Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-24

Poor Cecilia!"
And Daniel concluded his sister must
be right after all. and dismissed the SUBJ
ject from his thoughts.
Horace Nichols did not go to the bank.
as he intended. He went home, with .
fierce longing in his soul that he might
die.
proved herself a liar! The word seemed
to blaze and curl in fiery lines before
him, as he hurried On.
For the next three hours no human
eyes beheld Horace Nichols. At the end
He would see Cecilia no more: he would
write her a brief note. acquainting her
with all he had learned that morning,
and the terrible consequences 1t had
wrought for both of them. Then he
would take the steamer which sailed the
next day for Europe.
He knew that his uncle had some Inn
portant business to transact with certain
houses in London and Paris. and that
he would very gladly avail himself OF
his services in this matter, after his first
surprise at his nephew's determination
was over. He shrank from the thought
of seeing any other of his relatives or
friends; he would leave the dearest OF
them a few messages. n that was all.
Cecilia Hoawrd had passed the most
miserable day of her life. She had gone
about with a weight of remorse upon
her soul which she could not put aside
for moment. and looking forward
to the night. when Horace should come
to her, with unutterable fear and dread.
Hour, after our that night she listen
ed, trembling. and afraid for the foot.
steps OF Horace Nichols. but greatly to
her surprise. he did not come. She cons
cluded at last that some business must
have detained him. and fearing that he,
courage might fail her in his presence.
resolved tina before she slept she would
write him a letter, telling him all that
she had lone and suffered.
She did not sleep that night until the
letter was written.
1t was delivered to him with several
others. and he was then IN the midst OF
preparations for his departure at noon.
He tossed the whole into a drawer. ana
an hour later tore the envelopes hastily
and ran them over. Cecilia's letter had
slipped behind the others, among a pile
of ~unimportant papers,, and escaped his
notice.
He was on board the steamer which
at noon left the harbor for Liverpool, and
on the evening of the same day Cecilia
Howard, who had watched and waited
for his coming, received the letter which
told her all.
A year had passed. During this time
Horace Nichols had been a wanderer
IN many lands, and now he was to re-
turn home.
The third morning after his return,
the young man went to the room which
he had formerly occupied. Nothing had
been changed during his absence. He
opened the small table drawer, rummag-
ed among it's papers which lay just as
he had left them. and in overturning
these his eye suddenly fell upon the let
ter which Cecilia Howard had last writ
ten. him.
His heart gave a quick bound, for he
knew the handwriting. He sat down,
and after a little while opened the letter.
When he had read it. he laid it down on
the table. and thought.
Cecilia Howard sat sewing that morn
ing before the pleasant CRATE fire in the
sitting room. She was humming frag-
mentS of some sweet, Old-faSh1Oned tune
to herself. h was not much changed,
except in that change which is of the
soul, and which touches and sub!imates
the whole face. Horace Nichols stood
still and looked at her a few moments
as she sat there. for he had opened the
door. S sftly, as, the domestic. who knew
him; we'll, had, atrEhis request, told hin,
quite alone, for Mrs. Howard happened
to be absent that morning.
~,"Cecilia!" 1t was said almost in a
whisper.
She started and looked up. She had
had no tidings of his return.
Horace Nichols came forward very
huInb;y; many feelings struggled in his
face, but he said: "One hour since, Ce-
CHA, l read the letter you wrote me Il
year ago, and which has lain in my draw
er all that time. Cecilia, can you forgivc
me? Will you come back to me?'
She leaned her head back; the tears
rained over her cheeks, out the light
shone on her face, exalting it into a new
beauty, as she said, with a mingling or
g altitude and solemn triumph in her
voice: Il thought you would come, Hor-
ace I thought God would send you back
to me-"