The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-03-13
CHAPTER XIV.
LOVES WORD Is LAW.

| had right to ask her to be- his wife,
took their proper shapes like SO many
| hideous genii at the touch of the good
| enchantress in the old stories of the
East. He saw that they were hollow
and false; he saw himself, too, for what
| he was.
There was an honest vein of romance
| In his nature. He had often dreamed
| without the hope of realization, as the
blind dream of seeing-that he should
some day stand before woman he could
love, offering her the service of his life,
the love of his whole heart, and asking
in return what all men hope to win, but
few deserve. The hour for such plead
ing had come; and Alice-he had never
framed fancy half so worthy. And
yet how different was the scene from
all that he had pictured. He shuddered
at the thought of offering his wretched
heart to her.
A woman seldom lacks premonition
when moment such as this has come.
Alice saw Russell stand staring at her
without speaking; she marked the in
tensity of his gaze and the pallid excite
ment in his face. She was much dis
turbed, and yet she waited for his words
with an appearance of calmness.
'.Alice," said he, ''the life have been
leading fills me with disgust. want
to change it for something better"
II hope, indeed, you may" said Alice,
''if it has failed to satisfy you"
SIT has failed In hundred ways" he
wayo1iad GsTt hoo 70; Id 10
of mind or liberty. have been the
slave to it. 1t has failed of any good
object except one, which now see was
far too high-was never to be reached
by any path that I have found"
sect into the better path at once,
then," said she, smiling. And then
gravely: 81 think, perhaps, you have
not been in the right road during the
last year. Forgive my saying so; we
have BEEHIVE are--very good friends,
and it has given me pain to see that you
have been unhappy. I have seen far
less of you than formerly, but it has
been enough to show me that you were
careworn and weary: A great many
young men grow old very fast in these
days, and have feared that you would
be one of them.n
II feel as if were old, Perhaps it is
because / have lived two lives already,
and have made failures of them both.
You know that before I met you had
for seven or eight years lead the most
monotonous existence ever endured by
mortal man, outside prison. l thought
that there was happiness in blind
routine, but one day I awoke to find
that it was misery. Then, in wild de-
termination, I threw myself into life
OF the most restless activity. That has
burned itself ont, and / hardly know
what remains
''There remains the middle path"
said Alice. MANY wise men have
thought it the best.''
''I fear can not walk in it," said
Russell, sadly. SIT requires caution
which have lately thrown away, and
faculty of nationally hoping, which do
not think ever possessed. Moreover,
the middle path in these days can hard
ly be said to exist, 1t is overgrown,
because so few travel in it, If give
up my present life, must go back to
PONOA W. oAAb VAiHV tuCtk4IS 4SOldblOus
sit means no isolation SO far as we
are concerned" said Alice, warmly.
Whatever life you choose our doors
will be always open to YOU"
''Alice, they must be forever closed to
me. The reason, / will not insult your
intelligence by pretending to conceal.
You read it in my face, as can read
the knowledge of it in yours. love
you; and you know it; and you also
know Thousand reasons why / should
not say it."
81 know not one," said Alice, in
voice that struggled to be calm, ''if it be
true"
SIT is all the truth I know. 1t has
been the one clear certainty in
myriad Of chimeras. 1t has been the
influence that has kept the little good
in me alive to fight its lost battle with
the evil. If had not loved you,
should have come here to-day and
asked you in set phrases to be my wife.
l should have counterfeited the
emotion which am now struggling to
suppress. Ishould have met, no doubt,
the contempt which l deserved, but
which l hope TO escape by asking you
no more than to bid me a fair good bye,
and to think of me as trying to deserve
the very small shara in your kindly
remembrance which is all dare to
hope for.n
Alice had preserved the semblance of
composure during most of this conver-
sation, but there is something in the
word goodbye which strikes straight at
a woman's heart, if she loves. And
Alice loved Russell. There will be no
mystery with the reader on that point.
She saw the seriops purpose in his looks,
and the tears blinded her eyes. She
sank into chair and covered her face.
Russell saw the sign, and he was over
whelmed with CONSERVATION.
81 am brute to have grieved youso,"
he exclaimed, II was madman
to have come here at all, bringing my
miserable story of weakness and irreso-
ution to your ears"
He began to pace the room, but as he
approached the door, she looSed up,
hastily crying: sob, please, not yet;
have much more to say"
'sAlice, what do these tears mean?- Is
it possible that you haze thrown away
your heart upon SO poor creature as
amp,
Don't talk so Of yourself. 1t is pos
sible. 1t has been true, 1 can't say
how long, and ! thought"
Russell groaned aloud,
s'4f there were any possible atone
ment, but what can do? could prom