The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-12-17

nize Drayton, and heard her say: 1.-The
other side of the chine will do best, Du-
gald; then we shall not be in the way
OF that poor gentleman. !"
lnyoluntarily he closed his eyes once
more, and lay very quiet. Then he
opened them again, and saw on his
right hand the fair, oval face. and
waves of brown, soft hair that he
could never forget while life lasted, as
belonging to his lost love. Older a
little; yes, certainly; but otherwise the
Edith of eight years ago sat there I'M
changed. The old, old feeling surged
over his breast, and he knew in mo-
ment that the love he had felt for her
was only asleep, and had risen,
stronger than ever, from its repose, to
assert its empire over him once more.
He watched her carefully. noted the
calm, sweet countenance it rested him
to look at, saw how her dextrous
fingers arranged her companions chair
and rugs in the warmest place, 'front.'
ing the very prettlest part of the view.
And Major Priestly thought testify how
he had vainly tried to get Stokes to
put his chair in position that would
enable him just to catch that reflection
of the sun on the cleaning sand banks;
and had as vainly told him that his
rug would slip off him, and leave his
feet exposed to the air, if it were not
tucked under them properly.
1t did not take many hours to
make him profoundly abhor Edith s
companion. He could not make out
in the least, who he could be. None
of the brothers names would return
to his mind; but he felt certain, had
one been named Dugald. he must have
remembered such an uncommon cog
nomen. Then the idea flashed into his
mind, remaining there obstinately:
Edith was married, and this long, i'll
looking invalid was her husband. In
the meantime, Edith had been gazing
attentively at Major Priestly, and had
begun to think in her turn that she was
dreaming. Since her lovers marriage
she had never heard of him. She had
an illness on learning his perfidy, that
left her weak for months, and after
that no one had cared to mention his
name before her. She knew he had
children, but no mention of his wife S
elopement and subsequent death had
ever reached her ears, and she believed
him to be happy, well and prosperous,
several thousand miles from the quiet,
pine-clad shores of Drayton.
When she recognized him, her first
impulse was to rise from her seat and
go any where, no matter in what di-
rection, so that it led her from his i'm
mediate presence. But in few min
utes pride came to her aid, and, turn
ing to her companion, she offered in
a low voice to continue reading to him.
But Dugald declined her offer; he would
rather sit quietly and think, he said.
He felt much stronger already, and
this delicious air gave him new life.
If Edith would like, why should she
not see where the deep red chine to the
left ledP Then she could come back
to him and tell him all the ways of the
place. ain few days, perhaps by
Christmas he added, hopefully, II
shall be able so go with you and verify
your description. But now, leave me,
if you like, dear Edith, and l will
tell you ali that happens in your alb
sence."
But Edith said she felt tired, and
could not walk that morning, and she
sat quietly looking out at the brown
sailed fishing boats, as they glided out,
one by one, past the sand banks, into
the open sea, in quest of fish. Did
Major Priestly remember, as she did,
how she and he used to make the fish
er boats at home into omensP And, ac-
cording to the number that passed
them in n certain time, obtain answers
to their questions respecting their fut-
ureP Did he recollect how, the very
night before their quarrel, he and she
had gone to the cliffs beyond the
manor, and, when he had declared he
would let the fisher boats decide their
future for him, and the odd number
had answered ''Yes' to his inquiry as
to whether she was to go with him to
India or not, late boat had crossed
the long path of moonlight that led
from the sea to the sky, and answered
mo" at the Very moment in which he
was clasping her in his arms, overioyed
at even the mere idea of her giving up
her duties at home to 90 with himp
Nay, he could not remember, as she
did, every sail on the tiny vessel as
they cleaned for a moment like a
sheet of silver, and then passed away
into shadow. Nor could he recollect
the scent of the seaweed and the sound
of the choir in the church as thew
practised their carols, wildly careless
of tune and time as they took advan-
tage of the choir mistress absence. If
so, he could never have left her as he
had done.
The eight years had not altered Edith
one whit. While she was still at home.
the sister who was to have succeeded
her in her duties had married, and 1T
was Laura's husband with whom Edith
was sitting in the Invalids' Corner,
taking Laura's place for the present, as
Laura's baby was only about fort
night old. How could Edith know
that Mrs. Priestly was dead, and that
the Majors loneliness was due to the
fact of his being a widower? How
could Major Priestly know that Edith's
heart was still his, and that one word
from him would suffice to make her
stretch out her hands to him, and take
back the troth he had broken so many
years ago? AS the quick days went on,
bringing Christmas nearer, Edith
longed to speak. Major Priestly lay
there so lonely-so very, very lonely.
No one ever sat by him. No one ever
came and asked him how he was.
Every morning his servant would ar
range the rug and chair in the same
unsatisfactory manner, and after turn
ing the newspaper for his master where
only the advertisements were visible,
Notwithstanding strict orders to the
contrary, would disappear only to re-
turn with the midday letters. And
again, when the sun went down, he
would come with the white pony that
drew the chair back again to the hotel,
where the Major spent long, sad even
ings, thinking over the past.
Every word that Edith spoke to her
companion, that he occasionally over
heard, made him more than ever con-
vlnced that she was married And,
although at times Dugald Scott had
tried to begin conversation with him,
Nxrb ha l1fA II 7