The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-02-03

I NSiNothiN ltNA lhstb tilio man iiiC Is q
miserable mistake, which can only be reeti-
fed there -poiuting upward with almost
angelic grace, the poor fellow thought, as
he silently regarded her.
Il am quite ready" she said, at last,
as her companion did not speak,
Then it was that Doctor Leigh forgot
everything but his great love for the wo-
man who stood before him, and buried
his head in his hands and wept as only a
| strong, large hearted Inan can weep.
Miss Dale stretched ont her arms and
made step toward him, but the thought
of another, of the duty, the lifelong allie
/ glance this man bore to the woman called
1 by his name, brought her to her senses at
once, and so. as many another good woman
| has done before, and will do again, she
waited in silent agony for the storm to
pass, praying with her whole soul to be
delivered from temptation
Have you no word to say to me,
! Anna ? lac asked, at last ''No word
that viii bring me at least little comfort
one single ray Of light ?
| ''Only this. Doctor Leigh. Miss
Dale's voice was gentle, but as firm as
true womanliness and selfrespect could
make IL "Only this You must do
your work with iirmness, and your duty
with principle Although after today We
may never meet again, want your to re
member that my chief interest in life viii
be to know how much of true loyalty YOU
/ have in your heart, aud how much Of
man you can make Of yourself There is
another life. Doctor Leigh, to which this
I i. only the primary school. the little kinder
/ garten. Let us leaIu our lessons we'll. and
neglect none Of the tasks set before rs.
I Doctor Leigh, am ready
I During the wo-mile drive to the house
+ Of death net word was spoken. aud
when they approached the bedside Of the
/ diving man it was plain that there was but
few moments left,
/ Il am 50 sorry, Hugh, was all Miss
/ Dale ssid as she bent over the sufferer.
Don say you are sorry. he groaned.
I Don't pity me. but blame me curse
me that Is what wanted you for.
lie, Us hear all that you have to say,
I Hugh. " she answered Come and SIT
down here. doctor drawing chair to
T she bedside. He viii feel better after
. he has told an
/ Doctor Leigh approached the couch
7 With loak Of indesrribable disgust upon
hj> pale face.
Wj,h angelic pity Miss Dale pushed the
I ehais back. and shielded the sufferer from
/ the narrowing sight
Il he'd to the doctor whispered the
miserable man 4 told him you loved
ME. forged a letter, aud showed 1t to
. him A. 5omin. fraga you-ihat yoa were sise
E 10 heart. aud was only hetrsthci 10 him
/ because yuar father desired IT, And he
{ believed mc-aui, oh, meEciiul heaven,
sill yoa forgive me
I .As hope TO be forgiven, Hugh
-ail Mis- Dale, ,enderiy wipiog the poor
/ face. already damp wrh the dews Of death.
And the ioeior-will he not speak 90
me
Doctor Leigh shook his head
Fer 4 second Miss Dales hand rested
IN his A. Of old then, drawing !; toward
her, placed It upon the sufferer, saying.
a. she did 80
As he hopes 10 be forgiven, Hugh.
I With q mighty effort the diving man
,urned his bead and booked iuto the eyes
I Of the man be had dstFaudei
lie does no. forgive me be almost
/ shriekel. sud God will No, fuFrye me
Z What shall do What shall do
/ 4 hook from Miss Dale, that Doctor
Leigh will never forged, compelled him.
I bonding his head low, he said, kindly
Il forgive you Hugh Think not Of
me, but Of yourself
/ Five minutes after, the spirit had fled,
and the strangely separated pair were On ce
more alone together
+ This tragedy bad consumed only about;
two hours, aud Miss Dale dressed again TO
receive her New Year : callers
Notwithstanding all she had passed
I through, her heart was lighter than when
she dressed iB the morning. John Leigh
/ had not left her without cause. and life
was uot 50 utterly void and hopeless a. it
had been
Fourteen years ago since ell this hap
pened today she is forty
She has met Doctor Leigh iu society
many times since then, and all the ALA
sion ever made BY either to their peculiar
/ positions has been the earnest query, aud
the quick. hearty answer, as to How
has it been with you Aud the beau
tiful woman eyes always added Are
you growing to be more of MANI Are
| you more constant to your duty? Are
| your lessons well learned p
To which his eyes always answered ;
1T Is hard, but | am doing the best
can.
Now, on this fortieth birthday, Miss
Dale had just arrived in New York, after
a three-year sojourn in Europe. Dur
! ins all this time not one word had been
heard from Doctor Leigh For all Miss
/ Dale knew, he might be dead, and, as she
dressed again to receive her callers, the
lovely old maid looked in the glass and
soliloquized. She saw pair Of gray eyes
brilliant complexion, face from whom
whose delicate oval age had not snatched a
single charm, and she knew that she had
not changed as much as most women At
forty
"Oh, dear what are looks, after all ?
she murmured. "There is nobody to care
about it if | do look well-if do carry
my years with grace and dignity and she
sighed, as what woman would not. at the
vision of her loneliness loneliness which
must last as long as life, and life bade fair
to hold out well Miss Dale had never
been i'll a day in her life
Miss Dale at home spread about
quickly. and the elegant parlors were again
filled with appreciative guests. \ good
many New Years had passed since the
last call of Doctor Leigh, and on none Of
these anniversaries had Miss Dale expected
him; but today he was ever before her.
At noon her father dropped in, and a lull
of visitors enabled her to sit with him at
dinner
Il called on Doctor Leigh family to-
day''-Mr. Dale had been in Eurpe with
1 1 II. l.