The advocate., 1894-04-04
CHAPTER Xxx.
A BRIEF VISIT TO PARADISE.
o Sages think on JOY like this,
And where's your boast Of apathy?

MOORE.
Why should l attempt to describe |
what every reader will picture so much |
better to himself? Who does not know !
that neither death nor an earthquake |
having intervened, John "fxed up"
the very best he could and went to dine
as Lena had insinuated he would be
expected to do2 Who needs telling
that he and Lena were as happy that
evening as any pair Of lovers could have
been under similar circumstances? Let
me tell the reader only what he will not
be likely to know without the telling
that to Mrs. Ruble, the sick mans wife,
Lena had become known as "MisS
Chipperwell," and that upon his ar
rival John was gravely introduced to
her; that significant glance from Lena
gave him his cue and he helped carry
out the deception; that they and Mrs.
Ruble were so gay and jOVial that under
the influence of this genial new heart
. atmosphere the sick man grew strong
enough to sit up little while and joined
in the laughter; that Lena insisted
on washing the dishes and on making
John, with a woman's apron on him,
wipe them; that it was 8 o'clock, in
stead of 8, when they left, and when
they reached his boarding house street
Lena made John leave the car because
he said in his lecture that he had to
turn in right after dark in order to be
fit for work next day; and he, under
standing the true reason, gallantly
obeyed. They expected to meet often
thus during the weeks to come, and
this parting was consequently endur-
able, and their spirits were still bouy-
ant with the evenings innocent joy.
But it was fated that they were not to
meet again for many months, and that
their next meeting should be quite
other than joyful to Lena.
The next Sunday and the next John
visited the sick man, now rapidly re-
covering. Lena had not been there
since that evening which had seemed to
John an evening in paradise, and Mrs.
Ruble had heard nothing from her.
When he called the following Sunday,
however, Mrs. Ruble had received a
letter from Lena herself explaining
that she had been suddenly called home
by telegram announcing the serious
illness of her mother who was still very
i'll. On the table lay recent photo
graph of "Miss Chipperwell'' for which
John begged in vain; but when he next
called Mrs. Ru lie herself proposed to
give it to him if he would give her a
photograph of himself. He gladly ac-
cepted this offer, and a week later
carried Lena's picture proudly away
He did not know that Mrs. Ruble was
but carrying out certain confidential
instructions and that his photograph
was promptly mailed to "Miss Clipper
well'
In March he learned from letter re-
ceived by Mrs. Ruble that Lena was
soon to 60 to Europe with her invalid
mother and would be absent Several
months-perhaps year. In due couroe
letters came from London, from Edin
burgh, from Berlin, and John read
every line of them-as Lena expected
him to do; but Mrs. Ruble did rot see
proper to show him the few confiden.
tial lines usually inclosed on separate
sheet
Spring had passed into summer, and
Johns heart had feasted at intervals
upon these crumbs from Mrs. Ruble's
table, as it We're; but, at last, one day
in July, there came from Paris a letter
addressed to him in that handwriting
ne had come to know so well. He
opened the precious miSSiye with
thrill of expectation. 1t called him
"My dear friend and "My dear Mr..
Cotterell;" told him great deal about
Europe, especially about the condition
OF European wage-workers; and in a
postscript, there in Lena's own hand,
was this:
P: s-~Do you know have your photograph
often look at It and recall the pleasant even