The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-11-05

pedred below on some excuse. some
what to their relief: they felt the sight
Of the offending brides sister would
not be likely to sOothe matters with the
fOrsaken bridegroom.
Maud, in an agony of suspense and
half -shamed disgust with herself. was
looking with misty eyes out Of one of
the portfolios, when she heard a hasty
step behind her, and before she had
time to wonder who it was voice She
knew was saying in eager tones:
Constance! How glad l am.'-She
turned and faced-Major Merton. He
looked disconnected for a minute. and
then went on: Il beg your pardon,
Miss-er-Maud. l suppose | may say,
but your figures are so much alike; ard
where is COnstance?"
Poor Maud saw that all her strate-
gems had been useless. Sf.'. of all
people, had TO tell him the bitter truth;
she who all the voyage had pictured
him having brain fever, ending prOba-
bly, in madness. when he learned how
Constance had treated him. She was
very young!
She hung her head like a naughty
schoolgirl. feeling intolerab!y guilty,
but something must be said, and gath
ering all lier courage together she be-
gan:
Il cannot tell you how sorry ] am.
| e ~ nd In
jor Merton smiled in utter misconcep-
ton of her. meaningless, ashamed
that she is my sister, for. oh, Major
Merton!-She is nOt-she w0r't-marry
your
And all her cOmpOSure fed before the
sternness which gathered in his eyes.
and, like a little coward. she began to
cry. For a few minutes there was a
dead silence, broken only by the sound
of her sobs. and then a strong sun
burned hand was laid On hers, and
very kindly voice said:
My dear child, why should you cry?
1t is not your fault. you would not
have not done this thing. and really
as this did not seem to have any effect
-''it is much better that your sister
should have found out her feelings.
even. as it seems to me, rather late in
| the day"
But it is shameful" sobbed Maud:
You will despise us all. 1t is so cool
of her, you know
Lot
II could not despise her, and as for
yOu-l.ow could despise you? l think
you are sorry for me. and if those tears
are for my pain, cannot have another
one. We all have disappointments
sometimes. and hope l know how to
bear one
Maud looked up through her tears
again and wondered how Constance
could have done this thing. She had
never thought that he would bear it as
he had: in her own mind she had eX-
pected him to Stagger-turn woite-and
perhaps groan Il little. She had always
heard that mans tears We're so terri
BILE to witness. Secretly, she felt Il
trife disappointed when she thought
over tie scene which she lad so often
imagined.
However, there was no time Cor more
to be said, for the Cores arrived in the
saloon, half veXed and half relieved to
gather from the looks of the pair be-
fore them that the dreaded disclosure
nrar anI fhaf nnt1,ipu ro,p, IN
for them to do but deliver the letters
with which they had been intrusted,
and let Major Merton depart as quick
ly as possible.
Mrs. Gore and Maud had hcen school
fellows and were great friends. so that
the latter found life very pleasant
thing in the gay little cantOnment
where the regiment which Colonel
Gore commanded was stationed.
In April Mrs. Gore and Maud betook
themselves to Naini Tai.
Colonel Gore came up in July, and
his wife and Maud rode down as far
as the Brewery to meet him. They
arrived early at the meeting place, and
walking on through the gorge, settled
themselves near Il bOwlder covered
with waving ferns, over which the
wafer dripped, from whence they
could see a bit of the road UP which
Colonel Gore must pass. Mrs. Gore was
the first to catch sight of the traveller
for whom they waited.
"Oh. Maudr' she cried. ''wla.t a both
cr! He is not alone. How like Ben to
pick up some one. when he might know
that l am dying to tell him everything
as we ride up"
Mrs. Cores astOniShment knew no
bounds when she found that the
stranger was Major Merton. but Maud
was silent until he asked her point
blank whether she had recognized him
ON the road, and then she answered
very quietly:
Il thought it looked like yon."
Mrs. Gore chattered away TO Ben all
the way home, but the pair behind was
rather silent Major Merton's -ecollec-
items of Maud were very hazy, but he
had imagined her to be young wo-
man of decided opinions, and one
whose voice was heard more frequent
ly than COnstance's in the Norfolk
Rectory, and he glanced ut her from
time to time, wondering at the change.
little thinking that she was still Gp-
pressed by the thought Of his suffer
ings, which. truth to tell, he had al
most forgotten, having soon realized
that he was just as happy without the
bride who had so coolly deserted him.
AS they passed through tire bazaar
and saw the first simmer of tie
waters of the lake and faced the cir
Gle of the hills which surround it. he
turned and asked Ter the Inevitable
question:
How do you like Naini?"
And she, looking up at him for the
first time. showed her dark eyes posi-
lively radiant with some hidden light
and answered as though TO n ,.upstjon