The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26
seood between her and the rough places of life-and had chosen inssead-he paused in his thoughts, and said half aloud l" Has chosen instead a bad-,empered man with a narrow income. Tha, Is about


 He sighed quickly and impauen,ly when he had SO spoken and shifted his position, leaning more heavily against the window frame.
 l wonder II she has ever repenied :"
 The thosgh, dashed quickly through his mind. and perhaps from slight con- sciousneSs of motive. and that was the handspring of the thought, he colored a little in the moonlight.
 Then shlvered. roused to the fact that the night was cold. ii stin, and that he had been standing long time by the open window.
 He took final look abroad. noticing as he did so tha, the conservatory door stood open.
 "l must go and shut ii" he decided. and closed the window.
 Last year Is did that" he reflected. my last though, was that l hoped she would live 70 repent; tonight. ~aver- ingly. and there paused. and added. as he turned the armchair round to the fire, tonight am no, sure.
 And yet she wrecked my life took ou, of |, all the happiness that she had herself promised II should contain. Why should lwlsh her life to be happy either v
 Turning from the chill contemplation of the outside world ,o the warmth oi the hreside did no, break the cham e: hls thoughts. d,d not cause them 10 shit, i from the centre figure, round which the hour and scene had served 10 group them.
 He scarcely noted that the fire neede d i ! h. ,x..-al .@ erns the story of hls life. The li;tle lund tongue ot tilme. lighting with transfer, gleam the few brigtt hours of his engage men,, with the shrinking. umid girI whose love he had once felt so sure Q, winning
 And as he watched, hts though grew harder towards her. though he had fan eied sometimes in these late months they had been softening. or perhaps they had only aSurped less prominent place m his lite, thrust aside by that endless work nIth which he strove To replace that other happier life that was to have been his.
 must no, let my mind dwell on |, - i II changes me. hardens me
 Bu. Tor the moment he did not che, ] the current. rather allowed him to con i template with klnd of dchan, sa;isfAo- ton the idea that she was learning Tn her Indian exile that there were worse things in life than remaining true to the man who loved her.
 Come in
 The knock. gentle, hcsita,ing. IS il was. made itself distinctly heard through all the turmoil of his brain.
 Come m, he repeated. as there was a moments lingering still then very nolselessly the door vas pushed open and slender woman's hgufe entered the room.
 Long before she stood beside him. al most before hls eyes had done more than take ln the Slim outlines Tn the shroudlng cloak, Robert Lowell knew who II WAS.
 And seeing her he felt no surprise, no wonder that she should be there. that ne i dividing ocean stretched between them on the contrary, she seemed to him Tor the moment merely the embodiment oi his thoughts that was all i Even her unannounoed arrival failed to s,afile him the open conservatory door seemed ,o explain it.
 But seeing her stand thus before him i silent, for she spoke no word of greeting, B 1 The point oi view had shifted d, once i This was the girl he remembered who had strisen 10 please him and her fatAcr. and had failed.
 Not boldly declining the task she found too hard. but slipping out of |. leaving others ,o bear the burden she had shrunk from Yes. the weakness that had ial- tered before her share in the battle of hie was plainly visible in thc pleading eyes, the trembling lips. But then I, WAS for all these things he had loved her before he knew.
 And for the momen, II was oi his love alone ,ha; he thought.
 Christine '" he cried. and for the mo- ment only the past was present To him what brings you to me to-nightE And then as she lifted her eyes and looked a, him he realized the change the year had brought 10 her. So white her cheeks. SO large and sad her eyes. he fel, ,ha, i, might have been possible even for him 10 have met and not have known her.
 How changed you are = he sad then and his voice almost involuntarIly soft ened. Have twelve months done so much ?"
 Life is too hard for me-" she said, and there was suggestion of tears Tn her voice, which had the sad emphasis of her eyes. ." made you suffer, know Il well. An, coming step nearer, hos many gray hars you have that you had no, when l saw you last Is that a. my doing
 Yes" he answered. slowly. "iha, is all your dolng And you, lifting h.s eycs and lookins 4, her again. Are yoG happy Bl;. no. see you are not. I CT m'n4ies ago hoped you were noi. I hoped vour life ~as as bare and ~retched as mine ls Aos that have you
 .Ne ell : she 4aes,.oned. as he hes.- iated
 . Now ash you were happier. Bu; knew II. almost ea4l;auily. momest later repeating hls own words of so shor, a time ago. .- A bad tempered mar wIih .aH l. ~La r