The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-08-21

what / should have said then; that /
cannot endure this separation much
longer-that the love which have tried
so hard 20 keep out of my letters for
fear / should make you come back TO
your hurt refuses 10 be hidden under
meaningless and commonplace phrases.
"Oh. Philip. il you love me, please
don't let this misfortune raise any bar
rier between usl You know what Aunt
Bellam left me-you know that IL Is
mine in my own right, and / entreat
you not 10 turn my gratitude into
misery by refusing TO share this money
with me. But you will not, know you
will not; and IL we had nothing else, we
should still have each other, and what
more could we ask?
"In some respects, / know you
better tbnn you know yourself; and /
know that IL you can have your health
you will yet win place among those
who have fought their way into the
foremost rank. BE good 10 me, Philip,
dear, and let me share the battle and
the triumph with you. Come back TO
Us IL you are we'll enough, and il you are
not, please let me come to YOU"
Protheroe heard something between
groan and an imprecation, and he
stopped and waited for Philip TO come
up. did you say anything" he asked.
Nothing worth repeating; think
was tempted TO swear a little at the
crookedness of things in general. wish
that cursed horse that threw me had
broken his neck or mine, or BOTH
docs your ankle hurt?"
Everything hurts"
Protheroe did not attempt 20 drive
the conversational nail any farther.
| He was preoccupied with his own con-
Germs, and he had been trying TO deter
mine what he should do when he
reached Duncan's. Would his part in
the affair be ended when he had seen
Thorndylxe safe in the house Of his
friends? or would he be expected TO
help his rival in thu fight with the com
| pany? How would Elsie receive him
after his late transgression? How could
he endure 10 meet her in the presence
OF the man she loved?
They were troublesome questions
but the engineers perplexities were as
serenity itself compared with the
tumult Of conflicting emotions which
had slain the peace Of mind Of his com
panion. Before he had read three lines
OF Helen's letter, Thorndyke was sink
ing into the neither depths of self-abase-
ment; and when he had finished ii he
felt that II would be u comfort II he
could get down into the road and strcw
dust upon his head. This was the love
he had put aside for the sake Of mere
impulse born Of sick mans fantasies;
the fine gold that he had tossed con-
temptuously into a melting-pot heated
blythe remainder of the simile was
drowned in a submerging wave Of self
contempt. And now, at this present
moment, when he was cursing his reck-
less Inconsistency, and wishing from the
bottom Of his heart that he had had the
decency to die quietly in the odor OF
good faith, she had his letter and she
had learned at hisown hands upon what
a broken reed her love had been leaning
After the storm came the calm OF
desperation. lie had wrecked Helen's
life and his own. and Elsies happiness
trembled in the balance. He could al
least save Duncan's daughter, and in
the riot OF distractinR thoughts this
was the only one that offered grain OF
comfort. He would expiate his folly
by devoting himself, body and soul, &c
the task of making Elsie as happy as
she deserved TO be. And he would
speak to her as soon MS he could find
the opportunity-befo he had the
time TO sink still deeper In the mire OF
fclSleness, he told himself, bitterly.
BY the time Thorndyke had reached
this conclusion, Protheroe was leading
the horse down the trail on the Littl,
Chiwassee side Of the mountain, and M
hour after dark the small procession
stopped at Duncan's gate.
You're heavier than you used 70 be
don't think you're going TO die o
consumption" said Protheroe, remem
bering another time when he hat
helped Philip dismount at the farmer
gate.
"No; more's the pity" rejoinec
Philip, ungraciously. ut would be bet
ter on all accounts IL should"
AS not infrequently happens wher
, the probable course Of events has beer
carefully prefgured, nothing came
. about during the evening to vcrif!
Protheroc's fears or To add TO Thorn
, dykes misery. They were all unfeign
eddy glad to welcome both OF the wan
: derers; and while Mrs. Duncan wa
principally concerned In doctorinl
Philips ankle, Elsie tried TO induce tn
/ young engineer TO lay aside the shrou'
! Of reserve which he conceived 70 he TIT
proper penitential garment for the oc
casion. How had he found Mr.. Thorn
: dyke? Had he ridden far? How ha'
they ever managed 10 get down tn
, ! mountain with the horse2 Weren'
they both drcadfully hungry? Thes
: and many more questions Prothero
, had 20 answer, and at length he wa
: obliged, for very shame's sake, 20 com
| nal hirnself 10 be ObliyiOuS TO tina