Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1885-07-11

Of what she is saying. She only knows
one thing-that she sees the face of the
man she loves best Of any one in the
world, the man she has tried in vain to
forget. It is like look ing into Heaven
over a wall she cannot pass.
Kingsley Durham sees them, and
his face brightens. He sends them
greeting. in a, glance =. Mary is all
a-Hutter with excitem ent, but Alice is
calm; at least outwardly. If he could
only see into her heart!
Kingsley Durham S voice as he reads
from the sacred volu me fills her soul
with music. When he begins to preach
it seems as if he were preaching for her
alone. He tells them that the heart
that has sinned must make atonement
by confession of it's sim and by turning
away from the past. Had she not
sinned? she asked herself The old
clock and she knows and-God knows!
1t seems as if that lett ter lay upon her
soul, and the weight of it will hold her
soul down forever. With that guilty
act nnconfessed and unforgiven how
can she ever be at peace?
She has made up her mind long be-
fore the sermon was over as to what
course she will take. She will confess
what she has done. She feels as if the
shame of confession will kill her, but
she will get rid of her secret.
The services are through at last.
She sees Kingsley Durham coming
towards them. Her face is as pale as
it will be when she is dead. Her heart
almost stands still for moment, then
beats faster than ever before.
She meets him before he reaches
their pew. She is aware that his hand
is reached out to her, and that his face
is radiant with pleasure. But she does
not touch the hand he offers,
II want to tell you that never gave
Mary that letter, ''she says, in low,
swift voice. II hid it in the old clock.
It's there now. Forgive me, if you
cam Then before he can speak or
stop her she turns and goes hurriedly
down the aisle past the wondering
Mary, who has seen all that has taken
place, but compartments nothing of
what it means.
When Mary reaches home she goes di-
rectly to Alice's room.
''What was the matter tonight" she
begins, but Alice stops her.
81 am glad you came here,' she
says. | should have come to you. if
you had not, to make confession of
wrong I did you three years ago. You
will hate me, 1 suppose, when you hear
it, and deserve it. kept back let
ter that Kingsley Durham left for you.
| felt sure that he asked you IN it to be
his wife, and-and-I could not give it
to you, as had promised to. I hid it
in the old clock. o, l cannot look at
you! [ want you to 60 away and leave
me to my shame and disgrace. To-
morrow will go home. l can never
look in your face or his again" And
Alice Crawford drops her face in her
hands and sobs over the humiliation
she has brought upon herself.
"You must have been mistaken in
thinking he asked me to be his wife,"
Mary says. 81 was engaged to George
at that time, and Kingsley Dunham
knew it. Let me go and find the letter.
That will explain it all. -
She comes back presently with an
excited face.
80, Alice, read that!' she cries, and
puts the letter in her cousins hands
And Alice reads:
"My Dear Friend Mary: l am a fool
ish, cowardly man.. l know it. But
Drawer men have been towards before a
woman's eyes. | love your cousin
Alice, but fear to tell her so. She
puzzles me. [ sometimes think she
cares for me. Then her mood changes,
and seem to be held great distance
away from her. You must know how
to read woman's heart q great deal
better than [ do. Is there a chance of
winning her? Ishall be gone before
you come back, and [ shall not be here
to see you before you leave for Europe,
but you can write to me and tell me
if there is anything to hope.
KINGSLEY DUNHAM'
Alice Crawford reads the letter
through with dry eyes. She has been
so near to Heaven! So near! But her
own hand has barred the door against
her entrance. The sense of what she
had lost, of the fatal result of her guilty
act, benumbs her.
go away, please she says by-and-
by, II want to be Alone
When morning comes she tells them
she is going away, and at once.
You shall not co. Mary cries.
''You must not!'
81 must,'' she answers. II could
not see him after reading that letter.
Don t urge me to stay, for it will do no
good.'
An hour later she is being borne New
Englandward, and she carries with her
the letter that tells her how Kingsley
Durham loved her. It is a terrible
thing to read, but she would not part
with it for the world.
Back again in the old home, full of
the awful loneliness clinging to familiar
places after the death of those we love-
1t seems to her as if years have passed
since she went out over its threshold
two weeks ago. In these two weeks
she has found out how sin brings it's
own punishment. And surely sin
never had a bitterer punishment than
hers has had.
1t is the second MI ht since her return.
She sits alone. What she is thinking
about you know as well as I. It seems
to her that there is but one thing to
think about for the rest of her lifetime.
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