Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-08-01

vious apathy with which his wife regard
ed him. Fenton wished to keep his men,
DRY of her from the slight Of what seemed
very like ingra.itude.
Il shall be glad to see Corwen again."
he said. Il will call tomorrow"
Il may see you again before you meet.
I am always out quite early along the
cliffs. My husband, as you may remem-
Der. sleeps well into the morning. He
does not care for walking. Good night"
Fenton held the ungloved hand she
offered him for a moment. Standing thus
close together and face to face, their
eyes met openly for the first time There
was challenge in hers that Fenton was
sure she did not understand, but it moved
him strangely nevertheless, and she was
very beautiful.
"Good night he said. II shall see
you tomorrow"
The sun had risen an hour, and the hill
up which he set his face seemed like a
black and solid shadow against the clear
wash of gold in the east. At its summit
was great granite crucifix. facing north
ward, n sign to ships at sea and to men
and women on land who toiled there
through the changing seasons. AS Fem
ton reached the spot a fresh wind blew
uCTosS his lace, CudFSeu with pflue anu
autumn. He turned seward and ut the
same moment saw the slim figure of Mrs.
Corwen as she skirted the cliffs a quarter
Of a mile away. Her head was bent for
ward to meet the wind. SO that he was
unobserved. He repressed his first inn
pulse, and instead Of going to her he sat
down to think. Again the process was
entirely fruitless. and she was beside him
haforo ho 0liyod tho aituotiOn
They greeted each other with formal
ity that struck Fenton as incongruous.
He did not quite relish his position,
yet the circumstances were agreeable
enough.
II expected to find you here" Mrs. Cor
wen said.
''Why"
at was always . favorite spot Of
yours"
$50 you remember that?"
"Why should forget?"
He looked at her closely. In that
searching light he found no flaw in her
beauty Mrs Corwen was alluring, as
Kitty Densmore had been.
II thought" he said, you might have
forgotten what had happened at that
time"
II forget nothing" she answered, "and
least Of all the time when l was hap
piest."
"And you are not happy now" he
asked. The question slipped from him
before he saw to where it might lead; but,
having asked it, he waited for reply
with an equanimity that surprised him
| self.
81 am not happy" she said, after
pause.
Il suppose" he said. that you have
found settling down in life little prosaic.
Fer myself accepted the prose long
ago"
How long ago.
ITO be quite candid" he said. at was
not long ago, after all-say two months
And l." she said. lat the same time
began to find the world narrower than l
| thought it was.
Il think" said Fenton, picking up
glove which she had let fall, that we
| have both boon very foolish" He drew
the glove slowly through the fingers of
his left hand as he watched her. and
then, realizing where they stood. he
moved away. He was not. as | have
said, sentimentalist. but of sudden he
felt insignificant and ashamed. lie saw
the woman who followed him for what
she WUS-NtTN Wtdh, very ptNuihth, WV
beautiful. so tender as to appeal with
infinite persuasion to his strength, but SO
light of will as to be of less danger to
him than to herself. When he turned to
her again, his voice was lower. but it had
taken a more certain and decisive tone.
He did not wonder that he had ever loved
her but he knew that such love as re-
manned was never to be spoken.
..Na hav Iaayl fpplI Sh - he said.
because we have not accepted the posi-
ton which we ourselves made. Even up
to this morning my foolishness was alive;
now it is over and dead" She moved
away from him a little, with the simple
instinct of a child. Then. as men will on
such occasions. he fell into the terms of
plLt tide: Life is full OF disappointment;
one more or less between the beginning
and tie end can make small difference.
Ii my advice is of any service, take it
for what it is worth. Go back to your
hotel, and. after breakfast make my
friend Corwen take you to Dinard. lie
will, you know. if you only ask him. l
shall perhaps see you i'll town before
Christmas"
She paused in her walk and looked at
him. half pointing and little afraid.
Are you going away, thenT' she ask
ed
Eyes" he said. II shall go tomorrow
morning by the first diligence. We shall
probably not meet again here. Your road
lies in that direction: mine in this. Good
by"
They shook hands in the casual way of
chance acquaintAnccs and parted When
Fcnton reached the Hotel du Centre, he
that himself in his room and spent day
of peculiar and irritating inactivity. He
did not suffer from any acute disduiet.
but his life had temporarily ceased TO in
tcrest him. He saw that he had been
very near a precipice. but the feeling of
| safety did not fill up the gap which his
disillusion left. He told himself again.
as he had done four days before. that he
was a fool. Perhaps the sincerity of this
belief helped to hold him to his resolve.
The following morning, as his luggage