Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-04

his hands had given him q flower from her breast. He moved his hand, and with the fingers of the other hand touched the spot which her lips had pressed. The flower, faded and scent less, lay folded with girIish note or two she had written him in the inside pocket of his vest.
 The shadows shifted as the wind swayed the branches. The sound of women's voices came from behind a clump of evergreens. They were raised in surprise or excitement, and sounded shrill and jarring. In the distance a nurse pushed 8 basket carriage care lessly. She was talking to workman who slouched beside her, and the child was crying. Two sparrows near at hand quarreled and fought over a bit of string.
 His anger burned against Thorne. He could see no good in his rival-no trag- edy, no pathos in the situation. Had his life gone wrong? Doubtless the fault had been his. Did he suffer? Jim felt brute joy in the knowledge of his pain.
 What was that the young lady had said2 Thorne had been divorced-the woman who had been his wife lived there were prejudices; he knew them all; barrier existed; his heart leaped. Here was hope, here was vengeance.
 A cloud passed over the sun, ecGpsing its brightness; chill was on the face of nature; a dead twig, broken by the squirrel in his gambols, fell at his feet.
 He had been asked to speak, to exert his influence, to smooth the path for his rival. He would not speak; why should he speak? Was it any business of his? Nay, was it not rather his duty to be silent, or to throw such influence as he possessed into the other scale? Should he aid to bring about thing which he had been taught to regard with aversion? Was it not his duty as man, as a Chris tian, to increase the prejudice, to build higher the barrier? Was it not better that Thorne should suffer, that Poca- hontas should suffer, as he himself was suffering, than that wrong should be done?
 The devil is never subtler than when he assumes the garb of priest.
 And if he did not speak-more, if he should solidify by every means in his power this barrier of prejudice into a a wall of principle which should sepa- rate these two forever-what might not be the result? Jim's strong frame shook like leaf. His abnormally excited i'm agination leaped forward and con- structed possibilities that thrilled him. The spot on his hand that her lips had touched burned.
 A little girl came down the walk trundling hoop. It struck against Jim's foot and fell over. The helpful instinct that was in him made him stoop and lift it for her. The child, a tiny thing, pushed back her curls and looked up at him with grave, wide open eyes. Suddenly her face dimpled; a smile like sunshine broke over it, and she raised her sweet lips to his to kiss her thanks.
 What had happened? A child's look, child's kiss; it was strange thing. He raised his head and glanced around, passing his hand over his brow like a man aroused from delirium of dreams. Forces foreign to his nature had been at work. He could not understand it-or himself.
 Words came back to him out of his past-his own words-''a man must hold up his own weight" and other words, "a man must help with his strength a woman's weakness" He thought of his love with pity, with re- morse. He had never failed her, never put himself first, till now. What was this thing he had thought of doing? Jim stood erect and pulled himself to- gether, lifting his head and squaring his shoulders, as man does who is about to face an issue squarely.