The herald., 1898-11-20

house. 1t has been very sad and lone
ly the past year"
That was all.
In three weeks the new wife came
home, and proved herself to be more
than had been promised Helen did
not find it hard to give her respect,
then to love and make a confidant of
her. She had all a good woman's SYM
pathies, and she encouraged Helen to
talk away her trouble about Roy to its
very last thought. And in these con-
versations many a pleasant word was
incidentally said for Will Anderson
for his patient lOve-his forbearance-
and the injustice done him by those
who still persisted in believing Roy
badly used and convicted on the barest
circumstantial evidence.
Mrs. Brodick, however, was too wise
a woman to be obviously Wills cham
pion. Her tactics We're in line far
more natural, and far less suspicious
She provided Helen with some new and
very pretty dresses and in one of them
"a dark blue mcrino with trimmings
of blue velvet-the girl looked so alb
solutely lovely that she would have
been less than woman if she had not
desired to give others the joy of her
beauty. So she was pleased to go with
| her step-mother to one of those musi-
cal reunions Brodick declared to be
incredible misery" and wonderfully
pleased to hear Will-who was uncon-
scious Of her presence, and therefore at
his ease-sing in a voice clear and
sweet as a silver bell
Il learnt to walk to the sound of the
waves,
The shingly beach along;
The salt spray dashed against the
pane;
That was my cradle song
The sea birds cry was far before
The thrushes' song to me:
o, my heart still longs and listens for
The music of the sea,
To drag nets full of cleaning fish
Under the silver moon;
To watch ships on the far blue line
Grow nearer in the noon;
To make friends with the storm, in
stead
Of a city's din, for me:
My heart still longs and listens for
The music of the seal"
These words, sung as VIII could sing
them, went straight to Helens heart,
and it was worth something to see his
wonder and delight when she stood in
all her beauty and with sweet smiles
praised his singing. 1t was Just in
credible joy to one heart, that musical
reunion, and perhaps to more than
one.
This happy experience was not diff
flcult to renew, and so gradually the
intimacy grew, for as the elder pre-
ferred his almanac and his pipe to the
kirk sociables and readings and prac-
ticings in the little village hall, VIII
had many opportunities of conveying
his wife and daughter home, and of
lingering afterWard for the exercise
and the bit of supper. But he was far
too shy to make the advances he
longed to make, and Helen was not
only shy, but also proud and retiring.
The humiliation of Roy's desertion was
still unforgotten, and she surrounded
herself with an atmosphere which re-
PEELED the jokes and the sympathy she
feared, and which the elemental race
around her were always ready to ex-
press.
Twill is good man." said Mrs Bro
dick to her husband one night IN their
confidential chat by the fireslde, after
VIII had left and Helen had gone to
her room; "a good man, but he hasn't
the spunk to ask Helen. Shy, both of
them, wonderful shy! 1 can't, with all
my planning and forbearing, bring
them to question and answer. A pity!
a pity! He is such a brave, true
hearted lad"
Good to the core" said Brodick.
"He ought to hae been a minister"
"Naething O. the kind" answered
the elders wife, with some warmth.
"He is far better in a boat; a pulpit
would soon spoil the lad. You ken
yourself, good man, that my Alexan-
der is just miracle O. vanity since he
got to talking to people from above
their heads. 1t is an unbelievable