The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-07-14
RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY. MD, FRIDAY, 4.

"Well, you see THAT Is, father" he
stammered, ''thought that possibly you
were expecting it, and" 81
Eyes, 1 was expecting it," Miss
Sturgis put in; Sin fact 1 was very
anxious for it. 1 couldn't wait for
Della to get to the door; but / had no
idea that you would have to bring it."
Il was coming this way" Karl pre-
varicated, "and 1 offered"
"Won't you come IMP" the young
woman interrupted again. "You can
spare moment, can't you? We sha'n't
treat you as an errand boy, You know"
and she laughed in a way that made
young Engfer hesitate between embar-
rassment and pleasure.
'I'm afraid" he began to protest,
that I, can't stop this evening. 1.
have
''Just a minute" Miss Sturgis pleaded
s'You must let me thank you for your
trouble; and then, want to congratu-
late you, too"
Karl followed her into the dining
room, where the table was spread fol
dinner.
''Sit down." she said, and she drew /.
chair out for him and another for her.
self. Now, Mr.. Engfer," she went on.
81 am awfully obliged to you for having
brought me my habit
AS the young man looked at her in
the soft light cast by the pink shades
that adorned the candles in the candel-
abra he thought he never before real
lied how beautiful she was. She was
so bright this evening, too-so cheer
ing-and, what was dearer to him than
all else, she was really almost familiar.
The chasm which had once seemed so
wide between them was growing
narrower and narrower. There was no
| doubt of that. Once he was ordained
the breach might easily be closed en-
tirely.
| And now," she went on, 81 want to
offer you my congratulations upon the
good news heard to-day; that you are
coming to the mission to take Mr..
iDavid's place"
Karl could not believe that he heard
Alright. Could it be that she was actu-
ally pleased that Mr.. David was going
away? At one time during the latter
| part of his attendance at the mission
,Sunday-school he had thought that she
cared something for the young divine,
and he had really been a little Jealous
of him,
"4ou are very kind, Miss Sturgis, " he
said, very kind. Do you take as much
interest in the mission as formerly?"
"Oh, dear, yes. More than ever!'
''Then 1 suppose I shall see a good
deal of you there?"
'Of me?' she asked, surprisedly,
''Oh, you don't know, thenl Why,
thought everyone knew. Haven't you
heard whom Mr.. David is going to
nlarry?"
A sharp pain as from a l1nife-t thrust
shot through Karl's heart. He seemed
suddenly unable to breathe. There
was a rumbhng, rushing sound in
his head and q swaying, darkening
cloud before his eyes. He was con-
sclous of a tingling chilliness, and then
of numbness, in his hands, his feet,
and his legs from the knees down. He
made an effort to pull himself together
to hide his feelings-but he failed.
He felt that he was sitting; that he must
get into the fresh air, at any cost; and
he heard himself mumbling something,
he scarcely knew what, his voice seemed
SO strange and unnatural.
The next moment he was stumbling
up the area steps on to the sidewalk;
and an instant later he had come into
collision with some one who was about
to mount the stoop.
The shock steadied him. He started
to apologize, but the words died on his
tongue. The light of street-lamp
across the way had revealed to him tho
face which he had suddenly come to alb
hor---the face of the one man in all the
world whom he hated; the face of the
thief who had robbed him OF d hope
that for seven years had been to him
more than life itself, and of an ambi-
ton that had raised him from the level
of his own people to place of which
he might well have been proud
Ins tinctively he clinched his fists and
fire came into his eyes Then, sudden-
ly, he grew dizzy again. Iron fingers
seemed to be pressing upon his temples
with the terrible clutch of death, and
he staggered away like drunken man.
He wandered the streets for hours; a
whirl of memories in his brain, a leaden
weight upon his heart--up one thor
oughfare and down another, through
by-ways, in and out of blind alleys, see
ing nothing, caring for nothing but to
escape from himself and the torture
that was within him.
Presently he became conscious of a
sound of tapping wayes-the murmur
of waters - and chill in the air
that pierced him to the marrow. Re-
called thus to a realization of his physi-
cal being, he glanced down, to see that
he was standing at the extreme end of
long pier, with the dark river flowing.
below. A keen wind was blowing in
his face; a thousand lights glittered on
the opposite shore.
Another STEP" ne murmured, land
{ should have been out of it all. Whu
did not take that enu as
othersa Ana al, LOOK the
ma-- -, must have taken SO
- tonight! How tired l am!''
He stood for a moment in hesitation.
Something was whispering to him to
take that one step more. 1t was for
her, tit told HIM, that he had adopted
the church as his calling. OF what use
was he to the world now, or it to him?
OF what use was all his learning-his
Greek and Latin and Hebrew, his
knowledge of the Bible, his knowledge