The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-23
BY THE LYCF7- GATE

the man remembers that some one has
once long ago talked of this very spot,
with it's quaint surroundings and it's old
world atmosphere, in the time that might
have been and is not.
He closed his sketchbook with a sigh,
and turned to the white-robed Ioveliness
of his wife with murmured apology for
having kept her waiting, and then to-
gether they passed down the avenue that
leads to the road again.
But he was very silent, and his wife
felt tired and just little cross. She
liked to be petted and coaxed and fiat
tered, and Iatteriy Wilfred had been too
serious to suit her gay fancies and too
absorbed in new ideas for his book to
pay her the attention she loved so dearly
to exact from every man, and especially
from her husband.
let us go home tos town." she said
suddenly. Il am so tired of roaming In
this out-of-the-way place. Wilfred, and
there is still so much going on, 1 hear.
You must have got lots of ideas now, /
am sure. She laughed gleefully as she
spoke. The murmur of the streets seem
ed already in her ears, and the flash Of
silks and jewels came over the sunlight
on the grass.
He paused a moment. ''Will you not
come on little further?'' he asked, kind
ly, yet little wistfuIly "There are
would be interested in them, think
But she shook her head until the dia-
monds IN her little ears twink.ed like
dewdrops. You know am not inter-
ested, she said petulantly 81 hate those
Old people who perched castles on the
top Of hills and expect you to climb up
to see them. Do let US go back?"
They had reached the Iych-gate now.
and girl was entering it from The other
side where their carriage-his Wife's car
r1age-with its beautiful bays. stood
waiting. The sunlight fell on her quiet
biack gown and her soft hair as she
passed under the quaint oaken structure.
and then she lifted her eyes, and a sud
oeh light flashed into them and then died
very gently again.
The mans face grew white in the
shadow of the leafy elms, but his wife
chattered on in her high, pretty voice
and noticed nothing of his paEor. And
then as they met he advanced quietly
10 meet the girl-as quietly as if they
mad never parted in bitter, bitter sor-
roW-the one brave and ready to sacrf-
nee herself for his sake, the other, as>he
SAID TO himself bitterly enough, a cow
ara and craven. And now they met again
IN the soft sunshine of the autumn dav
with the first few leaves falling. golden
united from the trees around. with the
plue bright sky overhead, and the nurI
ulluef the old gateway that leads to the
house of prayer.
ohe spoke to him very calmly and
quetly, and he introduced her tn his
lovely wife and she told the stranger az
once IN her pretty, petuIant voice of her
Wian 70 go pack to town and it's gayeties,
only wired wouldn't, he was so cross.
But the girl smiled so gently and spoke
so soothingly that the little iady's wrath
melted away and she laughed like a
merry child and straightway invited her
new friend to pay them a visit in Lon
don.
We will go to morrow, won't we, v, il
fred?' she said, laughingly, and the
grave-faced man answered that ner will
was law
Yes, we we will go tomorrow" he
SAID, when the girl had answered that
she never went to town now, her father
was old and needed her care, and that
she was quite content with her life in
the still countryside.
II have him, and he has me-" she said
with her peaceful smile, and the laugh
ing woman before her could not guess
ana would never have realized that this
gentle-faced girl had loved the man be-
SIDE her with all her heart and soul, and
had passed through the deep waters
alone with her sorrow, to take up her
life again braYely and well.
And then one of the beautiful horses
claimed the pretty wifes attention, and
she went hurriedly on, leaving the two
together for brief moment in the sum
shine Of the old gate.
Forgive me, Enid, he said brokenly.
All! have Wronged you so, and L de-
serve your hatred but forgive me if you
can"
His face was haggared and his lips
whitened and trembled as he spoke the
few strained words.
But she laid her han in his v4y gen
thy, as If to say good-by to a dear, dear
friend forever. 81 have forgiven you,
dear" she said. 'I may call you that
for this one last time? have forgiven
you everything, and God keep you, keep
you safely, and lead you aright!' She
paused, and the great tears rose in her
calm eyes and rolled down the pale
cheeks. She loved him so well still, and
the meeting and the parting were very
hard to bear.
And then. with one last look. she pass
eo on into the loneliness of the stu
graveyard and the quiet dead.