Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-08-27
- As,aAAAA,AAAa
A WAV Ey,;a.s' Eya'l' !: q CHOICE.



hstyef ones WAS seated at the exirene
en- ai the ship, and around her Wa4
/ fiFFmg q little child-u lovely boy, y
TX years Of age z
a Young widow" thought Nj
Arls;foRg, stealing cursory gland
q be slender figure draped in helyA
BLACK
4. tiith, blue veil quite eoncealed\
M face, aad usually Indifferent as he
vAf to women, he felt strange curl
osi :. to- sac her lift it.
fthca hc passed second time he
evt'Hlcl his hand to the child,
i'Nea.d tou like walk, my little
mall DE asked
he hoy lan to him.
'lay take him, malam?" he in
Wlied, eomteously lifting his hat; but
N hoped to hear her voice lie was
aWpolutcd
ee bowed assent lie could not
s<asw that underneath the veil great
teas were rolling down her cheeks.
3heclildwas little more ,han baby,
isiahair hanging over his shoulders in
fsSea curls, but all his prattle was of
sl.FmmI
N1ere IS pa4oT questioned Arm
sanrg
hp went the little finger heaven
wa. whU3 solemn look stole over
ihc babvIace
~, Thought, reflected the man,
aud he felt a ilgulpr satisfaction i'll
having his suspicion verified. 81 will
he.a her voice al least, " he determined,
and he walked back to where she sat.
.Yem little boy and have become
gfea. friends, l& said 81 am fond
.es hi'dren, and Me has promised me
weShaIl haze manNwall,s together"
slou are iy kim. was the sim
pie answer,
Bnt Armstrong, as n heard it, grew
deatnlv raIe
..lrgt' he said aA though tho
nanlc burst inyolnntarik from his
lips
ID instantly threw bacA her veil,
10 III trace Of tears had diSN0peared.
fugd oniy slgilc WAS on IA l..v..l,-
bps as slN}eafcndej towardNNn her
hand.
'Yon won't refuse to shakeNands
with me, she said, sweetly. Arcc-
ogaizei you at once, Mr., ArmstA,g.
and | also recog lized that, on the 4 +
row confines Of the ship, ayoidancc&f
each other would be impossible
Here, at least we may be friends?"
Not for six years mot siuce the md
ment he had left this woman's pres
ence had Harry Armstrong; head
beat as madly as in this hour; but hdf
composure helped his
He let his fingers close over herd
with no warmer pressure than in un.
eNpeetedly meeting any chance acI
quaiutance; but the warmth had gond
from his tone, as he replied
Friends always, trust. Six years
have changed You very little, Mrs. Ba-
cor.
4 red flush rose TO her cheeks as he
spoke her name, and she answered
hurii3dlr, as though some embarrass-
ment possessed her,
50 my rival is dead. mused Arm.
strong, when he found himself again
alone. "Andthe old madness is upon
ME We both stand now on equal
ground ut least, Does she know? |
wcnderl Has she heard that one year
after the day she iitcd ME / came into
my fortuney Not a long waiting
woull it have been for either Of us.
Perhlps, as John Baeon's widow, she
will endeayor again to inveigle me
into believing her true All, one les
son such as | have had lasts man a
lifetime, And yet oh, God, why can
| not forget her2 Before l knew who
she was the old attraction drew me
toward her After leave this ship |
pray that we may never meet again .
Perhaps because Harry Armstrong
really was SO earnest in this PRAYER he
concluded he must make the most of
the present Perhaps it was the old
story Of the candle and the moth, but
certain it was that day after day found
him beside his old love.
They never spoke Of the past. They
never lesnrrected the dead Their
hands never met even in good
morning Yet they laughed and
talked as though each did not feel the
mad hea.t-beats every instant they
were together.
1t was the last day out. Irene aud
Harry were alone, the child playing
at their feet, when lady approached
them, leaning on the arm Of her maid,
pale and wan from recent illness.
81 concluded the air might do me
good, she said, languidly, as Irene
quickly arose and assisted her to a
chair thea turned and presented her
to Mr.. Armstrong
"iou are my little boys friend. -
said the stranger, extending her hand
gracefully He has talked so much
Rfsyou aud Miss Hutton tells me YOU
are an Old friend of her own.
From one to the other Harry Arm
strong hooked i'll blank surprise.
He stammered some reply lilly ac-
cording with his usual ease, then.
standing before irene, he offered her
his arm.
'Wil yon take turn on deck with
me, Miss Hutton?n he sail, empha-
sizing her name
She rose instantly. They walked
to the other end Of the ship, when he
paused and confronted her.
irene, now tell me what ii All
means, he said
'0nly that am Miss Hutton still
Ii saw your mistake and encour.
aged it, hoping you might never know
the truth. My mother died and | was
penniless, am companion to the
lady to whom | Just presented Won
and goserness to the little boy
why did you not marry?"
lyon have no right TO question me .
81 assume the right, and, bv the
heavens above, you shall answer me .
IL could not. Oh, this is cruel