Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-24

With were us
continued; but husband and wife went
for long strolls sometimes in the re-
moter hooks of the park, through wind
ing walks in the distant strawberries.
and down paths hidden by high yew
hedges from intruding eyes that might
look with suspicion on their being to-
gether.
On one especially beautiful Au-
gust day they paced side by side,
talking al moments with something o!
their old tenderness. The sky above
the dark green barriers on either hand
was bottemless deep of blue. The
yew boughs were covered in curious
profusion By the handiworlS of ener.
getic spiders, who had woven their
glistening webs in every variety Of
barbaric pattern. In shape some re.
sembled hammocks, others purses,
others deep bags, in the middle OF
which a large yellow insect remained
motionless and watchful.
shall we sit for little while in the
summer house?" said Rosalys at last. in
fat accents, for tete-a-tete with Jim
had long ceased 10 give her any really
strong beats of pleasure. II want &c
talk to You further about plans; how
often we had better write, and so on. :"
They sat down in an arbor made OF
rustic logs which overlooked the mere.
The woodwork had been left rough
within, and dusty spider webs hung in
the crevices; here and there the bark
had fallen away in strips; above, on
the roof, there We're clumps of fungi,
looking like tufts of white fur.
This is q sunless. sad sort of place
Won have chosen" he said, looking
round critically.
The boughs had grown so thickly in
the foreground that the glittering
margin of water was hardly percepti-
BILE between their interlacing twigs,
and no visible hint of human habita-
ton was given, though the rustic shell.
ter had been originally built with the
view of affording a picturesque glimpse
of the handsome old brick house,
wherein the Ambroses had lived for
some three centuries.
'You might have found more live
ly. scene for what will be, perhaps, our
last interview for years." Jim went on.
care you really going so soonP" she
asked, passing over the complaint.
Next week. And nay father has
made all sorts of arrangements for
me. Besides, he is beginning to sus-
pect that You and l are rather too in
innate. And your mother knows, some
I no 7 ho--, 1ncu l,T, harA
several times of late. We must be
careful
u suppose so" she answered, absent
". looking out under the log rocf at
chaffirch swinging himself backwards
and forv ards on n large bouGh. A
sort of drecry indifference to her sur
roundings; u sense of being Gagged and
trapped had begun to take possession
of Rosalys. The present was full OF
perplexity, the future objectless. Now
and then, when she looked at Jirn's
1.-the figure and healthy, virile face,
she felt that perhaps she might have
been able to love him still if only he
had cared for her with remnant OF
his former passionate devotion. But
his Indifference was even more rGIoa-
BILE than her own. They sat and talked
on within the dim arbor for little
while. Then Jim made one of the unfor
tunatc remarks that always CALLED her
to the quick. She rose in anger, an
swercd him with cold sarcasm and
fastened away down the little wood
He followed her, rather ominous
light shining in his eyes.
''Your temper is really growing in
sufferable, Rosalys." he cried, and laid
his hand roughly on her arm to detain
her.
How dare YOU said the girl. For
Gods sake leave me, and don't come
back again, ! rejoice to think that in
a few days it will not be in your power
to insult me any more!'
Oh i'll am going to leave you,
am not? | only want to keep you
here for q moment to come to some I'M
Outstanding! Indeed, you'll be sur
rriscd to find how very much am 60
ing to leave you, when you hear what l
mean. My ideas have grown consider
ably c-nancipated of late, and there
fore | tell YOU there is no reason on
earth WHY any soul should ever know
of that miserable mistake we made in
the spri.e,."
She weed little; it was an unex-
pected move; and her eyes fingered I'M
easily on q copper-colored butterfly
playing 4 game Of hide-and-seek with
little blue companion.
"Who," he continued, sis ever going
to search the register of that old East
London church? We must philosoph-
ically look on the marriage as an awls-
ward fact in our lives, which won't
prevent our loving elsewhere when we
feel inclined. In my opinion this carly
error will carry one advantage with it
that we shall be unable to distin-
guish any love we may feel for another
person by a sordld matrimonial knot
unless, indeed, after seven years of
obliviousness to one another's exist
ence."
"I'll-try to-emancipate myself like
wise" she said. slowly. sit will be
we'll to forget this tragedy Of our lives'
And the most tragic part of it is-that
we are not even sorry that We don't
love each other any more!"
1.-THE truest words you ever spoke"
i SA-1 +ba e,1ract arapf that was ever