Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-12

why gave you up-which you natural
ly considered weakness"
1t did not escape Mrs. Hugonin that a
dormant weakness of her own was re-
viving under the continued stress of this
absurd conversation - weakness for
sentiment. But it was checked by her
vexation with her friend for breaking
their tacit understanding-and by the
feeling OF half contemptuous pity that
stole over her as he spoke.
Were she a man, she thought, she
would never confess at forty to the in
competence Of twenty-five. That Kin
naird did so but absolved her again. Also,
she reflected, she had headache yester-
day, and therefore it was very lucky
this conversation had not been started
then, or she would have been much
more provoked than she was now.
81 shall not stop you," she said in a
half mischievous tone. go on won't
be angry. You will perhaps admit that
if there is anything ranking it is as well
for you to abuse me and have it over,
even after all these years, whose obitu-
aries you have written"
"My dear, my darling" he said, his
strong hand clasping her so quickly that
involuntarily her arm struggled like a
birds wing to wrest itself away. "It is
well for me to tell the only woman ever
loved that l love her still and do not
mean to let her 60 again"
"Arthur"
Margaret, l love you more than
ever"
"It is impossible"
II love you"
"You cannot, cannot be in earnest"
she stammered. "Why, you have never
told me-"
"Never-until now," he laughed. 81
learned something when l lost you the
first time-my darling"
"This," said Mrs. Hugonin, partially
recovering herself, "is folly, Arthur,
and it is most unfair"
"Unfair," he said, "to want you for
my wife? No, you mean unfair to take
you off your guard. will not bubble
with your words" he said, smiling.
MAY the hour and the scene suggest to
you all that they will. May they bring
you back tot was twenty that you
were-when it all happened. Margaret,
when you were twenty-six went away
from the city of all my hopes, but before
turned my back on it did as many
refugee had done before mel sealed up
my treasures and hid them, and my
store is where | left it. That is why |
want you to marry me. All that I had
looked forward to telling you-when
you were twenty-all that had to say
to you, the secret hoard that had been
piling up for our married life, is intact,
and now | want you to share it with
me- He paused a moment and then
went on: "My dear, have simply had
to wait, that is all. But, please heaven,
we will begin again."
Poor Mrs. Hugonin's breath came and
went, an unwilling messenger of pas
sion, or, it might be, of sentiment. "Per-
haps l was in the wrong" she said.
But why did not you think more of
yourself?"
81 am thinking of myself now," said
Kinnaird.
Suddenly, as Mrs. Hugonin hung dis
tracted and in doubt, the cliff before
them rang faint and sibylline with an
echo. 1t was the town clock of the vii
lage striking over beyond the trees; they
could not hear it, but sent from ledge to
ledge in the still night air it struck sill
very and remote on the granite facade.
AS it sounded they both started, he at
it's elfn suggestions, she at its material
reminder.
"Good gracious" she exclaimed, sit
is II o'clockr' -
"It is" said Kinnaird.
"And we must positively go back to
the hotel at once. We are a scandal,
Arthur-and you know it, for saw you
start too." She began to smile. "Do
you see nothing in the augury~ she
asked.
"The augury?"
1--WE are two old FOOLS" she said.
think of my boy in his bed, Arthur.
Think Of my thirty years; be quiet, if
you please. l choose to be thirty for
formality's sake It is only the night
and the moonlight. When II o'clock
strikes we recollect that we ought to be
respectfully at home. It is only an echo.
All, my dear old friend, we have had
our past and it is over.
"Yours has been unhappy, and am,
oh, SO very sorryl But you are con-
tented now, and, what is more, you are
kind and strong; it is better as it is.
Take me back to the hotel, and we shall
beware of echoes in the FUTURE"
81 thought you said you had grown
DID," said Kinnaird. "It is only youth
that refuses the echo"
And he took her in his arms and kissed
her.-Philadelphia Times.
Worth Knowing.