The morning times., 1897-02-12

be sufficient" was the form Of the curt
permission; and the only other concession
granted To love was promise TO allow
the subject to be reopencG. at the end OF
three years.
From these sorrowful texts. what VOWS
and plans were made in that last miserable
walk! II was a warm, misty night in
November The leaves were gone, and
the singing birds, and Of all the flowers
OF June none Were left but few Micnael-
mas daisies Without analy zing their sur
ToU;A ngs, they felt the fitness Of them;
and there was even touch of sarcasm
in Roberts grief, as he recalled the sum
shine and music of their bctrothal. 1t
has turned out with my love, as with all
else in my sad life he said, with = bitter
laugh. Nothing comes TO perfection; and
this garden has been, TO me, a very Vale
OF Maeudlus; where
II pursued Il maiden. and ciasped reed
Gods and men are all deluded thus;
1t breaks in our bosom, and then we bleed
Nor did Katherine's tears. and pToteSta-
tions, and pleas for duty, satisfy him; he
could not help but feel that, in some sort,
lie had been deserted. This slight feeling
Of dissatisfa action was evident othe colonel,
and lie relied upon it. In three years he
believed it would work the Whole ediiice
of love TO ruin 1t certainly affected the
parting of the lovers, and shadowed hope,
though Katherine's last kisses were given
with passionate assurances Of devotion and
loyalty.
Then she tried to make her life fan back
| into its old placid groove. She did not
wish this irreparable loss Which had ruined
! her own happiness to make others wretched.
| All the day long, she showed a bright face
| to her little world; t was the night, which
! celebrated the resurrection of her love.
! In the day, that remarkable thing called
| Responsibility forced her to hide what
| ever feeling was not conventional: but at
! night, her lovely, tender soul indulged an
! obstinate longing for that divine some
| thing lost out of her life. Yet she did not
| despair, though not even the lone word
| permitted broke the silence which had
| fallen between heI lover and herself. The
things of the heart are eternal she thought;
"and tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow. One
never knows, what God has reserved for
the morrow Thus faithfully musing. she
| would fall into forgetfulneSs; and, ~ last,
sieep come to comfort her.
To fear, to wait, to doubt, TO begin
hoping anew, to say lit is impossible to
have but one thought, and to turn that
| thought a thousand ways, TO feel diSap-
pointment cankering life, and to smile
above all her suffering; this was now the
story of Katherine'S life. The zone W ord
| came not from Robert. She blamed, and
| then excused him. He was. perhaps, sick.
He was proud, and had good reason to be
offended. She did not wonder he disliked
to write even that ''One word to her
father But, doubtless, he had a great
surprise in store for her. And thus Love
trusted and hoped, and if it grieved, it
also forgave.
When the three years were nearly over
the colonel was near unto death. But
he was quite ready to follow, when beck
oned; and, during these last days, he
looked keenly and steadily into the dark
ness he was about to penetrate. II am
! going to quit my life, dear Katherine, he
/ said, II am net ordered out OF it. l quit
it, 1 give up my spirit to Him who desires
me; or / should not be willing to go to
Him. You have been faithful and loving
child, through much sorrow and anxiety
Take what reward God will give you. All
/ have is yours. I have put on it no re
striction but your own honor"
Dear father, tell me now, If you ever
| heard from Robert Kensall?"
1 ssHave you doubted me? My darling
daughter, have never had a single word
from him. 1 should have told you'll
had" With this assertion. a solemn pallol
, s,,read over his face; his long earthly
march was over; and he
, ss-stepped out graDdly TO the Infinite