The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-04-20

me over.
Sydney felt rush of sympathy 90
through her bnt she dared not express it.
She PUT the rug softly over him and went
back to the writing table
II think shall come ont poet at
last said Leigh. in dreamy tone. II
don know why but seemed to think of
stars and music and the sweet south on
bank Of vioets all in breath Just now
Good afternoon said sydney open
in@ the door aud taking sudden depart
Hre
II shall have to tell him she said to
herself desperately a. she FASTENED down
the stone staircase And yet-there
are only three days more,
/ say, Young man. began Leigh in
playful tome when his secretary arrived on
the next afternoon YOU ought not to
leave your love tokens about on other peo-
pie : tables The doctor told me | might
take walk round my room this morning
The hnusckeeper was to have helped me
bat she never appeared | had Ia clutch
onto the things as best | could. and a.
caught hold Of the writin. table found
this 4
HdSneid up ribbon as he spoke. which
SydnJ recognized directly as the one that
She had missed when she reached home
Well are you not going to ask for it
back said Leigh finding thar he cot no
answer II shall i,l>t tell your cousin the
little tale when see him next
Please give it tn me said Sydney,
in a low voice
Leigh thought that he had given ofIen>e
aud relinquished the ribbon at once 1t
seemed To him rather foolish to be upset
by such a trivial thing bat he was too
kind hearted not Ia try ami make amends.
4 shall he quite sorry when our work
comes To an end. he said pleasantly.
when J - clock sounded the hour for sgd
ney departure
- shall | thought sydney hui she
did not say 81
In fact. went on Leigh. 4 have
something to propose 10 y"u. The doctor
.ays the hsndage may come off my eyes in
lay "r two. but | am not to Use them
much at first Win YOU stay on and help
me it YOU have nothing better to do No
oue ha, ever suited me - admirably as
YOU have done and do no, feel at al in
clined to let You %
sydney heart beat almost To ,utioca-
tiun. How could she answer him Ia a
day or two At iurthes, he must discover
the deception that She had praciiced upon
him
You don seem to Ike the idea much.
,aid Leigh. in q disappointed tone Per
haIs> sou have something else iH view. but
| gathered from what your cousin told me
that ynu have not been getting on very
fast Has your father other plans for yo'i2
| have M father said sydney glad
"i a question that she could reply to- /
have been an orphan Ter ~nme vear>. and
| never had any br,ihcrs or sisters
Then why viii yoa net agree to my
proposal said Leigh Ii would prob
ably he only temporary thing and
would not stand in the way cf yottr taking
ANYTHING else thst turned up
Il j, MT that said Sydney in how
voice
What i i, then asked Leigh rather
lerrmporily
sydney could tot reply; her heart was
,s. full She felt her eyes filling with
tear, aud in the effort to choke down her
. g..f.,,..- D. ...5.-,,..,.t kar kva
Leigh gave sudden start and half rose
frmn his seat, sank back again a. his in
jured E.ot gave way under him sydney
watched him anxiou,ly She dared not
speak hut ia another moment She saw him
rii-e hi, hand a, though To tear the band
age from hi- eve,
Ne. uo. she erred fear for him over
coming every other feeling you mus, Dot
do it You viii ruin your sight forever
She darted forward A. ~he spoke and seized
his hand
Instead of ,uatehing away his hand.
Leigh t,s,k hers between hi> own and held
il FIRMLY. Il qaisered Ike little fright
cned bird in the capJor grasp, but he
would MT let it "a. Ii was small and soft
and warm. and he ,tr,ked it lightly with
hi iinger-.
This {, not j man 5 hand he said.
uh. / viii tell you the truth cried
sydney despairingly Nv cousin told
me about your work. and wanted the
money 50 much and he said that he had
tod YOU al abnut me Aud then when /
came found You did not know. and he
was away. and | could not make mp my
mind 10 tell YOU and | hoped you would
never find il out But now viii - away
and | shall never come back
She drew her hand away from him but
a he released it he pulled the bandase
from hi. ewes before she knew what he was
doing
The sight shat met his eye> he will never
forget till hi DIVING day. The small.
slight figure before him was clad in dress
ar some dark woolen material that any
woman would have told him At once was
uld fashioned and shabby But Leigh
saw nothing of that He ouly knew that
the curls that lay tossed all over the little
head glittered ike gold in the freight;
that the pale cheeks were tInged with
delicate color. aud tha; her eyes shone
ike stars through the tears that hung on
their lasheS
But the vision only lasted for a moment.
Turning passiouately from him. she caught
up her things and flew from the room.
How Sydney found her way home that
night she never knew A tumult Of feel
ing surged through her heart, but in the
midst Of il all one resolve was fixed within
her-noihing should ever take her back
What thought her work was unfinished !?
What though she had not a. yet received
the much needed money She would
rather Starve than even see him again.
Leigh meanwhile was passing through
am equal tumult. but his thoughts were
much pleasanter than Sydney :. His
principal fear was that she would fulfill her
threat of not returning. and AZ the next
afternoon came and went dragging out its
weary hours in duh loneliness he became
gradually convinced that she had really
meant what she said.
Never mind. I'll 90 and see her to-
morrow, he thought Il can get down
stairs and into a cab well enough now
But when the next day came a sudden