The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-10-08

The eyes OF these two men, who were
placed in their positions as widely apart
as the poles, yet whose lives were to be
so interviewer, met, and each scanned
the other in the brief moment that
Philip st. John took to reach the boat;
the gentleman with one sweeping
glance taking in the rough, untutored
face, the shrewd eyes, the close-set
mouth of the plebeian, seeing more In
that one glance than Nat POINTER could
read in the longer gaze Of his eyes. But
the inward impression Of neither was
entirely favorable.
Philip st. John answered, with
courteous bend of his head, the salute
of the boatman, and then turned, with
an instant softening of every feature, to
Erica.
81 knew where to look foryou, Erica"
he said. Making friends with the sea
and an old acquaintance"
Aye, sir, said Nat "me and Miss
Erica's old friends-leastways, | mean
Mrs. st. John. | axe your pardon, sir.
I'm so used to call her Miss Erica,
don't know as how | shall ever get to
call her aught else.'
"A Slight offence, indeed, friend"
with half smile, grave, yet lighting up
his face for moment with singular
brightness. Call her what you will.
Habit is a close friend. Is this your
boatYn
Yes, sir. / got it ready for missy.
She'd like to 60 out, perhaps, such fine
AFTERNOON. Will you, SIR"
The girl glanced up into Philips face
with mute seconding of that request;
but she did not ask it in words.
Nevertheless, he seemed to read her
eyes, and smiled again.
II need not ask you, Seagull," he
said. You are scarcely happy off the
water. win you take an oar?n
"Oh yes, please, Philip"
But you had better put in pair Of
SOULS, too" Philip added, stepping into
the boat, which POINTER had dragged
down close to the sea ready to be showed
off, And Nat, producing the required
scullS, gave the Water Nymph". "A Wig
orous push into the waves, and she
went dancing over the sparkling blue
water like a thing of life, and Erica
waved her hand back to him with a
smile.
What a deliciously exhilarating feel
ing it gives one" said she, as Philips
long, swift stroke took them a little
distance from the shore, "to feel the
boat go off and dance like a feather on
the water. Don't you seem to cut all
connection with the earth and all
trouble and care, Philip"
He glanced up at her half smiling,
bending lightly to the oars, and then
slightly shook his head.
LAS we carry ourselves with us every
where, | scarcely think we cut connec-
ton with care, Erica" he said, an al
most unconscious bitterness in tone and
look; but then you are young, and
there are all sorts of possibilities to
you
"Why, Philip" the girl said, 'you
talk as if you had grown old. You are
only twenty eight now, and that is
young"
"Ah, yes, so it is. was not talking
of years so much as feeling, though we
may be forty at twenty"
Erica for moment was silent, then
she said, wistfully:
But you, Philip" and paused.
Yes, but /" He rested on his
oars, suffering the boat to drift slowly
under the warm sunshine that lay on
sea and sky.
You have no care, Philip" she said,
half timidy.
He pulled few quick strokes before
he answered her, then once more lay to.
Il have none, Erica, that your bright
smile and gentle voice cannot lull TO
rest; none but what a restless ambition
for which the world is all too slow;
none but what my own temper Of mind
give me, and that, perhaps, is legacy
of wrong Did you look for a sunny
spirit in your husband, Erica? | don't
think am all you fancied when | was
your lover, am ~
The girl lifted startled look TO his
face, and flushed to her very brow, but
she answered him steadily.
II never fancied you other than you
are, Philip. If understand you better,
that is all the difference, if there is any
difference"
She scarcely knew of any herself; that
underlined feeling she had for him,
mingling with, and perhaps shadowing,
all her deep love for him, had not arisen
since her marriage; it had always been
in her heart.
How should have sunny spirit?"
| Phlllp sad, leaning his cheek on his
hand, and speaking, it seemed, less to
her than himself. "How should l be
other than / ann | have only known
what rest, happiness is since ! knew
you, Erica, and thus | could scarcely
school myself to think that you really
loved me-"
"Philip! Philip" Erica stretched out
her hands, her eyes full of wistful plead.
ing. "You know it now, don't you!
Why were you mistrustful of mep"
why, Erica?n He had not noticed
her movement, and her hands dropped
again on her knees. Because | had
grown to think | was never meant fol
love. ] had never told you anything OF
my boyhood-it is difficult to me to drag
these things to light, even to you; but
the mood is on me now, | suppose, anG
can speak. / was the child of injus.
tice, and you know enough Of me, per.
haps, to wonder that | am not devil
rather than man who can love; vet,
am the eldest, but was always thrust
aside and punished for wrongs haG
never done; rebuked for haughtiness
reserve, what not, when my heart only
yearned for love. My wishes were
thwarted at every turn. Perhaps it wa.
my fault in part. know am naughty
and passionate of temper, that am dis
dainful and impatient of inferiority
and | have hundred other faults. Al
school and at college made no friends
no one liked me, though everybody