North Park union., 1900-08-31
CHAPTER Nv.

were sitting together on pouiueT ny
tho seashore of one of our prettiest
watering places. 1t was early October,
and although 1t had been late season,
vet there was already touch OF cold
ress in the air, notwithstanding the
brilliant sunshine. The sea was as blue
as the sky, tossing and little dis
turbed by the wind. yet only enough
TO give it color and motion. The lit
tIe town looked white and clean, smil-
ing in the autumn sunshine. thor
ouehly conventional English scene.
inst as the girl herself was thorough
ly conventional English girl Her dark
hire ewes were brown and OF sort
texture; her face perfect oval. with
little square chin. into which there
had been pressed. as by some loving
finger. the prettiest dimple in the
world. A tall, slight figure, that gave
promose of fuller, ampler woman
hood: a clear white skin. flushed rosy;
and lashes and eyebrows many shades
darker than her hair completed
whole that was very captivating. She
was dressed, too. conventionally, al
though the blue serge dress and Jacket
ntted her as only a tailor-made gown
can fit. A little sailor hat was perched
upon her head in just the most enec-
tive manner possible.
But at this minute the dark blue
ewes looked troubled. the pretty hands
we're clasped round her knees. and she
was looking seawards and away from
the man by her side. He, too, looked
troubled. 1t had cost Alan Mackenzie
n good deal to record the events of his
life and to speak of the young wife he
had lost four years ago. He had want
ed the past to be past; and although
Veronica's memory was dear and sweet
to him. and the girl herself had been
loving and tender. yet it seemed to
him hard to bring up the dead past.
There was such chasm between that
life and this. such difference be-
tween the dark-eyed, half-Spanish girl
he had wooed under the brilliant South
American skies and this girl whom he
was wooing beside the tumbling Eng
lish sea, that 1t often seemed to Alan
Mackenzie that he must be an entirely
different person.
He leaned forward and looked at
Ter. She had her face turned towards
foe sea, so that he could just see the
delicate profile outlined against the
blue sky, could just see the pink ear
nesting against the coils OF her hair.
|. was not for her beauty alone that he
loved Joyce Grenville. He felt that
she was his equal in most. his superior
in some, things. He and she together,
he thought, could live the perfect mar
r:ed life. And now there was the
shadow Of poor Veronica to come and
throw gloom over their wooing. Yer
onica. whom he had never loved like
this girl; Veronica, for whom he had
hnd the tenderest protective pity. but
that was all.
And now he looked at Joyce, and
felt to the full that IL he lost her
he lost everything that made life
worth living: that life without Joyce
would be incomplete, and that all
hrs success in life-and he was
bi no means disposed to under
value that-would mean nothing to him
without Joyce. She was so desirable,
was Joyce. with her high-bred. Brit
ish air. and with all the qualities that
he knew her to possess. and with that
fact staring him full in the face that
he loved her. and her alone.
His voice trembled as he said: do
you mind so much, Joyce. that 1t will
be an insuperable bar? Do you mean
that you cannot say Yes to me?"
She turned round and faced him. and
he could see the trouble in her eyes
and the twitching OF her lips. No.
she said. in low voice, Il don't mean
that; l cannot give you up. Alan. You
have made me love you; | cannot
change my love in a day. But 1t has
cast shadow over me. cannot re-
joice over my love for you as l. did
now l know this: That life cannot
give the unalloyed happines that l
thought possible half an hour ago.
Because you are not the first.
Joyce? In one sense you are the first.
| have told 1t you all quite truthfully
how first l felt nothing but pity for
her, and then gradually | wanted to
shield her from the hardships OF life,
and there was no other way. l mar
ried her."
And she-did she not love you?"
Alan did not hesitate. nor did he
prevaricate. A less truthful man than
he might have made light of Veron-
cas devotion. but he could not. The
dead girls passionate eyes, fixed upon
him with an expression of undying
love in them. rose up before him.
She" he said, in low voice-"she
loved me more than her life"
Joyce gave little exclamation. 1t
was not altogether pain, but as II she
mad said that she had known it well.
VI course she had loved him! What
woman would not have loved Alan
Mackenzie7
He said nothing. but she could see
MS lips quivering. That troubled her.
She felt that he would say no more,
but that the first words must come
from her. He had stated his case; he
mad pleaded with her. 1t was for her
10 say Yes" or No." Only he had
Told her the whole truth. Some men
would have said less; but then she
loved him for that very truthfulness
winch would hide nothing from her.
Il wish you had not told me-" she