The Press., 1890-08-28

her all night. Do you know, while was lying here with this fever was waltzing with her, by love waltzing over red hot sand-dying with thirst-and she seemed to be living coal of fire; her rose colored dress was flame, and when thought was burning to coal my self an angel would come and cool the awful heat and give me water. The angel was Jamie Burton. I know that now"
 "Young man,. said the doctor, sol emnly, T Iwish to God you had drowned before you reached the bridge that night. You are not worth the sacrifice of her lffe."
 Thanks, awfully. for the compliment; but it occurs to me that she is yet alive and well; and something else occurs to me, by the way. You talk as If you loved her yourself. You are bachelor; what stands in the way?"
 s'Be careful, sir, how you speak. A man wants the love of the woman whom he marries. She has unfortunately be- slowed hers elsewhere. l shall never marry. I have had long struggle with adverse circumstances, and now have established mission among these hills. mean to devote my life to the fever stricken settlers along the Sonder."
 Mot very brilliant prospect, should say" drawled Forester.
 ''No, but more satisfying to me than life in what you call society,""
 "You have had experience, of course. One can see that you are cultured man."
 ''Yes, have eaten of the tree of knowledge, and to me the fruit tasted of death. But no matter for that. am going to speak to you as one man to an- other. Jane Buston is noble and beau tiful girl. Her parents are New England people, poor, it is true, but with cer- tain refinement and fair education. You can tell that by the speech of the family. Their language is as good as yours or mine. She has grown ap here among these rude settlers like lily among thorns. A lily is no purer, wild rose is no sweeter, an angef is no stronger or more helpful.
 ''She has never loved, having seen no one to love until she dragged hand come ingrate out of the hands of death. God pity her if she has warmed frozen scorpion to life in her bosom. You ad- init that you could love her if she were in your set Such love would be an in- suit to woman like her. You are in- capable of any love with her acceptance. But will waste no more words on you. You must not stay here any longer. You are able to be taken to my house, and will take you there tomorrow. In the meantime give Mrs. Burton check for her trouble and the expense she has in- cured on your account, but don't insult her daughter by offering her present" |"
 So saying Dr. Selwyn strode out of the house and drove away with look of wrath on his face and a bitterness in his heart beyond anything he had ever known in all his troubled life.
 After the departure of Dr. Selwyn Harry Forester fell into study of the situation. He was not without feel ing of gratitude, but his nature was shallow, his emotions, if he could be said to have any, were but 8 ripple on the surface. The power of an absorbing passion was something of which he had no comprehension. A good waltzer with a doll face and blonde head was his ideal of womanhood; such an one he meant to place at the head of his grand new house in St. Louis. But now he was in an awkward fix. Here was a fine young woman in love with him-a fact which would have added to his self complacency only for the little circum- stance that he owed his life to her, and that Dr. Selwyn, who was certainly a very fine man, seemed to think that he, Harry Forester, was acting the scoun- drel.