St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-03-22

let us sit over here" she continued,
''for l want to hear all that you have
been doing"
Hale seated himself on divan next
to her, feeling as though the months of
absence were suddenly bridged over
by his pleasure in this meeting.
"And so Marion is coming here 7" he
said, presently, feeling it best to plunge
at once into the subject.
eyes. And now you know, perhaps,
why l sent for you"
'Let us hope you wanted to see me
Alone" he declared.
81 don't think ever wanted to see
any one more. But we must talk
about Marion at once Tell me-what
is your last recollection of hers"
Hale looked ahead of him absently
for a moment, and then brought his
eyes back to the girlish face near him.
"My last remembrance" he said,
slowly, sis at the Barnetts' ball she
was looking very beautiful, and-it
was just week after she had broken
our engagement. Yes, she was very
lovely"
"No doubt. And you were very
much in love, l suppose ~
eyes. 1t seemed to me as if things
in life were particually hollow. Do
you remember all the nonsense | talk
ed to you that evening 2"
The girl smiled beautifully, for there
came across her happy consciousness
that he had made that evening one of
her radiant memories.
"You told me, l remember" she
said, "confidentially, that it was very
foolish to start out in life with much
belief in human nature. But, do you
know, | have never lost my faith, and,
curiOusly enough, | have always be-
lieved in you"
81 ought to believe in myself, then"
the young man said, eagerly, "because
L have always admired your penetra-
ton. l have so often wondered just
what it was intended you should be.
| should hate to think of your making
any mistakes"
''Like yours, for instance" she said,
critically.
He seemed trifle annoyed. care
you engaged, then ?" he exclaimed.
| She shook her head. "NO; and yet
[ am considering some one. 1t is some
one who has been good friend to me
for years, and whom admire immense
ly."
81 admired Marion" he said, quick
ly, "but let me assure you that it was
not with very much foundation. Do
you remember my telling you that
evening how mistaken l was in fancy
ing that clever woman was all that
one needed in a wife q"
eyes. We were sitting up in the
studio"
"Phey were playing the Sweet
hearts Waltz if you remember"
"YOu had just been dancing with
Lady Alice Hopeton. | think you adj
mired her very much. And that was
the first evening l ever thought of
what there was really to care about in
life. You seemed, with all the cynic-
ism you prided yourself upon, to I'M
derstand what was really vitality worth
any thing. That was just week be-
fore papa hired the villa at Richmond"
"And two years before l saw you
again."
"Ah, but, my FRIEND" exclaimed
POrtia, lowering her voice slightly, as
a large, elderly lady, who seemed to
have lost her party, drifted near them,
"what days those were! Will you
ever forget the mornings on the river,
or the old inn where we took tea when
the thunder-shower came up 2"
"And the landlady mistook us for
bride and groom" he said, joyously.
81 remember it ALL" she went on,
"and | am glad to talk to you about
it, because you remind me of the man
| am thinking Of-accepting and l
want you to tell me whether every
thing you used to say and do in those
days was sincere"
Hale did not exactly relish being
compared to the man Miss Day was
contemplating marrying, but he said,
promptly enough "Whatever | SEEM
ed to be to you, you may be sure l was.
l always felt happy enough with you
to be natural and true to the best that
was in me. AS well as l remember, l
said everything to you that crossed my
mind. No woman ever had a better
opportunity of Judging of IL man."
She nodded her head brightly. $50
l supposed" she said, softly; "and l
judged you to be more in love than you
were aware Of"
81 believe" he said, decidedly, "that
/ never really cared for Marion Van
Buren, at all. If she had not Tilted me
and married old Shelton, [ would no
doubt have married her, and been pro-
foundry miserable"
POrtia was thoughtful for moment,
and then said: 81 am sure that you
were in love, but you did not under
stand yourself. This man whom l am,
as | told you, considering, has been
really in love with me long time, but
he is clinging to an absurd fancy of
loyalty to another woman, and there
fore has never had exactly the courage |
to speak. Now l have thought great
deal about him lately, and made up
my mind to put him to the test. Give |
me your advice. Would you consider
it unwomanly on my part if were to
take some means of showing him
that | care for him ?"
"You are making things very difficult |
for me-" said Hale almost angrily.
elbow am l to advise you to show
another man that you love him 7"
There was dead silence for an in
slant between the two. Miss Day |
averted her face, and the objects in
the Red ROom-the artistic furniture,
the ferns and roses, the window with
its view beyond-all seemed to define
with sudden clearness to
her gaze, and long time afterward it
came over her just how in that mo-
ment Hale's face, full of intense re-
pressed feeling, had appealed to her,
as every line of his face, the fine brow,
dark eyes, and strongly curved lips,
were as we'll known to her as though
she had been seeing them daily for the
past six months but she viewed them
at this moment by the light of some
thing different than she had known be-
fore.
"We have just ten minutes more to