The Press., 1890-09-11

over it. And then, as often a woman will do, tried to Hull my sorrow to sleep by the strains of melody. And as played softly I followed the lines of that plaintive song, Drifting Apart" that l remembered having read in Broken Barriers:
 Drifting apart! as the cruel shades
 Of the years rise up 'twixt you and me;
 Drifting apartE separate tides
 Carry us out o'er the wide, wild seal
 Drifting apartl for another's love
 Hath blinded you to the love planned.
 Drifting apartl for that alien love
 Hath frozen your heart and chilled your hand
 Drifting! Drifting and further astray!
 My God! will we ever again one day
 Meet in the passion of hfe's hottest fray,
 And love- as did, in the good old way?
 For the first time since my arrival in America one year now-my Un- cle Ivan began to show me warm atten- tion. And embittered, weighed down, galled by Olef's cruel letter, had let myself drift into closer communion with Ivan, and-yes, I confess tito avenge the past had given him to understand that his ministry was not wholly re- iected He was not too old-thirty seven, I seventeen.
 From the moment of Vera's sad death Ivan had taken every precaution to throw about me the barriers of protec- tion, in order that any possible attempts to criticise my abode at his house might be set at rest. He had engaged an elder ly housekeeper, in addition to whom l had induced one of the young women from the .Conservatoire to make her home with me.
 We walked good bit, Ivan and I. And by this time his affection had grown to fire. It was no mere assump- tion, that love of Ivan's. He was deeply in earnest. am not the woman to read mans heart amiss. The name of his wife, Vera, had faded into mere mem ory now, and received certain proofs that Ivan would have stripped his heart of all else in the world for me. 'SWhat were those proofs?' you ask. Oh, that is but for a woman to understand.
 must say that l returned the passion measure for measure. had come to honor, respect and love Ivan. His image grew daily brighter and holer in my heart. And as we walked together, wrapped in one another's confidence, the very soul of joy lighted our pathway. Of courses Irene, my companion, had mo- ticed it. She seemed astonished at our mutual affection. x
 asWhy, you are uncle and niece-blood relativesp' she exclaimed one day.
 ''Bless you, no; not blood relatives. Ivan is my uncle by marriage, and only great-great uncle at that, his wife hay ing been great aunt to my mother"
 One night and once again, as we walked beneath the heavy screen of the park trees, shadow fell in front of US the figure of woman, it appeared to me-and as quickly did it fit away again. I remember having twice re- marked it to Ivan. On the second occa- sion the shadow came just as we were replighting our troth and naming the day. I started, considerably frightened. Ivan calmed me.
 ''It was nothing" he remarked; "only a branch of that tall tree swinging across our path"
 "But if it had been-if it could have understood it could have spoken that shadow would have heard our pledgesr'
 "And you are ashamed of them, my darlingY
 "Nol oh, no, Ivan. Only am 8 crea- ture of such silly suspicious. My nation my dear Swedish people-are some how imbued more or less with belief in 'eerie things, as the Scots say. It may be fault, but it was born in me. Even when was child my old nurse used to tell me tales of strange gnomes and hobgoblins, saying that they swarm ed about us, and the lesson seems to have followed me. So do not chide me-"
 His answer was that which he always gave when pleaded for grace.
 He kissed me.
 The shadowy figure had faded into space.
 As 1t was his custom to confide all of his little adventures to me, he found it quite in his turn of fancies one evening to relate little incident that had that morning leaped into his life. It hap pened fully fortnight after my receipt of Olef's letter. Ivan had returned home long after his usual hour.
 "What kept you so long, Ivan?" asked as he came down to dinner.
 "A most peculiar circumstance, my darling Cesca," he answered. II was passing along Broadway, near Canal street, to my office when a young man met mo. He carried a travellers bag in his hand and had evidently just arrived from journey. As our eyes clashed he stopped suddenly, shocked, it seemed, by AN IMPORTANT MATTER.-Druggists everywher "a nerve food and medicine are astonishing ex ceedng anything they ever had, while it gives uni versal satisfaction in headache, nervousness sleep lessness, sexual debility, backache, poor memory fits, dizziness, etc. B. Lurton & Co.,, Troy, N. Y