Pembroke "
He comes toward her quickly.
81 am sorry that my abrupt appear
ance has startled you, Mrs. Vane. II
trust you are not sorry to see an old
friend"
81 have not so many friends, now or
old" she answers sadly, "that can be
otherwise than glad to sec them. But
how did you know
"You sent an advertisement to our
paper; / am editor Of the Argus" he
explains.
81 did MOI know it," she says, simply.
81 suppose not. | was surprised to
learn that you were herein Octagon,"
says Pembroke.
He does not quite know what to say,
now that he finds himself in her
Nresence. He looks at the black dress,
and after moment, says
81 hope / have not taken liberty in
calling?'
"Surely not; you are very kind to
come, Mr.. Pembroke"
She offers him chair, and he sits
down, still at loss for appropriate re
marks. There ensues an awkward 81
lence, which he breaks at last, by asking
desperately
"NIrs. Vane, are you widow ?"
She gives him an amazed look, and
answers -
"a widow! No; did you think so ?"
"You wear mourning" faltered Penn
broke; "and-your advertising for pupils
in French-led me to believe"
His stammering explanation trails off
into embarrassed silence and it is
some moments before she replies.
81 wear mourning for my child, my
little girl. I lost her last fall" she says
at length and continues with bitter
calmness, GAS for the necessity of earn
ing my own bread, that is nothing new
to me- My husband"
She pauses and seems to listen. A
step is heard coming slowly
up the stairs and, with flush rising
to her cheek, and glance at Pembroke
"a glance that wrings his heart,-she
says =
"That is he. He is half sober, I
think"
The stumbling step draws nearer, and
stops, the door opens, and George Penn.
broke beholds the man for whom Edna
threw him over. He certainly is not
more than half sober. He was n gay,
worthless young idler, when
ne caught the foolish girls fancy OF
Edna French. He stands there now, a
drunken brute, sot.
He stands in stupid surprise, and Q
ooks at Pembroke and then at Edna
md she says in a hard, cold voice - s
"This is Mr.. Pembroke of the Daily I
Argus. I am going to advertise in his |
PAPER to give French lessons" f
Mr.. Vane grunts and intimates q
natural surprise that the editor of the f
Argus should take SO much trouble for
uch matter. l
"Mr. Pembroke is an old friend. I 1
knew him when 1 was girl" says
IGna, in accents of ice. d
Thereupon Mr.. Vane becomes ami s
bic, and expresses the hope that Mr.. "
'embroke will remember old times when
e charges for the advertisement, and
make it easy.
Pembroke constrains himself to make