Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-12-21
Whole No, 2049.

Then, rs Margaret raised the light,
he stood transased, and she, with sud
den weakness sat down IN the nearest
chair.
Pardon me, | did not know you
were
'oh, Margaret, Is 1t reallyyou whom
] SOC at last Harold interrupted,
u do not understand, she replied,
confuscdly, passing her hand across
her eyes, and then looking up at him
timidly, Are you not Mr., WestonI
| thought at first, so wonderful is the
resemblance, that you were IN -an-
old friend Of mine, whom | had not
seen ior-tor-many months and years.
For three years, Margaret Arnold
he replied. 1T Is three years since
you-sincc-oh, Margaret since you
sent me cruel aud unjust note, and
now | find you here You depend
cnt in q strangers house
Sir, whNt Is your name? May !
ask IL thi,, or the one by which ! used
to know you, is the fictitious one, and
is it your habit to change your name
when making new acquaintanccsT
Her calmness had quite returned;
her cold hautcur cut him deeply, aud
his pride helped him to speak steadily.
This is no time or place TO explain
matters. will only say that you have
done me gricvous wrong all these
years, and that ] never wrote the note
yon returned to me. Moreover, the
name | now bear is settled upon me by
my unclc's will, and with its adoption
| was made his heir. This is all, Miss
Arnold. will not detan you longer.
The seal am in search Of can be
found tomorrow. ! value it highly,
and would not lose it. Ifpossiblc,
shall keep it by mc my life thodgh.-
If you will honor me with an inter-
view tomorrow, | will be grateful,
and hope to appear n little less sinful
in your eyes ere long
Il scarcely think an interview nHces-
sary. sir answered Margaret. Our
paths lie far apart now, and can SIM
cercly wish you u happy future, either
married or unmarried
She held out her hand rs she spoke
with sad smile and his own shook
visibly as he took, after long years,
once more the little palm within his
strong clasp.
Il shall never marry, Miss Arnold.
A man can love as | have loved but
|
once in his lifetime. God bless you p.
Good-by.'
Then he went out of the room, and,
pleading some excuse, left the house at
an early hour.
And yet, before the door had been
five minutes closed upon him, Margaret
found the missing seal, AVID wept there
on her knees as she recognized little
gift she herself had long ago given him
and forgotten. He had carefully pre-
served it in rich setting after the
form of a seal, and all these years had
carried it about him.
The old love, long banished, was not
slow to well up in Margaret's heart
again, and chance favored an explana-
ton between the two ere many days
an explanation which made the two
hearts happy beyond measure.
They never knew, but we can point
out the rejected lover of that 'long ago
who concocted, out of his foolish envy
and jealousy, the note which so clever
ly initiated Howard's penmanship as to
bring misery npon the two who were
all in all to each other.
But Margaret had faith to believe
her lovers word, and the glad Christ
mas-time was true to the motto Of
peace on earth, goodwill toward
men, and the first day of New Year
saw an engagement ring upon our
Margarct's finger, which drove Isabel
nearly wild with envy.
Miss Berkly's visit was suddenly
ended. Nobody dared hint why, but
Isabel knew it was pique that allied her
friend, and the contagion..did not escape
herself. Margaret and her husband
went to Europe on wedding-tour, and
Mrs. Grangeris looking for goyerness.
care you feeling very ill?" asked