The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-06-19

iahtasih onaI iaSu paTtlcie Oh Soul
in it. ........
lie does not stay long He excuses
himself by saying that he has work to
do and he feels in the mood for doing
il. He says good evening to Miss
Grayle and then stops by the piano.
IL have something l want to say to
you sometime, he says,aud then pauses
as if at loss
81 suppose you want to tell me how
thoughtless you think me, and that it
is my duty to come into the church,
and all that sort of thing she says,
looking up with laugh that has de-
fiant ring in it that CRATES harshly on
even her own ears. "Thank you. We
will consider that it has been said if
you please. never like to be talked to
in that way
She gets up from the piano and
walks away as If to put an end to the
conversation. The light words have
cost her great effort. But, if she
would accomplish her purpose, she
must keep him at distance.
He looks after her with the puzzled,
perplexed look in his eyes again, and
then turns and goes out without anoth.
er word.
"Kingsley tells me that DR.. Garfield
thinks it would be good thing for
him TO take charge of church some.
where" Miss Grayle says by and by.
"He could go on with his studies, you
know, and the discipline would be
good for him. shall hate TO have
him go away, but it may be for the
best"
"Very likely" answers Miss Craw-
ford carelessly, as if the matter holds
but slight interest for her.
That night telegram came to Miss
Grayle from her sister in Trenton. She
is sick. Will Mary come to her for
few days?
In the morning Miss Graylc goes
away.
That afternoon Kingsley Dunham
calls. Miss Crawford knows that she
cannot help seeing him, for the servants
would suspect her of untruthfuln;ss if
she sent down an excuse pleading head
ache or any other illness. So she puts
on her armor of self defense and takes
her shield of pride and goes down to
meet him.
"And Mary has gomez" he says. 1t
has always been "Mary' and "Kiugs-
ley between them. 81 am sorry. l
am obliged to go away this afternoon,
and SHALL not come back until after
she has gone to Europe. wanted to
ask her question. But it seems that
| am too late: l shall have to write it
and leave for you to give to her. 1t is
about something that will affect my
whole life.'
He says this looking at Miss Craw-
ford with strange excitement in his
face. She fancies that she knows what
his excitement is about. His glance
makes her tremble with its power. She
goes to the window and drops the cur
tain to shut out the sunlight that floods
the room. Her face is left in shadow,
and she feels safer.
'lf only understood you BETTER
he says, coming to her side "But-I
hardly feel if | understand you at all.
l wonder if all women can be as per.
picking TO a man as you are to me?'
"Perhaps, if they try to be-" she an
swers. "We are said to be riddles,
you know with little laugh that
sounds forced and empty of merri-
ment.
'It only knew" he says, and then
pauses with his eyes upon her face.
What does he mean 7 She feels q
strange mesmerism steal over her be-
meath his glance. Is he playing with
her heart ? He, Kingsley Dunham, who
is to stand before men as one of Gods
teachers?
"You can write your letter to my
cousin and leave it on the table. |
will give it to her, she says, turning
to the door. 81 must beg to be excus-
ed, there is so much to do" Then she
bows and leaves him. The truth is,
she does not dare to trust herself with
him longer. If she does her secret is
not safe.
She finds the letter there when she
goes down.
Il know what the question is that
he has asked her." she says, as she
takes up the missive. ale has asked
her to be his wife. Her answer to the
question is what will affect his whole
life,' and then she laughs discordantly.
She feels more like dropping her head
on the table and crying, for the pain at
her heart is sharp and bitter. She feels
a kind of fierce, hard anger against
Kingsley Durham, against her cousin
Mary, against all the world.
She takes up the letter again, and
looks at it with eyes and face full of
rebellion at destiny.
81 am to be to her the bearer of
message of love from him. she cries.
81, who loye him as she never will
Fate is full of bitter irony when it
makes me such messenger. IL will
not do it, with sudden fierce determi-
nation. She crumples the letter in her
hand, and looks about her. She sees
the old clock in the hall. She goes to
it, opens it, and drops the letter into
lis mysterious depths.
"Stay there forever she says, and
turns with guilty start to the post
man at the door he has brought her
letter from her mother.
"The schools will open two weeks
earlier than usual" she reads. "You
must come home at once or you will
lose your place as teacher"
Two days later she goes back to the
New England village in which her
work is waiting for her. And that
day Kingsley Dunham goes to lit
tie church in the West to begin his
work
$50 our paths run apart" she says as
the train whirls her away from .he
city where she has passed sulnmer
full of sad and sweet experiences for
love, even if ii gives all and receives
nothing, is always sweet; "and perhaps
it is better so.'
|
Three years have gone. Alice Craw-
ford is again visitor at her cousins