The daily gazette., 1883-11-01
lCoiltlnued.)
CHAPTER II.

NVFNT
.,9e somewhat tho appearance Of tsilor'i
"IP rPern. sbeet. Here and there few ELM
P'..s,,ted the corners OF tho fields, and thu
XXX. .lle Of distant cottage caught 4
,-,nr nf cold November sunlight. Before
W., r,.e the rectory, exactly like scores oi
.', ,i,r, ii rare two-storicd hOuss with tTeel
o.',,al about 1t, standing IN the centre o
.rseu lawn, not hundred yards from the
"a Close at hand was the church; and
-,rJen and graveyard, thus newly united
sson.l Ike miniature world Of life and
,,,,h. complete in itself, little island iu
,So vide green levels which stretched In
,-orv direction around IL. Looking At thai
s,rrS .,ns 4 was easy for Mr.. Langley to per.
,siro much Of tho gray monotony Of pooi
ia,ls Miss HendersOn's LIE, and there was
h an even deeper dullness within its walls
H., father was over 90, silent and melan.
rtoly man, and she lived with him alone,
4 %r her elder sister was married, aud
n 5ro,hcrs she had none. Day succeeded day,
and The sun rose aud set without an event
n mark its passage. In that sparsely popu.
. pted ncighborhOod stray visitor, or an ll.
,,aion to lunch, was something to be re-
membered and to cate little household
matters by for weeks afterward. Indeed,
Emma thought that this special day was
geay distinguished by the fact that
. her new dress had been sent home,
and that she was trying 1t on. She
jd lot see the river In the distance;
,ae was standing little way from the uncur-
tsirel window Of her room, buttoning the
soft, dark brown dress with careful fingers.
She might take her time about IL. Her
fsther was In Dublin, and II she chose to
spend an hour In admiTing her new posses-
laA IN haf
one was likely 10 disturb her. In point of
lact. however, she had just buttoned the
last button, and was studying herself In the
glass to make sure that everything was as
should be, when the door-bell rang
sharply through the house. The possibility
that it might be Mr.. Langley did not occur
10 her. Since her letter had called forth no
reply no had seemed to her withdrawn to
some uuapproachable remoteness, where
even her thoughts could not find him. That
pyening, she said to herself, had been the
egnning and end of all, and she no more
expected him to seek her than she expected
The sun to come down of the sky. When
Ma name was announced she stood for one
breathing space startled aud still, then ran
down stairs to meet him. Her heart was
heating In such tumult of surprise and Joy
tlgi the delight was almost pain, and the
words Of greeting died upon her parted lips.
She could only put out Eer hand to meet
bis hand once more, and look up at him
yth HE certainty that he would under
stand
As the little fingers closed on his, even
Mr.. Langley felt kind Of wonder at his
gecome-not wonder that he should be
worshiped; he was accustomed to that; 1t
was the irankness of the worship that was
new. Other girls who were attracted by
hm yelled their feelings with thousand
little articles and aiIectations, but Emma
Harrison never attempted anything OF the
lind He had supposed, since these con-
ceaments really concealed nothing from his
cIearsishtedness, that they made no differ
ace, and he took them merely as an express
son Of the passion which they pretended to
hde. But when this girls adornation came
to him, simple and sweet and undisguIsed,
left no room for his amused, half.scorn-
fol dyination, but touched him to some
thing of smiling pity.
i could not, however, rob him of his
ctre and hucncy. He expressed his pleas
ute at their meeting, and explained lightly
that he had not answered her letter because
he did not believe In letter-writlng. A
letter was o cold thing and meant nothing.
She acQuiesced, iancying that he could not
possibly know how much the merest scrap
Oihis handwriting would have been to her.
But She did not for moment doubt that
what lie said was right. How, indeed,
could she think of letters on this day Of days,
Theu he was there before fer
It seemed to her that all was fated TO go
well Hith her during his stay. She was un-
reasoning sure that no one would come, aud
that nothing would interfere to spoil the
perfect hours. For 1t was not merely call
he would stay to lunch, and she trembled
with happiness at the thought that she
would have him all to herself Never WAS
there 60 delightful meal as that. Even
he most frivolous woman loves TO play at
housekeeping with her lover; the home is
her domain, she is queen there, and yet, by
virtue ol her queenship, she has the right to
make herself his servlng-maid
To the day OF her death the girl can
always call up picture In that room. She
saw Mr.. Langley, leaning forward little as
he spoke TO her across the table, his dark
eyes shining Through the square, gray
window came tho cold November light. 1t
fell on the white cloth, Frightening 1t here
and there with the pale gllttcr OF the silver
lad out; 1t touched the little boquet OF
Autumnal leaves and berries; 1t shone on
The glass, half filled with tOpaz-colored
vine which he was about TO lift to his lips,
aud on his slim white angers-she remem-
oered the brightness Of ring on one hold
ing the slender crystal stem. He was a
phantom guest, on whom her dreaming
gaze was fixed at many later meal.
But for the time being he was before her
In flesh and blood, and she was happy in
bis presence-happy In every mouthful that
She took, To Mr.. Langley 1t was simply his
luncheon; but, had he seen fit, he could
have talked easily enough of the poetic sym
oolisn of food shared, and Of the sacred
ponds between the giver and the receiver @
hospitality. The ignorant girl who faced
MN Knew little of such things, and yet, II
ler simple fashion, she felt the poetry sh'
could not speak, and he seemed nearer tt
5sr T because they ate and drank together
40 ocafye for him, to give him the best, u
pfess him to help himself to sherry-Wai
EVER such delight since life beganG
llen, when'lunchswas over, it was but
elal &c Of happiness, for they went out int
tle garden and strolled IDLY to an fro by tn
lawerless borders. Above their heads net
Sofk OF bare black bonghs was etched Of
tle pale sky. At their feet the dry leaves
m'Ie drited heaps in faded tints Of yellow
ana brown, rustled as they walked, sendin
up iaint Autumnal odor. AS a man VIII
t mas lived long In forest may remember
~, ~ alter years by single tree, SO did Emm
,nlnk always of the garden under that on
aspect. She had known It before, she woul
Snow 1t again, full of the little music
suslhg-biIds, full OF buds and flowers, an
slegh leaves qulvering in the sunlight, By
Nv 'uhe breeze had ever been as sweet !
"'h.I HIF as This damp, leaf-sented air, but th
around I her While s'IS Mr.. OqLs Lsngey nSS ioitereG
Aer side and talked of love