The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-08-09

make atonement by confession Of rs sins
and by turning away from the past Has
she not sinned? she asks herself The ole
clock knows, and she knows, and-God
knowsi 1t seems as # that letter Law upon
her SOUL and the weight of it viii hold her
soul down forever. With that guilty act
unconfesset and unforgiven how can sic
ever be a5 peace2 She has made up her
mind long before the sermon IS over as u
what course she will take. She viii c1nfas5
what she has done. She feels as il the
/ shame OF confession will kill her, bat sAo
will get rid of her secret
The services are through al last. She sees
Kingsley Durham coming towards them.
Her face is as pale it viii be when she Is
dead. Her heart almost stands still for
moment, teen beats faster than ever
before. She meets him before he reaches
their pew. She Is aware that his hand is
reached out to her, ald that his face IS
| radiant with pleasure. But she does not
/ touch the hand he offers.
Il want to tell you that never gave Mary
that letter." she says, in a low, swift voice.
! al hid it in the old crock. It's there now.
| Forgive me, if you can" Then before lie
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 comprenends nothing of what it means.
! When Mary reaches her home she goes
| dire city to Alce's room.
"What was the matter tO-night:' silo be-
! gins, but Alice stops her.
| Il am glad you came here" she says. Il
| should have come to you, if you had not, to
! make confession of n wrong did you three
years ago. You will hate me, | suppose,
| when you hear it, and | deserve it. | kept
| back letter that Kingsley Durham left for
| you. l 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. [ hid it in the
old clock, O, can not look at yOui l want
/ you to go away and leave me to my shame
and disgrace. Tomorrow l will go home
l can never. look in your face or his again
| And Alice Crawford drops her face ii / 81
hands and sobs over the humiliation she
| has brought upon herself
| "You must have been mistaken in think
| ing he asked me to be his wife" Mary says
81 was engaged to George at that time. and
| Kingsley Durham knew it. Let HE 90 and
/ find the letter. That will explain it al2-
She comes back presently with an excited
face.
20, Alice, read that!' she cries, and puts
tho letter in her cousins hands.
| And Alice reads:
| MY DEAR FRIEND MARY: | am a foolish,
cowardly man. L know it. But bra Kerr
men have been towards before u Homjsl s.;
eyes. L love your cousin Alice, bat L f2a-r
to tell her SO. She puzzles me. l s'Ioa-
mood changes and sosm to be heLt :
| great distance away from her. Yoa
must know how TO read omani
| heart great deal better than DO. lstlier4
| a chance of winning her: l snail De gone
before you come back. and l shall nos he
here to see you before you leave for Europe.
| but You can write to me and tell me if thero
is anyth ing to hope. KINGSLEY D.NHAM.
Alice Crawford read the letter through
| with dry eyes. She has been ~ near tc
| heavenI So near, But her own hand hcEs
barred the door against her entrance. Tine
sense of what she has lost. Of the fatal res ct
| of her guilty act, benumbs her.
go away, Llease," she says by-snd by, Il
want to be alone"
When morning comes she tells-theIn sde>,s
going away, and at once
"You shall not CO." Mary cries. 'you
| must notl'
Il must" she answer Il could not Sc
him after reading that sotter Don't III e
me to stay, for it Will do no good"
An hour later she j. being borne Ne v
E1glandward, and she carries with her til
letter that tells her bow Kingsley Dunbar
| loved her. 1t is terrible thing to read buG
she would not part with it for the world
Back again in the oil home, full of tue
awful loneliness clinging to familiar places
after the death of those love. 1t seems
| to her as if years hal passed since she went
! out over its threshold two weeks ago II
| these two weeks she has found out how sill
brings its own punishment. And surely sin
| never had bitterer punishment than her5
| has Lai.
1t is the second night since her return.
She sits alone. What she j. thinking about
| you know well / Il seems to her that
there is but thing to think about for the
rest OF her lifetime. Every day will repeat
| the thoughts of yesterday.
The gate opens. She hears a step on the
path-a mans step. she knows whose it is
| she would know it any where
| Glow can / see him! she cries. | can not,
| ] VIII not" But her feet refuse to obey hzr
when she wills to fly.
He comes in and looks sbout in the twi-
light.
"Alice," he says gently. "are yoU here2n
! Yes, | am here!' she cries. 80, why
could you rot have spared me this. Was
not my punishment enough already
Then her voice breaks and hot tears come
Il have como to ask you if you kept back
that letter because you loved me!' he says
'Was it that:'
YES" she cries out in desperation ask
what you will, humble as you will, de
serve it all kept the letter back beca ,,sa
! 1 loved you"
Then nothing will henceforth cor 40 he.
tween u.s." he says, softly, and groT .os nh,rt
in the twilight till he finds her ,apd III
holds it prisoner in his own stroa palm
"But you forgetl' ,he cries. lyon rs ,,ot
forgive my sin. You mu st GATE and Ia.T7ise
for it"
Il forget nothing" he answer, a ar4od
forgives us and loves Us after w .or--4os1e-
Shall not |, who try to be like ,i,1n i, otl,e,
things, be like Him in thisa AND Won did i
because you loved me, AS "a Parbans
ought not to think of it in that wav. but
can not help doing Sc. neei you Com,
taken"
Il will come if yoa are sure you can for.
give" she cries
And she knows by the kiss he gives her
how great his gladJ less IS And how clad
she Is you may Understand. but words Of
mine Cannot tell.