The Portland daily press., 1897-12-28
(ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

hand to her. She went to his side and
took his hand, with countenanco palliG
and immobile as marble, save sbut for a
slight, scarcely perceptible. twitching OF
the muscles about the eyes and mouth.
We'll, Charlie-Cecil l mean" said
she, smiling family as she corrected her.
self; so your memory has returned to
you at last?'
Yes, Marian, it has all come back
again to me" he answered
Thank God for that / always felt
that some day it would. And you can
now reoollect everything connected with
your past?''
half closing his eyes and letting his dis
engaged hand sink upon his forehead.
your memory was restored to you by
uhe slgnt OF young lady to whom you
are engaged to be married."
He was silent. Mp. Hartree said:
=. am not doctor myself, but ~ am
perfectly sure that if one were here he
would recommend you to keep quiet for
the present, Rawdon. Therefore you will
vislng that you should not talk to him
Just yet upon any subject that may be
likely either to worry or excite. his
mind.''
You are right" said the girl. "Cecil,
rest Is all important to one in your state.
Anything like excitement until you have
quite got over the effects of this marveIl-
ous. recovery might. cause yourymemory to
relapse into oblivion again. [ will there
fore leave you for the present and return
later on. -
"No, do not co. said he, tightening
his grasp of her hand. SIT does me good
to have you by me, just as it did when l
lay sick and helpless on board the old
Strathnairn.
eEPu+ - -, ,,eurD;o,. +t,o -,,.o ~ ..4L
er, " replied the girl, sadly, and not with
out tinge of bitterness in her tones SIT
is, Miss Lambert that should be here now.
and not IL
why do you say that?'' he inquired.
"Why do L say it?'' echoed Marian,
with some surprise. "You ara engaged
to her, are you not?"
II suppose am, he answered, refec-
lively. "It is true that I was coming
out to Australia to marry her when | was
shipwrecked; but, Marian, after all that
has happened she cannot fail to release
me from our engagement. 1 expect it
must be the change l have undergone
which has brought about the alteration
that | now find exists in my feelings
toward her. Whilst she sat in this room.
before my memory returned to me, she
was practically as one upon whom then
set eyes for the first time; but now that
can recollect everything, and recall her,
as knew her at Wincombe,' I find thai
my former affection for her no longer ex-
ists.''
Poor girl This is rather hard upon
her, Rawd M exclaimed Mr.. Hartree.
docs she know of my existence, and
of the relations which exist between us?''
asked Marian.
''No, she knows nothing of it yet. The
conversation was all'upon her side. She
was telling me about myself. and SO
forth. When my memory came upon me
with a sudden rush, went off into a
swoon, as you know. The poor girl
stayed until she saw I had recovered
consciousness, and then went away, saw
ing that she would come again tomor-
row.
'There will be broken heart so me-
wherein this business, shouldn't won
DER" muttered Mr.. Hartree to himself,
going to the window and gazing through
it. Here are two girls both in loveswith
this fellow, and small blame to them. for
in good faith he's as handsome a man as
ever 1 saw. One of them he is pledged
to and doesn't care about, and the other
Is too much attached to him to lightly
give himSup. What will happen?"
Ito be continued