Connecticut western news., 1881-07-27

again, came this cruel letter.
 As Marion had said to her mother, not even the loss of their home went to he1 heart with so sharp a pang as did this evidence of the change in her only brother.
 It was not until hearing Miss Me lia's words to her mother that she awoke to the consciousn ess that fate could have even a greater sorrow than this in store for her.
 One year ago she had parted from her accepted lover, Wat Hinton. Wat had become jealous and had spoken sharply and in 8 manner which she considered herself justified in resent ing.
 Wat was too proud to apologize. and Marion too proud as we'll as too delicate to make advances to 8 reconciliation and so they had drifted apart, both miserable, until Wat had broken the last link by going to the West. She heard of him from time to time through his family, but no word or message to herself ever came. In all this while she had looked forward with faint, yearning hope to the possibility of his some time returning, and of all being made up between them. But now this last hope was rudely stricken to the ground. Wat was going to be married. He had forgotten her and was lost to her forever.
 ooh, it is hard-so hard to bear p thought Marion, as with hands uncon- sciously tightly clasped she passed slowly under the apple boughs of the old orchard. "Life is bitter. It has taken all from me. It can have no more to give. Only my dear, dear mother and Myra! For their sakes I must be strong, and try to bear it all. "
 On the verge of the orchard, where the high bank sloped abruptly to the meadow, she came to mass of tangled honeysuckle, fashioned into rustic arbor. Wat had made it for her, and here, in fact, it was that they had last parted.
 Down in the meadow ran little path way leading by short cut to Watts home, 8 couple of miles away. How often she had sat here of an evening and watched for him.
 She could scarcely look back upon any object now before her eyes which was not connected with some association of Wat.
 There was the walnut tree which he and Jack used to climb, and there the clear laughing brook in which he had taught her to steer the little boat which he had made for her, laden with grain, down to Jacks famous water mill at the roots of that old willow.
 Further up was the real "grist and saw mill, which Jack had always been so desirous of owning, and which every body said would be such 8 good invest ment for one who could manage it prop erly. .g=- 5..-s..
 And then Marion, seated on the bench in the rustic arbor, turned and looked long and yearningly at the old farm house peeping from the great beeches across the orchard. No other place on earth could ever be home to her. And her mother? Oh, it would be harder still for her, whose whole life of fifty years had been spent under that roof. A sudden sound aroused Marion-a sharp whistle, as of some one calling to dog-and she saw through tear dimmed eyes the figure of a man hurry. ing along the pathway in the meadow She drew back behind the screen of the honeysuckle.
 The path led past the arbor, but a the foot of the steep bank she would not be discovered in her retreat. S. she thought, but moment or two aftel there was sound of footsteps ascend ing the bank, rustic of the honey suckle branches, and Marion saw stand ing in the entrance of the arbor tn figure of tall young man.
 For an instant they gazed at eacl other-Marion pale and the strange
 with 8 flush rising to his handsom face. Then he said as he held out hi hand: "Marion, don't you know me Z
 She gave him her hand in silence.
 was Wat. And suddenly with the sigh
 of him came the full bitterness of he
 sorrow, in the consciousness that he wa
 lost to her forever. She was nothing t
 him now, and he must be nothing t
 her.
 "I am glad to have so unexpectedl
 found you here in this dear old spot,
 he said "I arrived at home only a
 hour ago and could not rest until I ha seen you."
 , She met his eyes, bent upon her wit strange earnestness, and her pal l cheek faintly flushed, but she could nc have spoken word.
 "Marion," he said, suddenly, "hay
 you no welcome for me? Is it possib ) that you cannot forgive me? ?" Forgive you?"
 "Yes for all my absurd jealousy an } pride and folly. I have never had } happy moment since I parted from yol Marion, and have come back at last beg youl forgiveness, and to beg too fC the love which I forfeited, but which 5 cannot live without"
 l "I do not understand you, Wat, l why you should speak so to me, when 3 when you are going to be married" "Who told you so, Marion ?" "It came from Agnes, your sister," l He smiled.
 r "Aggie knows my wishes. It W,
 she who encouraged me to come bacl 0 She thought you would forgive m B Will you, Marion, darling ?"