The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-09-22

Il
walking among the old-fasbioned flowers, he
joined her, and told her the old, old story, so
| sweet to youthful hearts.
| Il love you"
She had spoken the low words that linked
her future with his. and lovingly, trustingly
| given her heart into his keeping.
II cannot tell you anything of my past,
| DEAR" he said, as he held her soft hand in his.
II wish could. But it is a poor, nameless
wanderer, with no past, you have taken Tor
| better or worse"
"You have future" she whispered. hope
fully, and ! will share it for little while at
| least / do not care what lies buried in that
/! forgotten past dear. Surely if you cannot re-
call it, and have never known it, we may be
happy" ,.,
| while he spoke to her again, in the tender,
caressing way he had always used toward her.
| "Come, you must go in now; the night air is
damp. will stay out for one cigar and then
60 to bed; but you, dear-this air is too cool
/ for you."
Yes, 1 will CO." she answered him." but
/ there is one thing l want to say to you before
| co." and she stopped in the path close by his
side. "If ! die-sometimes / have thought l
should not live to be very old-but if l should
die, dear, say you will never forget me. Oh,
| could not bear to be forgotten"
There was pitiful earnestness in the tremu-
| lous voice and the childish blue eyes.
"Molle. darling, don't talk so; you pain me"
and his eyes grew very grave.
The maiden stopped and picked a rose, n
| blush rose, from bush near by, then she
| looked up at him with laughing eyes from
| which the sadness had vanished. -
GOOD night, dear love-" she said as she
| turned to leave him; then threw the rose
| gently at him, from over her shoulder, and ran
| into the house.
He stopped to pick it up, but it fell to pieces
beneath his touch, and its petals were scattered
to the evening Winds while faint perfume
assembled from the heart of the dying flower.
When he rose to his feet his face bore the ashy
paleness of death, the cold damp of almost I'M
bearable anguish started out on his forehead,
and he leaned against the fence nearby for sup
port.
For in that brief moment he had remem-
bered
His life, with its promising past, had come
back to him in fash, and with it what depths
of woe!
In his newly-awakened consciousness his
love for Mary Severne stood out with all the
force of manly passion, to be felt but once,
while the tenderness he experienced for sweet
little Molie Dean resolved itself into its true
form, brotherly love and pity. All that night
he lay awake thinking, and in the morning he
told Mollie of what had come to him, only be
could not bring himself to speak of Mary
Severne.
ooh, / am so glad" said the unsuspecting
girl.
$50 glad" he groaned within himself; so
glad, when he was ready to die.
Bound by two ties, to break one of which
would be death to the fragile flower here to
break the other, living death to himself.
What is the matter? Are you not pleased?"
asked Mollie
"Of course, child but this return to sanity
will necessitate my absence for few days. pos
sibly week. / must let them know whore /
have been, and then, you know, we must soon
go down to Boston for good" and he smiled at
the blushing girl, who could not guess what
that 6 we" had cost him.
The next day Mr. Richards looked up from
his desk to see before him one risen from the
dead.
"Eh upon my SOUL" he calculated, rising
to his feet in establishment.
Don't you know me, Mr.. Richards?" asked
Lyle.
Know you? yes but, bless me- where have
you been for a year back?" he said, grasping
Lyle's hand in hearty grip while suspicious
moisture rose to his eyes.
mot great way off"
"Sit down, sit down." urged the elder man,
sinking into seat himself.
"Now," when Lyle had taken chair, "let
US hear where you have been"
Near Beetown, in farmhouse in western
MASSACHUSETTS,, returned inc young man.
"What were you doing there?"
"Trying to remember who 1 was and where
belonged"
"Why, bless me-" said Mr. Richards, what
| made you forget that?"
81 will tell you. You remember that left
here year ago on mission for your"
yes, yes"
"Well, i aighted at little station the
wrong one, as | afterward learned. After learn
inc M mi gtoE / 81 IN ba otan
to Beetown, about two miles. When halfway
there / was attacked from behind by some one
who knocked me senseless, robbed me Of every
| thing, even scraps of paper, and left me for
dead was picked up the next morning by
farmer. who carried me through three months
of delirium, and when l recovered could not
remember any Of my past life; assumed the
name of George Perry because that came to me
first and only recently the knowledge came to
me that / had any business or other relations
in Boston,"
"a curious story" unused Mr. Richards, "but
l have heard of number of similar cases.
Strange we didn't think of that. After your
mysterious disappearance we advertised and
put detectives on your track, but it was all use
less. So we gave you up for lost"
And dead" supplemented Lyle.
"No, never that" asserted Mr.. Richards. II
always felt sure you would come back some
time"
There was one more visit for Lyle Derm0tt
| to pay, and he started out with heavy heart.
Arriving at Mr.. Severne's residence, he sent
up word to Mary. stating simply that he
brought news of Lyle Dcrnott.
A soft rustic Of slken robes heraed her APP
proach, and in another moment she stood be-
fore him.
Hope and fear struggled for the mastery in
her eyes. as she entered the room. Then she
saw him, and with quick, glad cry of LYLE,
dearest" she crossed the short space that di-
vded them, and chung to him. sobbing in tho
transport of her joy.
Mary, dear one" he murmured, softly,
caressing her silken hair with his hand, sit
was cruel Of me to surprise you So"
mo, no; l am SO glad" she said brokenly.
81 thought you were dead. and you have como
back to me; oh, my love-"
Then he remembered.
cruel pang rent his heartstrings, and
something like groan escaped him.
He led her to a seat, and sat down himself
beside her.
Then he told her what he had already told
| Mr.. Richards.
How terrible" murmured Mary, pressing
closer to his side, "but it is all over now.n His
face grew CHASTITY but she could not see it.
| Her own eyes covered with one soft,
| white hand, over which tricklel few pearly
| tears.
wait" he said gravely, "thero is moro to