The Worthington advance., 1882-07-20

three years." he replied, wearily.
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 thev
took refuge in silence, while the wind
roared and the rain lashed the window.
Dusk came on prematurely, and Seton,
looking out on the cheerless prospect,
shivered as with cold. Then the lady
rote very quietly, stirred the fire into a
blaze and resumed her seat on the sofa.
"No, you shouldn't, really" said Set
on, not turning around, however, and
with look Of pain on his face. 1t is
wonderful! what suffering some small,
us. What vistas of possible joys may
carriage will soon be back" said Alice,
presently, and speaking with effort:
our coachman drives very fast"
Eyes; your term Of Imprisonment will
soon be up," rejoined Seton, resting his
arms upon the mantelpiece, and ex-
amining with critical interest q photo
graph before him.
''How the time passes!" said Alice, in
4 low voice, as if speaking to herself.
Then, with sudden energy, II 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, and through
the freight his eyes flashed on her, as
he said in low, harsh voice:
From your lips that question: is all in
"Of which you need not fear the repeti-
tion," she rejoined, with cutting formal
'"No, it can't end like this, he went on.
"Do you know, ever since you have
been here, have bitten my lips through
to keep them from speaking of the past?
This meeting was not of your seeking,
and it seems to me unmanly to take ad-
vantage of this opportunity"
I'VE are sometimes so much mistak-
en-" she said hurriedly, but her words
were hardly audible, and he continued:
alice, you have treated me badly.
On that day; now three years ago, when
| gave you my love-. and believed in
yours, was frank with you. told you
how wild and irregular my life had been
and how full of faults I was. You re-
claimed me-you transformed my
days-you made life pure and fair, and
then, because some thorn i'll my love
nurt you, you threw all away, and left
me to perish miserably." She would
have interrupted him, but he silenced
her with gesture, and went on: "And
now when We meet, after three years,
you ask me if am happy~
II think there were faults on both
sides" she said, quietly.
eyes, there were," he replied; "but
was reading your last letter only to-day.
0, how terribly bitter it wasp
"And have you forgotten your answer
to that letter?' she said passionately,
her voice Quivering and her breast heav-
ri don't remember it word for word"
he returned, quickly; ~ know it was
written on the impulse Of the moment"
but have it by heart" Then, very
slowly: "You said if your love, in its
heart and strength, was little exacting,
mine was cold and tideless; in fact, no
love, only cold, sluggish, affection. You
almost thought | was right, and that we
could not be happy: am naturally
proud" she went on. "but a woman with
less pride than l could not have acted
me-to be SILENT
probably never meet again.
"You won't take my friendship,
then?"
"No, thank you; you are very yencr-
GUS, but I do not want that gift.''
He threw himself wearily into chair,
and for time there was silence. Hope
is SO subtle, SO intangible that we are
only aware of its existence when it has
ceased to be. Arthur Seton looked upon
himself as man without hope It
seemed to him that his life could not be
more desolate 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 came down the
road; carriage lamps flashed through the
dusk, and grew stationary opposite the
window. Mr.. Hunter bustled in, and
announced that the carriage had come
TOR the young lady, and had done the
distance wonderfully quick. Then the
door shut and they were alone again.
Softly and distinctly Seton heard her
speak his name, "Arthur!" but he did
would keep back all his love, clinch fast
his heart till she was gone, and then die
swiftly Of the pain.
YOU come? Are you not going to forgive
me?"
He CROPPED his way toward her. She
stretched out her hand and drew him to
her. Then he bent down; she raised her
face, and the hearts and the lips so long
disunited came together in a long, pas-
sionate kiss. He knelt down by her. her
head sank upon his shoulder, and for
many minutes they remained thus, lost
IN loves profound peace and mystery.
And the clerks continued to pop, and
the WagOners on their way to London
tramped in and out of the bar, and good
nights were exchanged between custo-
mers and landlord, and as Arthur folded
Alice 8 mantle around her, she said shylv:
"You are coming back with me to see
mamma, are you not?
MAY i" he answered joyfully.
SO the bedroom which Mrs. Hunter
had been preparing all the afternoon.
and OF which she was not little proud,
remained unocupied; but the payment
was lavish, and the days labor was not
regretted.
Q, the never-to-be-forgetten ride to
Chiselhurst through the wild, windy
evening! The rain ceased. and the
strange voices were abroad in the wind.
singing jubilantly over the love re-risell
redeemed. The clouds drifted away.
and the pure, sweet moonlight quiyersd
over the.wet trees and fields and seemed
owes benediction.
The reader is left to imagine the arriv-
al home. Arthur had always been a IA
vorite with Mrs. Oaretield, who in the
old days of quarrels would always take
his part. When dinner was
disposed of. Mrs. Clearfield
pleaded household duties and went to
her room. There she sat down before
the fire and wept, dear soul, over the
happiness of her children. Down stairs
those two were very quiet. othem love
was solemn thing, and they were silent
lovers. The moments went swiftly on.
Presently Alice sale, as she looked up
III Arthur's face:
"You are not going to continue vour
walk to Hastings this week?"
He answered with smile:
But, dear, I have pledged my word
of honor to do So"
II command you to break it,"
He did so; but none of his friends
brought it as an accusation against him
that for once in hia Hfo ho hod hroE,r