Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-06-11

BETWEEN rive srooLs.
CHAPTER L.
(Continuec from yesterday. }

(Continuec from yesterday
But the letter was not from Tom; she
saw that as she unfolded it. The writing
was bigger, bolder. more legible. She
read it all through before she reached the
signature When she had seen that she
read the letter again. 1t was from John
HAYWARD, the man she had always thought
Mousie Graham's lover, and 1t contained
an offer of marriage for herself.
II have loved you always. Mary" he
wrote. land l have only refrained from
telling YOU so because had so little to
offer till now. dare not ask you to share
a worse hume than YOU have been accus-
toned to, and so l held my peace. At
last have attained to what have honest
lv coverted so long: Armstrong & Co.
have made me head of my department,
and so dare. after a devotion nearly as
protracted as Jacobs, to ask you for my
own
/ 1t was plain. manly statement, and it
went to Mary Ranley's sore heart. There
was no gush, no agony or passion in IL;
nothing but the simple tale of man who
had known how to be very faithful and
patient Yet his love for her startled her
/ inexpressiblv. She had never dreamed of
! it. There had never seemed anything but
the meerest good comradeship in his atti-
tude towards her-but of course his ST.
lence and self-restraint rendered his love
all the more flattering, and John would
make good husband. Mary had an idea
that the man who lived straightly and
earnestly would love steadfastly, and she
felt that the woman who became John
Hayward's wife would have all chances
of happiness in her favor. For an instant
she wished this offer had come years be-
| fore. Now, although Tom was not half
/ so fine a character as John Hayward. she
/ loved him, and that made all the differ
ence
| When she come to think of it, it was
odd that John made no mention of Tom.
Surely he had known she was engaged to
him; surely they had always made that
patent to every one. Mary Ranley sat
thinking over her offer in all its bearings,
| till the fire waned and her tea was ice
cold.
John Hayward's offer was unexpected,
but it was very fair and manly. She al
most started to find she was considering
it, that opposing counsel seemed to be
arguing the pros and cons, with herself
for Judge and jury. On one side were
| love. and ease. and pleasure on the other
side was barren life, holding only the
memory of disappointment. She was
not heroine, and teaching for her bread
during a whole lifetime seemed sad and
lonely enough.
But then, would not marriage with an
other than Tom seem almost sacrilege? !?
! Why. their whole future had been mapped
out with each other. and union with John
| HAYWARD would be but a dreary deception.
Then she went on to think of her pupils.
whom she did not and could not love. She
/ had no theories about them They met
her as units without individuality. They
obeyed her because they feared her; they
would defy her if they dared And then
there were her fellow teachers - Miss
Griffiths who was growing so old and
odd; Miss Henderson. whom her class
made a habit of tricking and deceiving
because she was short-sighted and tolerant
as the ageing so often grow. Would she,
Mary Ranlet, ever find herself in the case
of these-ever see herself lonely, uncared
for, Just for want of better? Oh no !.
Rather a hundred times marriage into
which friendship and respect alone would
enter.
| Her letter was written hurriedly at last,
and when it was finished it was an accept
ance. But she told John Hayward the
truth. She had loved Tom Danvers hon
estly for years, but now that they had
parted she did not think any memory of
him would ever rise up between her and
the husband she was prepared to accept
and honor. She wrote this all quite calm
ly. but. when it was finished, she felt,
somehow. as though she were twenty years
older than she had been. and as if life had
suddenly become quite humdrum and COM
monplace. Yet she had no thought of
charein her mind. She rang the bell
composedlv for Bessie. the little maid of
all work, and gave her the letter with a
hand that never faltered.
This is your evening out. | think,
Bessie. You may post this for me on your
way through the village" she said, be-
thinking herself even of the little servants
affairs in that crisis of her lite.
"Yes. Miss, surely" Bessie answered.
blushing, for she too had a lover. and these
evenings out meant the Joy of the whole
week.
Somehow Miss Ranley felt that she
wanted the letter out of her reach, and
vacillation out of her power.
CHAPTER II.
| Il have come 10 make tn1ngS rlSnt. L
can't do without you. Mary; you are my
sheet-anchor; have ielt adrift since lost
you.
So Tom Danvers spoke. bprrying after
her as she came home finn the after
noon school
There was drzzling rain falling, and
the landscape was blurred. and the heavy
clouds hung low, and the woman knew
that the face she turned tn her lover was
pinched and white.
II thought you had gone. Tom; it Is so
long since heard of you"
at is week and perhaps you did not
ask about me- never thought of going
in any mad hurry like that. There is
nothing decided even vet"
"Is there not? | thought had an
idea there was" she answered. faltering-
ly.
"Oh no. Stephens only wrote to offer
me the appointment and want to consult
you about it when you took me up so
shortly" There was tone of reproach
in his voice, for he felt still that that he
had been badly used