The National tribune., 1892-11-10

wonders. As Leonard Hardie travelled farther
back into civilization he wondered more and
more that he had been satisfied to be out of 1t
| so long There are many shortcomings about a
| life in the wilderness for one who is not &C.
customed to it.
| And two or three days after leaving Berry
| Hardie began to be again tortured by doubts
| as to the propIiety and fitness of what he had
| done and proposed doing. To comply with the
| traditions of his house and marry Berry was
| impossible. In order to SO comply, the future
| Mrs. Leonard Hardie would have TO be almost
the exact opposite Of the little mountain maid.
| He did not write TO her. He detested writ
ing letters under any circumstances. and the
mails were irregular at Camp Ludlow.
The Hardies did not take the steamship
they had intended to, but went over on an
other two weeks later. Leonard Hardie &C.
companied his mother aud sisters to Italy, and
somehow found it hard to get away, so he
stayed on and kept staying until Spring came.
He had several inconsequcntial affairs" and
one serious one.
In June ho married girl in his own 3" set"
AN eminently proper alliance it was. And
time passed on, and Leonard Harde came to
smile over what he now considered a Summers
folly, although towards Berry there was if
nothing else. a feeling of pity. One day, in
looking over lot of old papers, no came upon
sketch he had made of Berry. 1t was a
half-burnt matches, as he had had no pencil
with him. They were out fishing. that time,
and the wind blew Berry's hair loose, and
Hardie, calling to her to keep still, caught her
careless graceful attitude and the expression of
her bonny facc,as she stood poised on rock by
the waters dsd. How sweet she had look ed
that morning!
Hardie looked at the sketch long and ten.
derby; then he covered it carefully with tissue
paper and put it away in private drawer in
his desk.
Six years later Leonard Hardie had business
in Colorado, and it took him to Ludlow, now q
thriving young city. On the day that he went
there he thought much Of tho changes the years
had wrought, and how different it would seem
at Ludlow. Berry-what had become of her?
he wondered. Had she ever married He did
not like to think so, and was inclined to be-
lieye she had remained faithful to him.
Poor little Berry! Through all these long
years, no thought with masculine vanity, she
had probably waited and wept, hoping that
some day he would come back as ne had prom
ised. He pictured her standing at the top of
the hill, gazing wistfuly down the road her
cheeks pale and thin. and world of sorrow in
her gentle eyes. and he leaned back in the seat
of the Pullman car and sighed as a great wave
of tenderness swept over him-over him, Leon
ard Hardie the eminently respectable husband
and father Of an emnently proper family!
At supper he accidentally learned that John
Penhalegon still lived in Ludlow-was
Mayor, in fact. He found his address, and
went up there after supper. No, the servant
who admitted him, said. Mr. Penhallegon was
not at home, but would be in shortly. If the
gentleman would step into the library and
wait?
Hardie sat and pondered over the change
that had come to Camp Ludiow-he wondered
if Penhalegon, too, had changed.
There was step behind him, and he rose
and faced about, whereupon short. stout
lady with baby in her arms and fat, four
year-old Juggling at her skirts rushed toward
him. excaiming:
why, Mr.. Hardie, is it really you? What
surprise Pm SO glad to see you! And what
brought you here?"
1t was Berry. She shook hands with him in
an unembarrassed way, and then sat and talked
to him.
"And didn't you know I married dear old
John?" she asked. Then she laughed as
merrily as she did the time they first met
"Oh. Mr.. Hardie!" che finally managed to
say, weren't we an awful pair of stiles that
Summer?" And she laughed again-the
laugh he remembered so we'll.
When Leonard Hardie got back to New York
one of the first things he did, after kissing Mrs.
Harde and the children, was to take from
private drawer in his desk sketch of a young
girl with flowing hair, standing upon rock,
with fishing. rod held in her hand.
He looked at it intently for few seconds.
Then he laid 1t in the CRATE and touched q
match to it, and watched it blaze and crumble
away to ashes.
Then he leaned back in his omfortable
leather chair and sighed