Griggs courier., 1895-09-13
A BROKEN ENGAGEMENT.

mans life. Every sense OF his being
eurrenders to the delicious, intoxicat-
ing influence, and all the world seems
to be reveling in carnival of joy.
Sound becomes music, commonplace
things become beautiful and sight and
feeling conspire together to intensity
the illusion. This hour is when, for
the first time, the woman he loves
yields up her first confession of love for
him, and for the first time gazes soul
fully into his face, wealth Of love,
trust and happiness beaming from her
dear eyes. Then it is not what he has
been or will be, but what he is and
what is his that concerns him.
Howard Verdery had had his hour.
but so recently that the joy Of it still
fingered with him like q glad echo.
He could not quickly realize that she
loved him as fully and completely as
he would have her love him. It had
come about SO gradually, by such nat
ural. human stages-just in the way
that such things must come about-he
imagined that it was hard for him to
realize that it was true; but what q
glorious thing it was for him!
He felt that he had in him the raw
material for splendid manhood. By
Helen's hands it might be woven into
substantial texture that would defy
such petty temptations to evil as he
had yielded to in younger days, not be-
cause of lack of strength, he felt, but
because he was young unknowing,
uniformed. Those were fine days, and
there was little in them to regret. He
had had his season of wild college dis
sipation; it was no worse than that of
the average college man-not half SO
bad as some. But that was over. Years
and Helen had opened a grand field for
him, and he knew he would be pur-
poseful and manly.
She would help him by her ready
womanly sympathy, her good judg-
raent, her fine womanly tact. What
genial, how sweetly disposed, how
noble!
''Helen is my conscience" +" he thought.
81 never feel bad or unworthy except
when am with her. She takes such u
fine, high view of things, and she is so
strong in living up to that view. I
couldn't do m unmanly thing with
Helen in my heart and mind and char
acter."
His father was delighted with the
news, as were his mother and sisters.
They crowded about him and told him,
three at a time. how glad they were.
@::Why, my boy, I'm proud of you,
proud of you, said his father. a hearty
looking man of fifty, a fair type Of the
successful business man. 'You don't
know how happy you have made me.
You have removed the most serious ap-
prehension of my life, for was afraid
you might do something foolish
there's 40 accounting for young man,
you know.
Even the steadiest of than some
times lose their heads where woman
is concerned. have been aryoung
man myself, Howard. But yen have
acted sensibly, and your futa1e's ~
sured. Helen will be q great help to
you. In few years I will have to re-
tire from the business altogether and
will leave it in your hands My boy,
do you know you have never pleased
me 50 we'll in your Iife?"
And the two, father and son, shook
hands with great warmth.
Helen has always seem ed like a sis
ter" Agnes said. ut will be 80 lovely
for her to be that in fact"
And everybody congratulated Yer
derry, lucky verdery, and the young
fellow in the glow of his happiness
felt that life was just beginning for
him.
II.
IL was the hat Of daua Xosnn