The Irish standard., 1890-09-06


heart.
He had forsaken her forever, and she
could never have hoped to look on Ibis
dear face again. Now the lonely, re-
morseless sea would hide 1t from all
other eyes as we'll as hers. After all.
perhaps, she would rather have 1t so.
But three years passed away, and
Zoe, after a long period Of mourning
and sseclusion, once more began to
mingle with the world.
Again she was mel toned in society
as ''the beautiful Mrs Dunstan,!" and
again her eager admirers and suitors
thronged around her.
Among them was, and ever had been,
Fred Hammond, the handsome. dashing
fellow whose admiration for her in the
past had led to that fatal quarrel.
To him she was.always colder than 60
any other man in the whole circle OF
acquaintance, yet her GOODNESS did not
daunt him from trying again and again
to win the love he had vainly sought
before her marriage.
.'You must learn to look kindly on
my suit in time" he urged once more,
after many failures. HE is gone, and
it is foolish, nay, it is terribly wrong,
to waste your whole life in useless
mourning for him. Oh, Mrs. Dunstan
Zoe, dear Zoe-try to forget--try to
care little for one who has loved you so
long and faithfully as l."
Zoe sighed YEARLY.
How often she had told him the same
old story--that she never could forget
the one she had loved and lost
But she was on the eve of starting on
long journey throughout Europe and
the East with some old friends-Mr
and Mrs Seymour-and perhaps this
would put final end to the annoyance
t''You are asking still in vain. Mr.
Hammond. she answered, calmly.
with the usual touch of GOODNESS in her
voice. "And it must ever be in vain,
were you to ask the question every day
to the end of our natural lives. have
no love to give to you'll never had. !
loved Earle Dunstan only, and shall
never forget him or cease to love his
memory. l. But here comes Mrs.
Seymour; let us say no more about it.
Only this-youshave my final, irrevoc-
able answer Never mention love to
me again!" 49,.
''Ah, my dear Zoe" murmured Mrs
Seymour, half-reproachfully, as Fred
Hammond bowed himself away with a
white, despairing face, SIN afraid you
are really doing foolish thing
heard enough to know that you refused
that poor fellow for the iftieth time,
and he absolutely wcrships you. Don't
you really think that you have mourned
poor Earle long enough? 1t can never
bring him back, you KNOW" she added,
gently.
'No, it can do nothing but prove the
love he doubted when he left me, "
sighed Zoe, drearily. But that man"
and her dark eyes turned, with fash
Of scorn, toward Fred Hammond's dis
tant, retreating form-''why, his pro.
LESSONS of love but seem like sacrilege
: to me! 1t was on his account that we
had that fatal quarrel which drove my
husband to his death. No, no, dear Mrs
Seymour, no living love-much less his
shall ever take tho place of my poor
Earle's memory!"
For months the little party Of tourists
wandered about the Old World, and at
length found themselves in one of the
famed picture galleries of an Italian
city.
AS they strolled slowly along, stop
ping now and then to examine some
work of striking merit, Mrs. Dunstan.
happening to turn abruptly, came face
to face with handsome, noble-looking
man, whose proud, stern face and sad,
blue eyes changed at sight Of her. as
though she had been ghost.
And she? She grew so deathly white
and faint that Mrs. Seymour, who stood
near and saw it all, thinking her about
to fall, hastily passed her arm around
Zoe's slender waist.
But the young widow did not faint;
the very strength of her emotion re.
vived her and kept her up.
''Earle!'' she gasped, in a strained. un-
natural voice. "Oh, is it you? IL
thought you dead!"
'.Did you?" he retorted, with the old
bitterness, mingled now with sad
pathos indescribable "Oh; no, have
merely been dead to you. left you for
your own happiness, you remember.
And you-you have secured it. ! sup
pose? The law would not refuse de-
serted wife her freedom and the right to
marry again. BY the way"-glancing
about him with proud disdain In his
blue eyes-"shall have the honor"
..Earler' broke in Zoe, proudly.
There is no other--never has been, and
never will be. mourned you at dead
for years. for believed you lost at sea
with the rest who went down on that
doomed ship. It was mistake. Oh,
the joy
Her sweet voice wavered, and again
Mrs. Seymour thought she was going to
faint. But this time Earle Dunstan
took his wife by the arm and led her
still farther from the small crowd, who
had not perceived the little drama go
ing on so near them.
''And you have never married, be-
heving me dead all these years2" he
asked, his low, deep voice filled with
wondering tenderness. "Oh, Zoe, for
give me-forgive me. my darlingl But
Iznever knew that you thought me dead,
dear. Il was rescued from the wreck,