Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-13

just then there was ring NJ the door.
bell, q oolloquy In the hall. and somebody
was ushsrri Into the drawing room. Made
line. who hAd been ndgrting all the evening.
suddenly became very quiet and hxri con.
scious sye- upon the history le~son she was
pretending To study. In q moment the
servant Appeared and announccii
Its Mr.. Durham; wants to see Miss
Ford"
"who did you say. Mayi" cried Made
line. starting up
"Mr. DunhAm 'as asked for Miss Flor.
snes mot particular" vpeated Mary, fs-
voring the latter young woman with .
sympathetic grin ~ she closed the door.
Madeline ~,nk back into her history again.
with q sense that all her struggles to emerge
from the slough oflittle girlhooi were hope
les. Thankful for the shelter of her school.
hooks. behind them she chewei the eud Of
sweet aud better fancy aud possibly learned
Alesson not printed on their well worn pags~.
To flor,nc. the arrival of her guest came
~ q bewilisring surpris~. She rO-~ mechsn-
iealiy and went into the drawing room.
with her heart t-ating very fast and her
heal In q whirl. Did he intend Ia denouncs
NV tbttthtts w M I"@ttts
that he had come la spite of the cool dis
mis.si she hal sent him to tsg her 10 ~
consider her decision' II he would ooiy
give her the opportunity
Mr.. Dunham's course was not calculated
10 clear her mind, Tor as she snter~i he
ero-.ed the rom aud deliberately clos~i
the aiding door- behind her. In the face Of
the family. Then be turned 10 her. his
face aglow with happiness, and SEIZED her
hands
SLOW could you play me such . triekw
he AID. 1t was not lii. you al all 10 bs
81 willfully cruel. Did you pretend to say
NO ~ that Z might feel the greater hAppi.
ne-- when you aid 'ie-f"
"iiut { bsv.n't aid ye. y,,." returns,i
Florence. rou-sd to feeble elf assertion by
Li. msstsrfuI ignoring % her positive re-
lection. A helpless sort u Joy hll~i her
that the refusal hal gone for nothing. but
II wa. certainly surprising assurance on his
part to assun. that she osr-i ~ much for
him that her dismissal could IL regaried
only In the light Of Joke
"SOt the very wori." be answered.. "but
you will lay Il to plesse me, won't you'
Not that woris matter much, since you
rally do carr for me after all. Tell me you
do Tell me again that nothing can ev,r
sparst. Us"
"Agsinf" murmur,d flovnce.
Again sui sgsin." be- rvplie,l II shall
never ~ tir~i 10 hearing n. oh. ffor.nc.r'
And then they wandered oH to TRAD the
primro~s path of dAllianos for the rvst u
the evening
I.l., - Ia "a A.. hsS
alt from the charming mental chaos In
which she W.. involved, 1t seems the
mo.t wonderful thing in the world that
you should bs hsrv-iiks this-aitsr my
note"
"Dhln't you want me to comet"
"well-ycs Int how did you know itw
"why." aid John-"wont you give me
this little pl-o. of hair' TIL. Que right
her--i infsrr,-i IL from what you wrote"
''lIow ole,.rly you rad b.twsen ths
lin.-i You sr, too els,sri shall hs afraid
of you u you arr going In display such un-
sfring Intuition all the time"
II don't b-lis,e you will ever be afraid %
me. A man would have To hs uncommonly
dull not Ia understand what this meant,
no matter what hal gone before" IIetook
bloti-i corner aud ir.w from II sheet u
paper. Can you si.ss how happy this
made me-" he whi-psr-i, after had b.sn
knocke,i cut 10y that not. got this morn.
ing' Why did you write that o,hsr' Did
Jou do IL only as sort 20 joke, or did yoa
mean IL aud then think better of it after.
wArip
flor.nc. looked az him with q purIlei
air. then her eyes fell oa the paper In HE
hand.
"i<t me zee thati'' .hs aid suddenly.
Taking Il from him. che glanced at the
eontsnt.
Low. .. like . rpssbai
ilid t<hlhd . thorh--
Il didn't ssnd you this thing shs sH.
claimed.
"Didn't ssnd IL 20 mel Who did, II IL
your band--ss. on the enyel0p. too"
Il know Il Il my writing. but I wrote
tho~e idiotic verses for Madeline to send 10
Matsl FLINT She must have found the sn-
yslope In my vast. basket and ssnt IL To
you for . Joke Instead DO you think
would -snd you such silly trash As that"
II don't think II IL ally. II has given ms
the grvs,sst happiness of my life u IL was
mistake Then you srnt me only that heart
les note received nntl And you rcally
meant Il, did your
II thought l did"
"i,ut you don't mean Il nowr persisted
John.
no" aid florruoe, Il mean somsthlns
very different bowr'