Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-08-16

grateful for their care and attention.
He made no allusion to his ruined
career, though his eye sometimes rest
ed on the halffnished picture which
stood in his room. He looked reso-
lutely at the reflection of his SCARED
face, at the empty right sleeve. He
had all his life looked at trouble be-
tween the eyes; he had never shirked
or quailed before it. The mans spirit,
at least, was no small one. But as
Christmas neared and he grew fairly
convalescent he began to grow restless.
In spite of protest, he declared him
self well enough to return to his rooms
in town. He had stayed at the Manor
to paint, now he must trespass no
longer.
"Dear old chap, why go?" said Jack.
"The mater worships you. Can we
not amuse you here? Anna will try
to; she will read to you, sing to you.
Surely you might stay for Christmas
with us?"
He smiled, but repeated that he
must go.
He lay very still when Jack left him,
looking out at the red winter sun and
the wheeling rocks in the Park elms.
Yes, Anna would be good to him; he
knew that. She had been kind-so
kind, that to stay ON would be worse
torture that the loss of his arm! When
Maxwell returned, as of course he
would, his suffering would become un-
bearable. He was not so strong as he
had been, and things cut deeper; he
would be better away in town.
Then Anna learned their guest
meant to quit them. Anna had
changed of late; she professed to be
tired of dancing, she said she no long
er cared to hunt, that she liked best to
be quiet at home. She had grown
very gentle, very womanly, and her
gray eyes would become wonderfully
soft and tender when they rested on
Owen Royce's disfgured face and poor
manned body. They became strangely
wistful now as she said softly:
''Put we would rather you stayed. "
''Still must CO." he answered, pick
ing up his book with unsteady fingers.
She was behind his couch, and stood
looking at him in silence with an oddly
frightened expression; then she blnshed
hotly over cheek and brow as she said
inconsequently,
'I did not want Gerald Maxwell to
come for Christmas. I told Jack not
to ask him; butt did want you here. I"
There was pause. The man on the
sofa drew his breath quickly, and from
somewhere far above his head tear
splashed down. 1t lay on the scarlet
silk cushion, a round, dark stain. He
raised himself quickly and looked at
her. Yes, the tears were raining down
her face. With his left hand he caught
her dress.
"Anna," he said, hoarsely, "did you
guess then, that loved y ou?"
Yes" she said in whisper. 'I
read it in your eyes when you caught
my horses head ON that awful day.
Louisa had guessed it before, and told
me, but had not believed"
He was lying back again on the
cushions, watching her with quiet,
hopeless eyes.
eyes, heaven knows I loved you, Z"
he answered. Then he told her what
on that summers day he had over
heard in the vicarage garden. "You
did not love me then, Anna. Now, I
am disfgured and cripple. You are
kind and good-I understand-but it
is only pity you can have for me. You
would not marry me, save in pity"
She was on her knees beside him,
half laughing, half crying.
'In pity! In pride and Joy. Did I
not say, "a tall woman must marry o
small man? Are you too proud to take
tall wife, Owen2 Must I die an old
maid because am overgrown. Don't
you know that to me you stand high
among men; that your Scared face is
your V. c., that your empty sleeve is
your badge of glory? Don't you know
that had you died under the train, L
should have had no wish to live? L
knew whom L loved then. If you are
too proud to marry me because ofyour
poor arm, because of my needless,
stupid speech-then 1 am not too proud
to say that your pride will make one
wretched woman. And, Owen, am
not too proud to accept your pity
but the pity is yours, not mine, to
give. ."-Household Words.
New York's Pinnacled Skyline.