The age-herald., 1900-04-15
AN EASTER
 RECONCILIATION

It was one of Mark Staunton's black
 days, in which nothing bad any beauty
 in his eyes, nor enjoyment for his mind.
 He certainly was somewhat ungrateful to
 insist upon being so consistently misera
 ble, for he had enjoyed as reasonable a share of blessings as any one man has a,
 right to expect He was only 30 now, prominent in his profession had held sev- eral political offices of honor, and had lately come in possession of a comfortable | fortune, which, added to the competency | he had massed in his profession, made | llim rich man.
 Once Mark had been in love-yes, really | in love; and, long ago it was, recollections of that time would yet come up, and often brought him considerable bitterness. It was when he was first setting out in
 the world. He was only 21, starting as
 poor young lawyer.
 But only two years after that pleasant
 passage in their lives, which ended in the disquiet and trouble as such things often do. Katharine Anson had married and in all those years their paths had never crossed
 l It was very long since Mark had believed | himself in love with her; but there were times in looking over his somewhat soli- tary life 1t occurred to him how different | it might have been had that affair termi- mated as it ought to have done. The striking of the clock reused him from his reverie, and woke him to the consciousness that while he was dream ing, his dressing case sat ready packed on the table, and he had only just time to reach the trpin.
 He was going into the country to pass a week or two with far off cousin, whose pleasant house and merry-hearted husband | usually succeeded in driving away one of l Marks dissatisfied fits more rapidly than | anything else.
 It was growing near sunset when they approached the station where Mark was l to end his little journey. With fearful shrieking the train made another halt, and Mark, in his leisurely way followed the little crowd that got off at Briarton.
 He stopped dn the waiting-room to speak with an acquaintance, and when he came out, he passed by a carriage in which a lady was sitting-her veil was up and af- ter the first moment of puzzled recoMec-
 tion, Mark recognized Katharine Anson. It was only an instant, and the carriage
 had driven on; he was unable to tell
 whether she recognized him or not. That
 was the first time they had met in ten
 years.
 She was very much altered, he thought
 thin, and he believed somewhat sallow.
 She was in half-mourning, too-that was for her husband-he wondered how deeply
 she had grieved over him. In his mis- anthropical mood he said to himself, that
 she had not heart enough to be inconsola- ble about anything.
 Marks recollection of that past was not altogether pleasantly mounrful He had never felt that Katharine had been quite flair and honest with him. Well, it was over long enough ago, that | was certain he was fool to be troubling g l his head with those old memories! But he | must wonder if she saw him, and if SO, whether that meeting had any effect at all | upon her.
 He passed through the woods and came | out into his cousins grounds. 'Hello, old fellow!'' some one called out, | and, looking up, he saw Tom Ford running | down the veranda steps to meet him. There was a hearty exchange of greet irgs, for the two had always been the