, 1896-12-11

on the cll1 side, and nothing seemed
real to him but that.
Hepzlbah watched him from upde,
her white ~eyelashes and kept silent, bu,
his pipe was always ready for hin
when he came indoors and his favorite
food simmered on the hob.
Hepzibah's hair grew brighter as the
days went on. Her cheeks had a comely
blush. She began to take thought of he,
dress. She bought q blue gingham gown
in the village and q muslin handker-
chief for her neck. Her voice took q
softer note. She began to sing about her
| work.
But Tom would sit in the churchyard
through the long summer twilights. and
when he came in to his supper his feet
dragged YEARLY, and his eyes were dull
with misery.
"You should not prieve co." said
Hepzibah softly one night after supper.
She was knitting in the freight. Her
head was bent over her work.
Tom woke as from a dream. He
looked at her with unseeing eyes.
"Ah, it's we'll to say that to q mar
whose heart is breaking"
His voice grew husky. He turned
away his head to the fire.
but you shouldn't grieve as one
without hope. Time must soften things
q bit. You have your life before you"
Tom laughed q short, bitter laugh not
good to hear.
"She was all I had-my Nellie-the
apple Of my eye. What goods life to
me now? Such pretty ways she had,
tool" he went on musingly. ''Suchlov-
ing, tender Ways
Hepzibah's needles flashed in the fire.
light.
There are other women in the world
a. fond as Nellie" she said softly, with
her eyes on her knitting.
There was a long silence in the room.
The fire dickered. A cinder fell on the
hearth. Hepzibah could hear her heart
throbs. She slowly lifted her eyes to the
mans face.
He was not looking at her. at all, but
at q china shepherdess upon the little
table against the wall. His eyes were
troubled. He was trying to remember.
my Nellie did not keep that On
there. No, it was on the mantelpiece
here that she had it."
He brought the ornament over, dust
ing it with his handkerchief.
I'VE must keep the things as she left
them. Hepzibah," he said. But Hepzi-
bah had slipped ont Of the door into the
summer darkness.
She rested her arms on the little gate
and stood looking far ont to sea. Her
face shone white and ghostly in the
dimnessL She shivered'in the warm air.
"You dead woman-you Nellie" she
whispered tensely, why will you not
give him up to me? You have your
Jack. You do not want him-and l.
oh. my Godi"
A great fearless sob choked her. The
shimmering waves Knocked her. Her
face hardened.
"Why should I not tell him? I shall
do you no harm. How can one hurt the
dead? You are asleep in the churchyard,
and I love him-I tell you I love himl'
The man was sitting, smoking mood
lily, gazing into the glowing fire when
Hepzibah glided in and stood behind
his chair.
"Tom, I can't bear that you should
grieve 10. She wasn't worthy Of a love
like yours"
"Hepzibahi"
II have thought you ought to know"
she faltered, because I can't bear to
see you spelling your life for love Of
L.. loo ,-i,o lsl ~~~k 1nr~n ~ oil
but Jack"
woman, what do yoa mean? What
lies are you telling met"
"It's true. Don't you remember her
calling out about the letters the night
she died' She gave me a packet-Jsok's
letters to her,"
my Godl Give them to mel"
"You must not mind 30 much, Tom"
1.-THE letters!"
Hepzibah laid the packet on the table
and crept away up the staircase to her
room.
The still hours passed by. Night
waned, but Hepzibah, wild eyed and
numb, crouched BY the bed. straining
her ears for any sound from below.
An, hour before dawn came the sound
Of . chair scrsping on the tagged floor.
Then drawers were opened and shut.
His footsteps echoed to and fro; then
silence and the scratching Of . pen.
Itgrew unbearable. Disheveled, wan.
fearful, she orept down the stairs and
peered in.
Tom Thurgood At at the table writ
ing by the dim oandlelight. He had ON
his rough pilots coat A bundle tied in
q red handkerchief rested beside him.
Hepzibah's broken cry aroused him.
He rose and came toward her.
"I'm going away back to sea
again" he said gravely. You're vel.
come 10 the cottage and the bits Of fur.
niture There's no home for me now
The place would kill me. Get back to
,bed, woman. Goodby; there, goF
He turned back to his writing, and
~ non was quiet again. Presently he
threw Down his PEN and passed his inky
AnSefa tAfnu4h hid hair.
sssThe Md moans terrible tonight"
DC 6a3A.
Itwas HepaabAh above crying for her
lost pafadise. -Chapman,s Magazine.
1fss ~.
:, Oaxso1-And don't you think mar.
r3ed love il true lover