New-York tribune., 1896-10-04


as it seems TO me, rather late in the day
But it is snamefu." sobbed Maud; you
| will despise us all. 1t is cool of her. you
know"
Major Merton almost smiled.
Il do not despise her. and as for you-how
| could / despse you? think you are sorry Tor
me, and If those tears are for my pam, can
not have another We all have disap-
pointment3 sometimes, and hope know ho"
to bear one
Maud looked UP through her tears and Won
dered again how Constance could nave ooile
this thing She mad never thought that ne
would bear it as he had: in her own niho siie
| had expected him TO stagger-turn whlte-ahU;;
| perhaps. groan a little She had always hearu
| that mans tears were so terrible to witness
Secretly. she felt trife disappointed wheil sile
| thought over the scene which she had SO oi'e"
| imagined.
| However. there was no time for more to be
| said, for the Cores arrived in the saioon in.
vexed and half relieved to gather from tiie ooN'
| of the pair before them that the dreaded diS
| closure was over and that nothing remalieu rei.,
for them to do but deliver the letters ,1sior Mi|n
| which they had been intrusted, anu ie- Ni"''
| Merton depart quickly as possible .
Mrs Gore and Maud had been schoolteioWs
and were great friends. so that the ia,t, 't,, "an
| life very pleasant thing in the gay niue can
| Torment where the regiment whch |''o"e
| Gore commanded was stationed. 49,,
In April Mrs. Gore and Maud pe'oo" ''o"'
| selves to Nani Tai, ,,. .,
| Marriage always ar interesting subject TO
| women gave occasion for many dlspu.es ,hat
! tween the two girls. Mrs. Gore considered .iia'
| If q man with a suitable income and good chai-
| acter presented himself and Maud nad no PuS PI
| tive dislike to him. that she would pest PioN'u
| for her future happiness by marrying MN
was never in love-" she would go on; i hked 'ots us
| of men, but none of them were half so good an
| round as Ben, so | just married him, ana nave
| been perfectly happy ever since, ana WHY S"ou'u
| not you do the same l..
| And Maud would only say. 1T is different 10
Mrs Cores despair. The whole ground mao ~
| be gone over once again when charming CIVIL
| ian the mark of many a Naini chaperon showed
| pretty plainly that Maud had but to raise nm
! ger and he would-not lay hmsel! at her zee,
/ as In oden days. but-accept her mana. ana
| Maud out Of sheer contrariety according 10 Mis.
Gore would choose out the most boylsh ol ine
| subs" and become fast friends with hihi II
| was strange too, that he should belong 10 MAJOR
| Merton's battery and. sighed Mrs Gore. you
| know that no X. A. can afford 10 marry ioI
years" But Maud's little head was nrin WIZ a1,s
| high as she assured Mrs. Gore that she was ahIe
| to be friends with a man without wanting 10
| II know all that" said Mrs Core. impatiently;
"hut one of you will end by wanting to marry
| the other.
Colonel Gore came up in July, and his VIE
| and Maud rode down far as the brewery 10
meet him. They arrived early at the mae.inS
place. and walking on through the gorge SetIieu
| themselves near a bowlder covered WIN "aNlnE
| ferns over which the water drlpped from
| whence they could a bit of the road up ~hlch
| Colonel Gore must pass
The rains had not yet broken. the plains were
| half shrouded in crimson haze az the sun
| slowly neared the horizon. and there was
| sense of expectation over all the world Mhich
| fell in with the mood or the TWO SlIIS MAUI wa
| tired and hot. and her nature intensely sus,
| ceptible 10 outward effects. felt oppressed
with that sensation of impending disaster
| which no amount of non-fuliilment ever deprlvcs
| Of its depressing weight. She had walked up with
| the feeling and now, as they sat IN silence,
| her thoughts flew back to those aWful moments
| of suspense on board the Ganges, when she
| had faced Major Mertons stern blue eyes She
| was so absorbed in this lream that Mrs. Cor"
was the first to catch sight of the traveller Tor
| whom they waited
| .Oh. Maudr' she cried "what 1 bother, he is
not alone. How like Ben To picl; up some one;
when he might know that am dying to tell
| him everything as we ride up.
| Maud never answered The road wound near
! enough for her to distinguish he figures cf
| the two men, who were too deep in talk 10 notice
| Mrs. Cores frantic wavng', and very soon
afterward the four met.
| 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 shs hal recognized him on
! the road, and then she answered very quietly;
| Il thought it looked like you
Mrs Gore chartered away 10 Len all the way
| home but the pair behind were rather silent.
| Major Mertons recollectons OF Maud were very
| haZy but he had imagined her 10 be a young
| woman of decided opinions, and one whose voice
| was heard more frequently than Constance's in
I the Norfolk Rectory. and he glanced at her from
| time 10 time wondering at the change. little
| thinking that she was still oppressed by the
| thought of his suffering which. truth 70 tell. he
| had almost forgotten, having soon realized that
| he just as happy without the bride VINO had
so coolly deserted him.
| As they passed through the bazaar and saw the
| first simmer of the waters Of the lake and faced
the circle of the hills which surround it, he turned
| and asked her the inevitable question
| How DO you like Naini?
| AnG she. looking up at him for the first time.
| showed her dark eyes positively radiant win
| some inward light and answered though To A
question in the Catechism-soernnly and ear
nestly:
II think It is the most beautiful place In the
| whole world, Major Merton
That night Mrs. Gore silent for five whole
minutes when alone with Ben. and then broke
| into such an infectious peal Of laughter that ne
| ioned in it begging to know what 1T was all
| about.
| "Oh" said she, 'it suddenly struck me as so
funny, ] believe brought out Major Merton $
! bride. after all.
| what on earth do you mean" said Colonel
| Gore.
| fancy the idea. Of Major Mertons broken heart
which, of course. all nonsense made hcr
more than half in love with him herself ana that
explains why she refused Mr.. Hiime'; Whlle, as
for Major Merton. you know If a man wants 10
get married he will not give it up because one
girl refuses him. he will go on III ne llnus on
who VIII wed. there Will be no diiicu'ty win
him ,,..
"My dear child. stop. You have got absolutely
nothing to go upon and canrot have you na'ch-
making for Maud" 49,
81 am not matchmaking" Gndignan,ly) y
would not do anything so horrid. But You see
how delightful IL would be. and you KNOW
the regiment is in orders for Lucknow, ara
Major Merton's battery is at Cav 1pore' so
should be able to see lot of Maud when she
| was married, and
You had much better go to bed. Merton Is
not likely to contemplate marriage for long
| time after such a nasty hit"
How little you know about men sighed
the sage Of twenty -four, and Colonel Gore SUD-
sided into silence with chuckle of delight
Mrs Gore behaved very we'll Even Ben who
kept sharp lookout upon her. admitted that.
She was friendly with Major Merton, GER
tainly but not ostentatiously SO. She invited
| him to dinner about once week. ami To every
, | picnic that she gave; but she did Charlie
| Manners. the young X. A. who was Maud s
| friend and whose devotion was so open that
she could hardly help laughing over it TO Major