Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-02-17

the pleasure of q visitor"
She smiled rather forced smile Sy
way of answer, and Seton folded elsb-
orately and put into an envelope blank
sheet of paper.
The country is very beautiful
around here" he observed. writing his
own name with great care upon the
envelope.
1--WE have only been back from the
Continent six weeks" she observed,
after a pause. Mamma has taken a
house near Chiselhurst. was driving
over to Sevenoaks this morning, and l
was caught in the rain, and indnced to
ask for shelter here"
And how is Mrs. Clarefield r
"Mamma is quite well, thank you"
Then after pause, in full, sweet,
low contralto voice, which had ring
Of infinite pathos, fare you stopping
| here"
Hardly" said Seton, with an as
sumption of gayety in his tone, "but
I'll tell you all about it. My friends
kindly took it into their heads that l
was sticking too closely to work-that
I wanted fresh air and exercise-so
they bound me over on my word of
honor to walk from London to Hast
ings in a week. / acquiesce In every
thing now, so, of course, acqniesced IN
this, and this is my first day of hard la
Dor and imprisonment"
"But man changes a good deal in
three years, he replied, YEARLY.
1t would weary you, dear reader, and
to no purpose, were to set down here
the drearv commonplace with which
these two tried to beguile the time for
over an hour. Atlength, worn out by
the arduous effort of trying to entertain
each other while their thoughts were 80
far away, they took refuge in silence,
while the wind roared, and the rain
dashed the window, and the dusk came
on prematurely; and Seton, looking out
on the cherries prospect, shiyered as
with the cold. Then that other person
rose very quietly, and stirred the fire
into a blaze, and resumed her seat on
/ the sofa.
mo, you shouldn't really" said Sc
ton, not turning round, however, though
with look of great pain on his face. 1t
is wonderful what sufferings some small,
commonplace word or action may
cause US. What vistas of possible joys
may they not open up to usi
81 suppose the carriage will soon be
back" said Alice, presently, and speak
ing with effort, "and our coachman
drives so fast, too"
"Yes, and your term of imprisonment
will soon be up" rejoined Seton, rest
ing his arms upon the mantelpiece,
and examining with critical interest a
photograph before him.
"How the time passed !" said Alice,
in low voice as if speaking to herself.
Then, with sudden energy 81 cannot
tell when we shall meet again. Before
we part. answer me one question. You
are looking worn and weary-are you
happy 2"
Now he stood before her, and through
the dusk and the freight his eyes
flashed on her, as he said, in low,
harsh voice
From your lips that question is an
insult"
"Of which you need not fear the re
petition" she rejoiDed promptly with
cutting formality.
mo, it can't end like this" he went
on. do you know, ever since you
have been here, l have bitten my lips
through and through to keep them from
speaking of the pas? This meeting
was not of your seeking, and it seems
to me unmanly to make advantage OF
this opportunity.
1--WE are sometimes SO mistaken,
she said, hurriedly, but her words were
hardly audible, and he continued
"Alice, you have treated me very i'll.
On that day, now three years ago, when
yours, | was frank with you. | told
you how wild and irregular my life had
been. and how full of faults | was.
You reclaimed me-you transformed
my days-you made life, all at once,
pure and fair; and then because some
thorn in my love hurt you, you threw
it all away and left me to perish miser
ably" She would have interrupted
him, but he silenced her with gesture
and went on: "And now when we meet,
after three year, you ask me if am
happy. III loved you once, / shall
love you forever Do | look happy p
| think there were faults on both
sides" lshe said quietly.
| It's, were, lie re-
piled; but | vas reading your last
letter over only to-day. Oh, how ter
ribly bitter it was r.
And have you forgotten your an
swer to that letter." she said passion.
ately, her voice quivering and her
breast heaving.
9. don't remember it word for word, y
he returned, quickly; 81 know it was
written on the impulse of the moment. y
But have it by heart" Then, very
slowly: I" You said if your love, in its
heart and strength, was little exact
ing, mine was cold and tideless: in
fact, no love, only cold, sluggish af
lection. You almost thought | was
right, and that we could not be happy
| am naturally proud" she went on
"but woman with less pride than
could not have acted differently. Only
one course was left to me-to be
silent"
Well-it is all over now; we shall
probably never meet again."
You won't take my friendship
then p
No, thank you; you are very gen
erous, but do not want that gift"
He drew himself YEARLY into a chair
and for time there was complete
silence. Hope is 50 subtle, so iRtangi
BILE, that We are only aware of its exist
enee when it has ceased to be. Arthur
Seton looked upon himself as mar
quite without hope. 1t seemed to him
that his life could hardly be more desc
late than it was, yet who shall say what
feeling, of which he was not directly
conscious, may have sustained him
during the last three years. Now
everything seemed gone-there was
nothing left for him but death.
Presently carriage wheels came
down the road; carriage lamps flashed
through the dusk, and grew stationary
opposite the window Mr.. Hunter
hustled in and announced, in a tone OF
triumph, that the carriage had come
for the young lady, and had done the
distance wonderfully quick. Then the
door shut, and they were alone togeth-
er again.
Softly and distinctly Seaton heard
her say his name, Arthur but he
did not move. 1t seemed to him that
he would keep back all his love, clinch
fast his heart till she was gone, and
then die swiftly of the pain.
4