Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-02

her conversation. but gradually woke
to the overw hcIming fact that loved her
with to ono great lope 81 ms life that
seemed To me mow III data from thc days
from tie days 0f long ago. 10 have been
always With me, and to stretch out into
the future to make il transcendcntally
glorious. o. . long despair.
But as soon Is had learned ny own
secret. my former bashfulness came back
upon me with ten-fold intensity. and |
found myself often embarrassed ii her
presence, while at the Thought OF telling
her my hearts story, / was so greatly
overwhelmed that utterance would, /
was sure, he an impossibility.
And Mabelg Her eyes were very kind
70 me. They turned 70 me with 8 soft
ened lustcr that thrilled me with hope:
and yet, II / attempted even 4 compli-
ment, blushed, doundered, aud was lost
One evening We were talking Of at
manner Of subjects. grave and gay, and
so strased to marriage in general, aud
especially the matrimonial lot Of some %
our old fiiends.
You remember BOYD, don't you,
Hillgn asked Tom.
'sTall, bashful fellow, like met"
added.
s'Yes. replied Tom, laughing. HE
married Hiss Cutting. our former school
teacher | always supposed she proposed
70 him
Sensible girgl'' exclaimed. II think
It is positively woman's duty sometimes
to help man out. You remember that
book Of tho late Or. Horace Bushnell.
published some years ago, called "A Re-
form Against Naturcl' In it he de-
nounced the woman's rights movement,
but maintained that every woman ought
to have the right to propose marriage to
the man she liked. think he was sci.
entiticallv correct
spoke with great eagcrness, looking
always at Tom; but ut the last w0rdsmy
glance turned to Mabel her eyes were
fixed on mine. ard the look | met there
sent the blood to my heart with such 3
swift, tumultuous rush that grew faint
with confusion, and presently went out
Of the room and to bed-though not to
sleep.
The next day / went out in the after
noon by myself for scramble through
damp and very rough gorge, where
Tom and Mabel did not care to accom-
pany me. / was half glad to be alone,
for was nervous over my audacity of the
night before; yet at thought of Mabcl's
kindly eyes, so overwhelmed with blind
ing happiness, that had to look many
times at bit of rock before could sec
the stri9 that denoted glacial action.
1t was late sunset when / reached the
inn. made my way without pause to
Mabel's parlor, led by power beyond
my control The room was quite dusk
and she was alone AS / entered she
came toward me with q quantity of let
tors and papers in her hands.
These came while you were away"
she said.
Mechanically | took the papers.
Among them was o large package on
which | dimly disccrncd the word
''due, followed by an illcgible stamp.
'sYou have paid something on this, I"
/ said; chow much was itg" looking up.
Postage not stated, replied Mabel
Promptly, smilingly, she uttered the
words. Then her dark eyes softened
and faltered. The papers aud letters
were scattered over the floor. / caught
her in my arms with all the andacity
that had been mine once before in my
boyish days. Only now, rs | pressed
passionate kisses on her brow and lips,
found voice at last to utter the yearning
that was consuming my heart. and that
found responsive echo in hers. Lille
d. Bake.