Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-18

would have been macl more provoked
than she was now.
Il shall not stop YOU" she said in half
mischevous tone Go OIL won't be
angry You will perhaps admit that if
| there is anything rankl ng it is as well for
you to abuse me and have it over, even af-
ter all these years, whose obituaries you
have written"
my dear, my darling" he said, his
strong hand clasping hers so quickly that,
involuntarily her arm struggled like a
birds wing to wrest itself away, sit is well
for me to tell the only woman ever loved
that love her still and do not mean to let
her go again"
Arthur
Margaret, love y,,4 more than ever"
at is impossibler'
II love you"
You cannot, cannot be in earnest she
stammered. why. you have never told
me-"
"Never-until now" he laughed. II
learned something when lost you the first
time-my darlingI"
J This" said Mrs. HI gonin, partially re-
| covering herself, lis folly, Arthur. And it
! is most unfair"
UNFAIR" he said, ito want you for nv
wife? No, you mean unfair TO take you off
your guard. will no 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 wert-when it all hap
pened 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 a refugee had done before me
| I sealed up my treasures and hid them
and my store is WHERE | left it. That is
why want you to marry me. All that
had looked forward to telling you-when
you were twenty-all that had to say 10
you, the secret hoard that had been pill
ing up for our married life, is intact, and
now | want you to share it with me-" He
paused a moment and then went on: INV
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 passion
or, it might be, of sentiment. Perhaps l
was in the wrong" she said But why
, did not you think more of yourself2'
Il am thinking of myself now" said
, Kinnaird.
! Suddenly, as Mrs. Hugonin hung dis
tracted and in doubt, he cliff before them
. rang faint and skyline with an echo 1t
! was lne TOWN. CLOCK OF the village striking
over beyond the trees; they could not hear
it, but sent from ledge to ledge in the still
night air it struck silvery and remote on
the granite facade. As it sounded they
both started, he at its ellin suggestion :, she
at its material reminder.
Good gracious!' she exclaimed, 1T is II
o'clock"
1T is" said kinnairl.
And We must pos lively 90 back to the
hotel ut once We are a scandal. Arthur
and you know it, for ] saw you start, too. 3"
She began to smile. DO you see nothing
in the augury?" she asked
THE augury?"
eve 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
1t is only the night and the moonlight
When II o'clock strikes we recollect thu
we ought to be respeC tably at home 1t is
only an echo. All. nv dear old friend, We
have had our past and it is over. Yours
has been unhappy and | am oh, so very
sorry! But you are contented now and
what is more, you are kind and strong-it
is better it is. Take me back to the
hotel-and we shall beware of echoes in
future"
Il thought you said you had grown old, 5"
said kinnaird. 1t IS only youth that re
fuses the echo"
And he took her il his arms and kissed
er.-Philadelphia Times.