The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-10-13

of mile apart, could not have been
more widely separated had an ocean
.,rerched between them. And each
looked on the same landscape and saw
alike at last. >,
The village of Marsham was small
one, and most of it was farther from the
ocean than were the two houses at the
windows of which we have seen two I'M
happy persons. o.
Alice that there was service IN the little
church that morning, and everybody
could be looked for there. Secret sor-
row finds certain abatement of its in
tensitv in the effort of appearing uncon-
cerned. Then there is mournful pleas
ure in seeing what one has lost.
In a place no larger than Marsham
everyone knows every body else. Every
one knows the business of everybody
else in some degree, or thinks so, and
says So So our two friends were
known, and their relations to each
other were known also. And so poorly
had they played their parts that when
service was finished nearly all their
| friends had concluded that their en-
gagement was over, and many were
specializing as to the reason for it.
Ralph Warden was too shrewd man
not to see what everyone else saw. He
said but little about it, as he spoke to
| one and another after church, but he
was deeply interested and very much
| puzzled. The time had been when the
gossips had connected his name with
| that of Alice Arnden, and there were
those who had shaken their heads
when it became evident that she had
been won by George Fenby, instead OF
Ralph.
Raj phi had never spoken to Alice of
love, and we will respect his reserve.
What he cared for her may remain a
sealed book.
George Fenby walked home alone.
Ralph Warden came the same road,
but a quarter of mile behind him.
Some distance out of the village Ralph
suddenly came upon two papers resting
on the snow by the side of the road.
They had most likely been pulled from
the pocket of the owner in removing
his handkerchief. The smaller paper
had blown apart; it lay upon the other,
and its contents were SO brief that
Ralph had read it before he had taken
it in his hand, and before he was aware
of what he was doing. We have seen
the paper before. 1t was the brief let
ter in which Alice Arden had dismissed
George Fenby.
Raj phi Warden stood for long time
with the letter in his hand.
"Tve read it once; it can do no harm
to read it again" he SAID.
And he read it again-not once mere
ly, but dozen times. 1t seemed. as if
he was trying to draw something from
the bit of paper which he did not find
there.
After time he stopped and picked
up the other paper, a long, folded doc
ument, but the action was merely a
mechanical one. He did not open it
to see what it was, but with his head
bent forward on his breast, and with
very grave face he went on his way
He walked more slowly than before; he
sometimes stopped, and he talked to
himself from time to time.
eff this is final" he commenced
aloud, and then relapsed into silence.
"A hinderer. Then, after standing
and thinking for awhile, he went on:
''She never was that to him. And she
never was moody and self-distrustful. "
He thought for many minutes now.
81 don't understand what she means
by his higher ambition His highest
ambition lately seems to have been to
win her. 1t has cost her a great deal
to give him up-anyone can see that
with half an eye, And his freedom is
not welcome to him; he neither wanted
it nor expected it.
The monday sun was shining and
making everything pleasant There
was glow in the wintry air which
seemed to have a promise of summer
in it.
He seated himself at his table. placed
Alice Arnden' 5 letter upon it, and read
it again. Then for the first time he
looked at the other paper which he
picked up. He turned it over and saw
at once what it was-a deed from Ber-
tram Kingsley, conveying certain lands
and buildings to George Fenbv.
Suddenly he stood still, and a hot,
fierce flush crept up into his face.
81 wonder if it is true that hearts are
ever caught in the rebound as they
sometimes say they are? l will"
And he clenched his hands and bur-
ried on his way.
lie did not stop again until he
reached his home, where his mother
and sister We're waiting for him. nor
did he think his thoughts aloud any
more. With few words of greeting
and few more of excuse he put his
mother and sister aside for the present
and went up to his own room.
Ralph Warden drew a long breath.
and the light faded slowly out of his
face. In single moment he had seen
the whole secret of the misunderstood
ing 1t might be necessarv to 90 over
1t all to see the details, but the general
outline of the unfortunate affair was,
he felt, as certainly in his possession as
1t could have been if he had been civen
the privilege of looking fully and freely
into the minds of the two lovers whose
lives were drifting so far apart.
Down went his head upon his hands
on the table-the winter sunshine
shone that day on no nobler head-and
from his lips came those words of
which frail humanity has deepest need:
Lead us not into temptation.''
He thought it all out. Bertram
Kingsley owned the finest place in all