The morning call., 1892-05-22

you will brighten the country folks if they
meet you like that. You look as if you were
playing at Queen Matilda escaping from
Oxford Castle"
Clever boy" laughed Avis. 'to remem-
Der his history so we'll"
Meantime history is repeating itself in the
most commonplace fashion In Mrs. Clerks
cottage, | remarked grmly. Perhaps you
had better not come. You look too gorgeous
for that poor ROOM"
IAN /? l never thought This was the
warmeSt, so put 1t on" she began, her
great eyes full of distress.
Its all right DEAR" cried Harold you
know they love you when you look beauLl-
full"
"They must always love her, them"
thought within my bitter heart.
lu another moment | was seated beside
her; the horses heads were let 90; the bells
tangled out and the sledge slid over the
snow. 1t was glorious nights Above us
stretched the sapphire sky, gemmed with
myriads of flashing stars, while all around
US was silence and the cleaning snow. All
the well-knOwn landscape was rendered
strange and unfamiliar under its pure
covering-as dear, dead face is rendered
awesome under the thin sheet we spread
after death.
The bells tangled. the horses hoofs
clnked against each other now aud again as
the sledge sped on, but all else was silent.
Not word did we speak. / caught
glimpse OF her lace once as she turned 1t to
watch great white owl slowly gliding over
our heads. How white and still the beauti-
ful face wasl Was there a tremble about
the mouth?
On we sped. When we started my heart
had been ablaze with hot anger. Who was
this youth who had usurped my place?
Why had we quarreledP Why had we not
made 1t up again? 1t was all her fault
all. l had been ready to make friends,
yearning for the old companionship, break
ing my heart for her cruel sake and she had
never cared in the least Caredl She had
been filling up her time and thoughts with
this young -Harold-whatever his
name might be, and probably a dozen more.
She was mere flirt. In her heart she still
despised me for being a doctOr-"0nly
sawb0neS, as she used to say. She was
the daughter Of the lord of the manor; l.
well, / was as good as she | was a man
with mans heart. head, hands. She had
no right to play with me. Had she played
with me?
At that moment / caught the pure profile
against the lamplight. She had leaned sud-
denly forward and was gazing ahead with
strange. taraway look in her eyes. She
| worthless! She filrtl How pure and cold
she looked! pure like the snow; yes. and
cold like the snow. All. no, not cold. With
those deep dark eyes, those sensitive nos
trlls, that exquisite mouth And yet, why
notP 1t is ever the most beautiful women
! who are most cruel.
And so went on the foolish, proud, I'M
! reasoning thoughts within my brain. while
| my heart grew warmer in its love for her
at every stride the horses took Row could
l help loving her with her dear presence so
near me-her garments touching me, her
| breath rising like incense to heaven through
the clear air?
Oh, what long drive What a sad, sore
hearth felt as if could bear it no longer
when the welcome cottage came In sight.
Silently we drove up to the door.
| III you Will go In L will drive on and
| leave some medicine for another patient,
and come back for you," | said, breaking
| the silence for the first time.
Without word she left me-
| drove on about mile further, and then
returned slowly through the still night.
| Mrs. Clerks dwelling had once been a fiue
| old farmhouse in the days when farmers
| we're opulent and liked their homes to be
rOomy. 1t had come down" in the world.
however, and was now divided off among
| several families of laborers But outwardly
! 1t was still beautiful to the eye. From
where | sat alone in the sledge | looked
through an archway Of dark yews toward
| the old rambling building with its low caves
/ and mulli0ned windows. The steep tiled
ROOF was covered with the cleaning snow !;
| the tail, irregular chimney stacks rose
black against the deep blue sky, and from
one uncurtained window the ruddy light
shOne out upon the SnOw-clad lawn How
still 1t wasl Was the whole world dead |?
The bells on the horses heads sounded
painfully loud as the animals moved rest
essly from time to time. / felt vaguely
that | ought to walk them up and
down, but the spirit Of stiffness seemed
to have got the better OF all my sense.
could not move. Above was the still.
silent sky; around, the still, silent
world, and in my heart a strange
sensation of unfeelngness. The world was
| dead; / was dead; everything was dead
| Nothing mattered any more. | felt nothing
| nothing. Why trouble whether she loved
me OF MOP II will all be the same when
! was dead. My heart was dead now. The