Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-11-24

pass away in few months or years"
"And you do love me this minute
now-as you did then?n
"Alwsys-aiwaysln
"But If l should tell you that [ had
thrown my heart away, unasked, un-
sought-ob, 50 hope,essly and vainly!
and if should say to you: "WiIl you
take my promise to be your wife-ah,
not soon, but some tinls, when am a
better and a happier womanp'-if 1
should ask you to accept the poor SER
vice Of my life and let me try to love
you-would that atone little for the
pain and trouble Of the past?"
"Oh, Marie, you do not mean it?"
His grasp frightened on her fingers.
"Do you think what you are sayingP"
"Yes, yes, yesl-if you will take my
poor, half broken heart-but not yetl'
she checked herself, piteously. 81
could not love you bye it
all may come right. And meanwhile,
II you wish it, we can be engaged. You
must stay near me, Sydney, and be good
to me. Oh, help me!-help me to live
You know how hard it is-how impos-
sible 1t seems that joy or hope can ever
come again.
Fate did know what she was about,
as she usually does, if minds finite
could but compass her infinite plans.
A few days later brought to Sydney
Worth the unexpected fulfillment of a
hope that he had patiently placed a long
way of in the future-the full bestowal
OF Maiis Pirot's love.
They were driving through the park
in a brilliant October sunset, and sgd
ney had been talking brightly of
various matters of interest, when he
threw his head back with short laugh,
and said, in kind of triumphant tone.
well, ] toIS pleased to day, Marie.
You remember that fellow l told you
of that had defaulted from our Office
with lot of money last week?"
NO." said Marie, vaguely. "Did
you tell me?''
"Come to think of it, / didn't" said
Sydney, smiling. That's so. l was
afraid it might annoy you. Well, it's
all right now. They've got him-at
least, not h,Bl, for he gave them the slip
at the last moment; but the moneys
safe. He took away $1,000, and we've
recovered all but $500; that he spent.
| tell you we've been lucky, and so has
he. It's a curious thing" pursued
Sydney, thoughtfully; "but-I'm aw-
fully glad the scamp escaped"
''Glad?" repeated Marie, solemnly
oh, whyp He will be sure to victim
iZe other poor people"
''Other rich people, said Sydney.
corectingly. "Of course he will, for
it turns out that be is regular confi-
dence man; but you've no idea how
much l liked him. We all did. He
came to us about six months ago, and
said he had inst arrived in the country
and was quite friendlesS. Well, the
firm took him on trust, actually. He
had gotten himself up like German
student-long hair and broken English,
and he had the loveliest tenor voicel
Old Bond was fairiy infatuated with this
paragon 1t WAS Xetzel here and Wet
eel there"
What" Marie grasped Sydney's
arm with both her hands.
my dear grill" he reined in the
horse and looked down at her white
face in amazement. "What is the
matter?"
"wetzel was his nameY-and be went
away?-when?-whenp" she demanded,
hurriedly.
"Wetzel was the name he gave. His
real name is Wallace, believe. He
went away last Wednesday morning -
the day after met you in the rain"
THAT hat-was-the-man she said, !,
in a low, breathless voice. She I'M
clasped her hands from Sydney's arm
and pressed them over her face.
1.-THE man! What mani" Sydney
stared quite wildly as he asked the
question.
''Oh, the hero of my romance!" said
Marie, slowly and bitterly: ''the singer
fell IN love with. You did not want
to know my secret; you must know it
now. That was the mani"
"WeIl, then, the comfort is that you
did not love him, after ALL" said Sgd
ney, cheeringly. ''He only thought
you did,"
mo, no, no.n she returned, vehe-
mently. "He never thought-he never
dreamed-oh. 1 could lie down here and
die this minute"
"Oh, not here?" said Sydney, depre.
catingly. No one could die comfort
ably in buggy. You'd wait until l
took you home, l know"
But Marie did not smile.
"How contemplate ami" she SAID,
slowly, with bitter emphasis. show l
have fallen forever in my own esteeml
To turn away from noble, generous
nature like yours-a love that any
woman might be honored in accepting.
Sydney, l deserve your hate and scornw
"I'm being praised, it seems" said
Sydney, calmly. "Quite right; but all
the same can't hear my wife abused.
And look here, Marie, I'm glad you
did make such an awful foolish mis-
take, because if you hadn't you never
would have come to me"
"Oh, do you really think so, Sydneyp"
she asked, blushlng beautifully. "Then
am glad, tool"
The Moonstruck Attitude.
Women are seif-conscious enough