The record-union., 1892-07-16


anu q lghtenlng OF my teeth as l reck
oned things up and saw in all its clear
ness the perhdy that had come between
Us. Inc ietter-WaS not that part OF it?
Could Doris from her hearts heart have
written such a letter at all? 1t was j
forgery, trick, and L had been a fool to
be duped by it-nay, villain in very
truth; for L had doubted Doris and given
her pain and misery pehaps a thousand
times worse than my own.
ct the letter was clear enough, said
the ghost OF Doubt; it was IN her own
characteristic handwriting, said Memory;
and there was no forging that, put IN
Doubt again.
Then Il resolution came to me, and 1
walked out into the open air and DgeAthed
1t III with long inhalation, as men do at
sudden relief or when stirred with new
purpose.
There were evil things in my heart.
but there was one little corner where
hope stirred, as If after long sleep. L
could feel ii as / looked up TO the heav-
ems, where the stars were twlukling
down at me, as il they knew thing or
two, having seen Doris only few hours
agone.
Next morning I started for New York,
and in four more days was on the Attain
tic, gazing at the last point OF Sandy HOOK
as 1t sank lower and lower, tu the hori-
zon was an unbrokep line and America
nowhere.
But as we sped eastward through the
long days and nights, as l drew nearer
10 Doris and him and the truth, tie tiends
grew buster within me, and gave my
little babe Of Hope such hustling that
/ well-nigh lost sight OF IL IN the tu-
multi.
[ had been away eighteen months, and
what might q man not do IN that time
with an impressionable young girl who
L.
uniaithiul? They were cousins, and had
been together in earlier years; he was a
highly educated, and, contrasted with
me, brilliant, perhaps fascinating
man. lie had secured his diploma, but
the arduous study had broken him down,
and TO recruit himself he had left his
London home to pass some weeks among
the breezy hills of Worcestershire, the
guest Of his fathers sister, the daily COM
pauiOn, no doubt, of Doris. He had seen
her beauty, her young susceptibility 20
the influences about her, and he had
warmed his way into her heart, and
cankered it as grubs do roses. so hatred
trotted it all up and made me feel as muir
derers DO. God forgive me! 1t Is all
passed now, and it was loves doing with
all three Of us.
It was past midnight when I arrived
after ten days at Worcester. The Old
city was slumbGring, and the great
ing out the hours to its deaf ears as the
fly rumbled. Mostly to the hotel, where
had perforce to stay, till daylight ena-
bled me to continue my journey by the
early train.
| lay on the bed, half dressed, listening
| to the quarters as they chimed through
| the silence one after the other, and each
time the familiar sounds crossed the cur
rent OF my thoughts they swung me out
| Of the morrow TO other days, which their
ringing brought back irresistibly, till by
| and by l allowed memory to have its way
entirely, and l lived again in the halcyou
sunninesS of bygOne years. | closed my
ewes to look at it all, and allowed tito float
dreamIike aud as it would, till patches
| OF grayness came, and q fading OF color
and form, and | was fast asleep.
But as l lay like any log, and the hours
went on, till all in the city but myself
could hear the cathedral clock ring them
out, some part OF my brain woke up,
and, finding reason still q sluggard,
| started stTaightway a-dreaming. 1t was
! u queer medley for the most part, and no
| better than other fantanSieS of the sort;
! but 20 this day [ remember it more as a
real thing than trick OF the brain, ii
such it was. There III the darkness OF
| the prairie was the deep red rose that
| Doris had given me, borne by an army of
| firefiies, IN whose united radiance the
! flowers lay in a hammock OF golden
/ threads, and fitted before me mOckingly
! while l stumbled in chase Of it. Ay, 1t
was the rose, and it blushed in the en-
! brace Of Doris own hair. / had seen ii
shine so at sundoWn when the light got
| in it and made it luminous with a gold
not its own, as the grass blades seemed
! shafts of emerald ire when the glass
worms were among them. The phan-
tasm rose and fell i'll the bIackness, while
/ the hundreds Of little light points made
a shifting circle round. On, on they fit
! ted, ever eluding me as l stumbled along,
! till there was a sudden clash of bells
! when the little vision dissolved into a
/ kind of crimson and golden atmosphere,
| in which | laVed myself with beating
! hands, while it Widened more and more,
| lighting all things round, till l saw that /
stood in a crowded churchyard in all the
! soft sheen Of a summers morning.
rubbed my eyes as the people moved
about some toward the wooden porch
some taking places on the path, till there
was an avenue Of smiling faces and one
slim figure, followed by her maids, wend-
ing slowly through all.
! 1t was Doris. all white and beautiful
III bridal vestments: but her golden head
was bent, and there was heavineSS in her
! step. AS if she were entering some prison
! house, never to know liberty again, she
paused at the porch and looked long and
| Wistfully back into the sunshine. And
could see the thin face and all the pain
/ deep down in her eyes, knowing all the
] meaning Of her long look, but unable to
move, as she passed in and out OF my
sight. Then the changing Of the bells
I died away into q melody of old time,
which they quantity chimed, while the
people thrOnged into the church, leaving
me alone among the headstOneS. The
agony was too much. 1 Wrenched free
my voice and shrieked her name-aud
aWoke, still hearing the Ginning, but
aoli frg,F9 tE.A
! cathedral tower, WhichI could see in the
morning sun over the hOusetops, and
it's clock pointed to three minutes past 8.
Now, l never believe in dreams; but
sat down to breakfast uneasy and with
out appetite, looking in at that despair
ing white face with a growing sense of its .
Ominousness, and chatlng nightly at the
fact that there was no train to take me on
for another two hours.
Paper, sir?" l heard the waiter say as
I tritied with the toast. I dropped my
I eyes mechanically on to the folded sheet,
/ bat only looked yacantly at it, or rather
q headline, which, standing out from the
rest, took my eyes. being definite, as the
fire is in the darkness, or a candle flame
which we gaze at Without noting. There
was the name of my own village staring
me in the face, and for full minute |
never saw it-Ranston-in-the-Y Vale 1t
was all flash, as was my eagerness as I
suatched up the paper and read the local
items. "Bellringers' Dinnec-fire at the
Hall-The Approaching Marriage Of DR..
Robson
remember the sense of paralysis, the
rush of darkness to the eyes, and then the
sudden return OF light as Isjumped 20 my
feet and stood q moment irresolute. with
NV watch in my hand. Quarter past 10
the ceremony was at li-three parts Of
an hour to do fifteen miles A wave OF
helDleSsneSS swept over me, and then OF