The morning call., 1892-07-10

! finding reason still a sluggard, started
/ straight away a-dreaming. Ii was queer
| medley for the most part and no better
/ than other fantasies OF the sort. but 10
this day / remember il more as real thing
| than trick of the brain, If such II was.
| There in the darkness OF the prairie was
the deep red rose that Doris had gwen me,
| borne by an army of tiretiies, IN whose
/ united radiance the flower lay on ham,
mock of golden threads and fitted before me
! mockingly while / stumbled In chase OF It,
| Ay, it was the rose, and Ii Dlushed In the
| embrace of Doris own hair. L had seen it
shine so at sundown when the light got in it
! and made il luminous with q gold not its
| own, as the grass blades seem shafts Of
emerald fire when the glow-worms
are among them. The phantasm rose
the hundreds of little light points
made a shifting circle round. On, on they
! lifted, ever GLIDING me as l stumbled
| along till there was a sudden CLASH oi bells,
when the little vision dissolved into kind
| OF crimson and golden atmosphere, IN Which
| / laved myself with beating hands. while It
| widened more and more, lighting all things
/ round, till | saw that 1 stood in u crowded
churchyard in all the soft sheen OF a sum-
| mer's morning. l 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 ore slim figure, followed by her
maids, vending slowly through all
~
| bridal yes.ments. but her golden head was
! bent and there was heaviness IN her step.
! As If she were entering some prison-hOuSe,
never 10 know liberty again, she paused at
! the porch and looked long ana wistfully
| back into the sunshine. And l could see
/ the thin face and 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 died away into a
% nE nf - ma xRfhi ah HOY it,fl
chimed while the people thronged into
| the church, leaving me alone among the
/ headstones. The agony was too much. /
| wTenched FREQ my voice and shrieked her
| name-and awokp, still hearing the CHM
| ing, but realizing gradually that 1t came
| from the cathedral tower which | could see
| in the morning sun over the hOnsetops, and
! its clock pointed to three minutes past 9.
Now, l never believe in dreams. but sat
] down to breakfast uneasy and without APP
| petite, looking in at that despairing white
face with a growing sense OF its 0minous-
ness, and chating nightly at tho fact that
there was no train TO take ME or for an other
two hours.
Paper, sir? heard the waiter say as 1
trifled with the toast. l dropped my eyes
| mechanically on TO the folded sheet, but
| only looked yacantlY at Ii. or rather a head
/ line. which, standing out from the rest,
took my eyes. being definite. as the fire is
| in the darkness or Il candle fame which we
gaze at without noting. There WAS the
name Of my own village staring me In the
! face, aud for full m mute / never saw it
RanSton-ln-ihe-F aie. 1t was all flash, 8
was my eagerneSs as l snatched mp the
paper and read the local items: "Bellring-
ers' Dinner-Fire at the Hall-The APP
preaching Marriage of DR.. Robson
/ remember the sense of paralysis, the
rush Of darkness to the eyes and then the
sudden return Of light as / jumped to my
feet and stood moment irresolute, with my
watch in my hand Quarter past 10-the
! ceremony was at 1l-three parts Of an hour
to do 10 miles. a wave of helplessHess
swept over me, and then OF hot strength
nothing less than the strength OF despair,
aud, thank God, it carried me through.
| shall never forget that ride. The horse
was freSh-the pick of the best posting
stables IN WOrcester-and had much TO do
to keep IL ia while we breasted Redhill to
the level Of the London road. Then L gave
II Us head and tip from the heels, and
away We shot like two mad things. Seeing
nothing but the yellow road before me.
counted every spring of the animal as he
skinned along. scarcely seeming TO touch
the ground with his light hoOfs, and flying
faster and faster as he warmed to ii and
heard ny cries of encouragement. For
half an hour let him go, till we came TO a
stiff bill not three miles from Ranston.
! Here | pulled him up and made him
walk before the fiuai rush in. He WAS inn
patient to get on, so was L. for from the top
| OF the hill | knew / could see the church,
and maybe some OF the gathering people !;
but l held him in aud took out my watch.
My heart sank-it was 1888. / eased the
Teins with n shout, and in three bounds we
were at the hilltop and away again. |
could see the church now across the valley
aud the flag at its tower, and the pigmy
forms moving about the yard But there
was still hope, still chance to snatch Doris
back from her perl-fOr such was my pur-
pose and my dream had made me desperate.
l set my teeth aud let the good horse 60.
IL was all over In 10 miuntes, and II was
Doris doing as much as mine. She could
not help It, maybe, and II was rather sud
den to Jlit a man Just as the vicar was ask
ing whether she would have him or not
But so il vas and / had 10 sooner shown
myself at the vestTy door by which / had
entered than she saw me, and with ''Oh,
Jack. jack" stun bled toward me and
fell limp IN my arms, and lay there like
cut lily and as SPECIFICS. l had carried
her into the yestry and was bathing her
temples with the parsons drinking water
before the wedding party could realize
what had come 10 them. He was the first
to rush in. as was natural perhaps.
Now l would not have harmed him just
then, for all his w0rdy spleen, If he had not
laid rough hands on me as be tried 10 force
me from my place But when the shock of
his touch went through me ! laid Doris's
head down for one moment while | sprang
TO my feet, and, catching him by the collar
and the small Of the back. pitched him out
OF the open door with such good will that
ne fell on the grass dozen yards away and
lay there, huddled heap Of blackness on
the green.
When L turned round. Doris was opening
her eyes and looking up at her mother. ask
ing where she was. | knelt and looked
down at her; she stared while you might
count three; and then her arms were round
my neck, and ! raised her in mine.
HE declared his love here at this wick et,
as YOU had, dear. before him."
But the letter." l said.
'Oh, how could YOU believe II, Jack ? The
letter was my second refusal. sent a week
after he had taken to his practice. He must
have forwarded 1t 10 you in the cover of one
OF mine. How cruel and wicked of him.
And you" She locked up and there was
such reprOach in her eyes that | turned mine
away. not daring to meet them.
Jealousy made fool of me, Doris. How
can | tell II yuu?a You see, the letter was so
worded that, coming after your silence and
on top Of my knowledge that he was still at
Ranst0D, r.
'Who told you he was still here? /
avoided the subject for your sake"
Ill news travels fast; but don't let US
speak OF it. He allowed the parcel to reach
you = what did you think when you
opened it?"
when was able to. wrote you, asking
what il meant" she said AMPLY.
And | never answered."
mo"
gazed nj her nearly choking. What had
my suffering been TO hers?
And, oh, was so wretehed, Jack" she
went on in her naive way. land when he
came third time, full of sympathy and
Offering to relieve poor mother of the debts
which had nearly brought the old home TO
the brink OF breaking. II said yes, feeling
that had no will-that it was duty thrust
upon me. But it is all past now. isn't it ?"
GladDess made her sigh, and l could feel
her sweet breath as she looked up at me.
DO you forgive him. then ?" said l. look
ing away and thinking of his abject figure
as he wTLhed under my whip an hour ago.
"Yes, yes. Jack and you must, too. You
have punished him enough and be has