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

"Very likely" answers Miss Crawford
earelessly as if the matter holds but slight
interest for her.
That night a telegram comes to Miss
Grayle from her sister in Trenton. She is
sick. VIII Mary come to her for few
daysa
In the morning Miss Grayle goes away.
That afternoon Kingsley Durham calls.
Miss Crawford knows that she cannot help
seeing him, for the servants would suspect
her of untruthfulness if she sent down an
excuse pleading headache or any other i'll
ness. So she puts on her armor of saf-de-
Tense and takes her shield of pride and goes
down to meet him
"And Mary has gone" he says. 1t has al
ways been Mary and 'Kingsley" between
them II am sorry. L am obliged to go
away this afternoon and l shall not come
back until after she has gone to Europe l
wanted to ask her question. But it seems
that am too late. 1 shall have to write it
and leave it for you to give it to her. Il is
about something that will affect my whole
ife."
He says this, looking ct Miss Crawford
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 curtain to shut out the sunshine
that floods the room. Her face is left in
shadow, and she feels safer.
"If only understood you better" he says,
coming to her side. "B1t--I hardly feel
if understood you at all. 1 wonder if all
women can be- as perplexing to man as
you are to me!
perhaps, if they try to be-" she answers.
1--WE are said to be riddles, you know" with
a little laugh that sounds forced and empty
Of merriment.
"If l only knew" he says, and then pauses
with his eyes upon her face. What does he
meana She feels a strange mesmerism ste al
over her beneath his glance. Is he playing
with her hearts He, Kingsley Durham, who
is to stand before men as of Gods
teachers!
"You can write your letter to nay cousin
and leave it on the table. 1t will give it to
her." she says, turning to the door. Il must
beg to be excused, thera 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 COOS
down.
II know what the question is that he has
asked her." she says, she takes up the
mssive. "He has asked her to be his wife
Her answer to the question is what will
affect his whole Iife," 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
1t with eyes and face full OF rebellion at des-
tiny.
"Iam to be to her the bearer of a message
of love from him." she cries 81, who love
kim as she never will. Fate is full of bitter
irony when it makes me such messenger.
IL will not do itl' with sudden fierce de-
termination. 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 its mysterious
depths
"sStay there forever" she says, and turns
with guilty start to the postman at the
door; he has brought her a 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 wait
ing for her. And that day Kingsley Dun
ham goes to a little church in the west to
begin his work.
$50 paths run apart" she says as the
train whirls her away from the city where
she has passed a summer full of sad and
sweet experiences; for love, even if it gives
all and receives nothing, is always sweet;
"and perhaps it is better So"
Three years have gone. Alice Crawford
is again visitor at her cousins home.
Mary is married, but not to Kingsley
Durham. Why she did not marry him
Alice never asks. Tho remembrance Of
what she has done and OF what the old
clock knows fills her with guilty shame
Sho never goes through the hall without
feeling hot flush come into her face az she
hears the clock ticking out the hours. 1t
seems to be accusing her. She is afraid
of it.
She is glad to know that Nary was not
robbed of happiness by her act That she
is sure of, for if ever woman was happy
in a husbands love that woman is Mary. IL
she had found her cousin grieving for what
her life had lost she could never forgive her
self for what she has done. She begins to
think she cannot, as it is She hates herself
for having given way to temptation. She has
lost self-respect. Moro than once she resolves
to confess rything to her cousin. But the
humiliation of such confession she feels to
be more than she can bear when She comes
to attempt it.
She is alone in the world now. Her
mother is dead Henceforth there is none
to toll for but herself. She misses the in
centive that urged her on to steady, hard
work. The outlook Is not a bright one for q
woman who feels the need of something
to love and work for.
"You can not guess what heard to-day
Mary says one evening as she and Alice sit il
the nursery together, whore the pride of the
family is having a hard time of it trying
not to go to sleep. kingsley Durham il
coming here to fill DIR. Canfeld's place
through the latter's vacation, they say"
A sudden light comes into Alice Craw
ford's eyes But it dies out suddenly as il
came. And with it warmth kindles for @
moment in her heart, then leaves il colder
than before. But it is enough to tell heI
that she has not conquered her heart, and
that she never Will
Il shall be glad to see him." Mary goes on
Ale was always like a brother TO me-