The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-29

the old days"
"Your sympathy would have been
life to me then, she said; snow / have
learned to live without it.
Rex's forehead flushed. perhaps /
have deserved this; have deserved it I;
but you cannot think that should not
have come to you all the same now had
found you in different circumstances?
Lorraine! wish / had. You would
not have mis-. judged me then"
"No," she said slowly, II do not be-
lieve that. never have thought that
you intended to do me injustice, except
perhaps at first. have seen how it
was for long time now. You could
not make up your mind, Rex. You
disturbed our friendship-the friend
ship We were happy in-without being
sure that you wished for anything more
than friendship"
sand will you always bear me o
grudge for that, Lorraine? Can one
interest so fill your life that you need
no other? The care and protection of
husband and friend, the love of little
children-are these things nothing to
yon? Lorraine, was your life meant to
be so cold and loveless?
Rex's voice had lost nothing of its
old winning sweetness and persuasive
power. A close observer might have
seen an increase in Lorraine's pallor,
and her fingers closed round the arm
of her chair with painful intensity.
Il find no fault with my life; let that
suffice for us BOTH" she said. 1T is as
useful one as ever have hoped to
make it; more SO; and am perfectly
happy in my work"
Il do not doubt that you are happy
in your work. Heaven knows do not
overestimate my own power to make
you happy. But, Lorraine, it is a poor
life, after all, that lives only for itself,
and to itself, even in the noble way
that yours is lived. If you allow other
lives to starve for what you have it in
| your power to bestow, your life, live it
how you will, is still wasted one."
us my life wasted one ?" she said,
slowly; II do not think it is"
I'm one sense It is wasted, if not in
merely you live no life of heart; it is the
union of the two that makes life COM
plete Were hearts given us to be
steeled to affection, Lorraine?"
"You mistake" Rex, she said gently;
there are other affections besides this
one you speak of, and my life does not
want these. But, in justice to you, let
me tell you that ten years ago lost
friend, only friend, that was dearer
to me than anything on earth can ever
be again. He is dead"
"A friend! And he is dead! Lor-
raine, will you permit the specter of a
dead friend to come between you and
my living love?" he said impetuously.
"Hush!" she said. "You can have no
conception of what his friendship was
to me. No mans living love could re-
quite me for the memory of it. 1t is
my most precious possession"
He was silent for a moment, almost
awed by her tone, and her pale, lofty
look. Then the sense of what he had
lost rushed over him, and half mad
dened him.
Friendship" he cried; "you are
trifing with me. Tell me the truth,
Lorraine; demand it as my right that
1 should know; are you wasting your
own life and spelling mine over fond
and foolish fancy, or did you love this
man, your friend?"
The color rose into her fair, pale
cheek, but she gazed at him with
steady eyes.
at may be SO; cannot tell; it is
not necessary that 1 should analyze my
feeling. 1t is enough that no earthly
thing can ever come between me and
that most sacred memory"
"Ah, Lorraine" he said, sadly; eff 1
had died ten years ago you would have
said that of me. Now you will allow a
shadow to spoil our lives. Have you no
little love for me left?"
Hush! Rex; is it who have spoiled
our livesP"
"You used to believe in the old-fash-
toned notion of one love, and one
only"
"One love; it is possible that it may
be transferred" she said.
AT least. your love is not large
enough to embrace ordinary human
nature with its faults and follies," he
said, bitterly; Il have discovered that.
The objects of your regard must be free
from Observation-Disclosures
Her eyes lightened. "No, Rex; love
does not regard faults. Believe me. I
do not willfullv refuse what you ask.
But the friendship abused, the love
sighted ten years ago, are beyond my
power to recall. Spare me, Rex. Do
you think do not suffer also? Does
it cost me nothing to deny you now
what then / so gladly gave?"
Rex rose, and held out his hands.
1 Grrl.~o - Co. tt~o n
raine? All! dear, give me the right
give me the right that 1 want, for old
loves sake, he pleaded.
She shook her head sadly. "There is
only one thing that makes the bond of
marriage tolerable," she said, @and that
between us two is impossible. The past
can never be recalled. We are better
apart"
A Lucky Invalid.