Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-06-15

words, such as caught i'll the rain-del
icate-shelter -Chiselhurst- t--closed car
riage."
Then the door opened, the landlord
presented himself upon the threshold
and said, in very pointed manner:
IF you please, sir, young lady
driving over to Sevenoaks III hgh
open trap, has been caught in the rain
and her servant wants to know If | car
give her sitting-room while he drives
back to Chiselhnrst for II closed car
riage."
"And this is the only one You have?'
reloined Sexton. "Oh, ask her in by al
means. However, am sorry the room
smells so of smoke" he added, as he
knocked the ashes from his pipe.
Don't mention it sir, and thank you
very much, replied the landlord.
In another moment the door opened
again, and the unexpected intruder en-
tered--a lady tall and graceful, having
pale. Madonna-hEe face, and golden
hair shining like an aureole round cla-
sic head
Seton's face had grown white to the
very lips, and his voice quivered percep-
tibly as, extending his hand, he said:
This is very unexpected meeting.
Every unexpected" echoed the lady,
removing her wet mantle, and sitting
down on the leather sofa. The recogni-
tion had been mutual, but women, as a
general thing, have more self possession
than the sterner sex.
"Let me recommend this chair, said
Seton, laying his hand upon the one
fr, M which he had just risen,
"No, thank you; prefer sitting away
from the fire"
Il am sorry the room should smell so
of tobacco" observed Seton, after a
pause, 'but, you see, did not expect
the pleasure of visitor"
She smiled rather forced smile by
way of answer, and Seton folded elabo-
rately and put into an envelope blank
sheet of paper.
The country very beautiful around
here, he observed writing his own name
with great care upon the envelope,
"We have only been back from the
continent six weeks" she observed, after
a pause. Mamma has taken house
near Chiselhurst. | was driving over to
Sevenoaks this morning, and / was
caught in the rain, and induced to ask
for shelter here.
"And how Is Mrs. Clear6eld?"
Mamma is Qvite well, thank you."
Then after pause, Are you stopping
here?"
Hardly, said Seton, with an assump-
ton of gayety in his tone, "but I'll tell
you all about it. Ny friends kindly
took it into their heads that | was stick
ing too closely to work-that l wanted
fresh air and exercise-so they bound
me over on my word of honor to walk
from London to Hastings in IA week |
aUquirsUc IN everything now, 81, or
course, acquiesced in this, and this is
my first day of hard labor and imprison-
ment.
"Eut you used" began the lady, then
she colored a little and seemed unwilling
to finish her sentence; you used to be
so fond of walking"
''But man changes a good deal in
three years, " he replied, YEARLY.
1t would weary you, reader, to set
down here the dreary commonplaces
with which these two tried to beguile
the time for over an hour. At last they
took refuge in silence, while the wind
roared, and the rain lashed the window,
the dusk came on prematurely, and
Seton looking out on the cheerless pros
pect, shivered as with the cold Then
the lady rose very quietly, stirred the
fire into blaze, and resumed her seat
on the sofa.
"No, you shouldn't really, said Seton
not turning round, however, and with a
look of pain on his face. It is wonderful
what suffering some small, commonplace
word or action may cause Us. What
vistas of possible joys may they not open
up to us!
81 suppose the carriage will soon be
back, said Alice, presently, and speak
ing with effort; "our coachman drives
very fast"
"Yes; your term Of imprisonment will
soon be up" rejoined Seton, resting his
arms upon the mantelpiece, and examin-
ing with critical interest a photograph
before him.
"How the time passesl" said Alice in
a low voice, as if speaking to herself.
Then, w ith a 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"
Now he stood before her aud through
the freight his eyes flashed on her, as
he said, in low, harsh voice:
"From your lips that question is an
insult"
"Of which we need not fear the repe-
tition, she rejoined, with cutting for
mality.
'No, it can't end like this" he went
on. ''Do you know, ever since you have
been here, have bitten my lips through
and through to keep them from spea-
king of the past This meeting was
not of my seeking, and it seems to me
unmanly to take advantage of this OPP
portunity."
"We are sometimes so much mis-
taken," she said, hurriedly, but her
words were hardly audible, and he con-
tinued:
"AIice, you have treated me badly.
On that day, now three years ago, when
I gave you my love, and believed in
yours, was frank with you. I toldyou
how wild and irregular my life had been
and how full of faults was. You re-
claimed me--you transformed my days
you made life pure and fair;and then,
because some thorn in my love hurt you
you threw it all away and left me to
perish miserab She would have in