The Red Cloud chief., 1900-07-27
Nv.

'IO you mtnu, my uchiVot' L
Yes; wish ! had been the INST
The two people who were speaking
we're sitting together on q boulder oy
the seashore of one Of our prettiest
watering places. n was early OCTOBER
and although II had been a late season
yet there was already a touch OF cold
ness in the air, Notwithstanding the
brilliant sunshine. The sea was As Diue
as the sky. tossing and little ais
turbed by the wind, yet only enough
to give Il color and motion. The lit
tie town looked white and clean. smii-
ing In the autumn sunshine. A thor
oughly conventional English scene
lust az the girl herself was a thorough
ly conventional English girl. Her dark
blue eyes were brown n OF q sor'
texture; her face q perfect oval. with
little square chin. into which there
had been pressed. A. by some ioVins
finger. the pcttiest dimplc In the
world. A tall. slight figure, that gave
promose of q fuller, ampler woman
hood; a clear white skin. flushed rosy;
and lashes and eyebrows many shades
darker than her hair completed a
whole that was very captivating. She
Wal dressed, too. conventionaliy, Al
though the blue serge dress and jacket
fitted her AZ only q tailor-made gown
can At. A little sailor hat was perchea
upon her head In Just the most enec-
tive manner possible.
But at this minute the dark blue
eyes looked troubled. the pretty hands
we're clasped round her knees. n she
was looking Stewards and away from
the man by her side. He, too. looked
troubled. II had cost Alan Mackenzie
q GOOD deal to record the events OF MS
life, and to speak of the young VIE ne
had lost four years ago. He had want
cd the past to be past: and although
Vercn,ca's memory was dear and sweet
70 him. and the girl herself had been
loving and tender. yet 1t seemed TO
him hard to bring up the dead past.
There was such a chasm between tnaS
life and this. such a difference Dc.
tween the dark-eyed, half-Spanish girl
he had woOed under the brilliant South
American skies and this girl whom ne
was wooing beside the tumbling Eng
lish sea, that II often seemed to Aiar
Mackenzie that he must be an entirel,
different person.
He leaned forward and looked a
her. She had her face turned toward
the sea. 30 that he could Just see tn
delicate profile outlined against tn
blue sky, could Just see the pink ca
nesting against the coils Of her hair
II was no for her beauty alone that h
loved Joyce Grenville. He felt tina
she was his equal In most. his superio
in some. things. He and she together
he thought, could live the perfect maj
ried life. And now there was tn
shadow Of poor Veronica to come an
throw q gloom over their wooing. Yer
onica, whom he had never loved INK
this girl: Veronica. for whom he ha
had the tenderest protective pity. bu
that was all.
And now he looked at Joyce. m
felt to the full that II he lost n
he lost everything that made III
worth living; that life without JOY
would be incomplete, and that q
his success In life-and no VI
by NO means disposed to unde
value that-would mean nothing to hi
without Joyce. She vas 80 desirabl
was Joyce, with her hish-bred. Bri
ish air, and with all the qualities tn
he knew her to possess. and with tn
. TACT staring him full In the face tn
he loved her. and her alone.
:, His voice trembled as he said: 81
you mind 30 much, Joyce, that 1t "
:, be an insuperable bar! DO you me
; that you cannot say Yes to mel"
d She turned round and faced him. a
@ he could see the trouble In her e,
n and the twitching Of her lips. M
}. she said, in q low voice, II don't me
= that; l cannot give you up, Alan. Y
have made me love you; l cam
If change my love in a day. But 1t |
,r cast a shadow over me. cannot
joice over my love for you as l
now | know this: That life cam
give the unalloyed happines that
Of thought possible half an hour ago"
n Because you are not the a,
a Joyce? In one sense you are the a
have told II you all quite truthfl
e. how first l felt nothing but pity
g her. and then gradually l wanted
o. shield her from the hardships of
n and there was no other way. l N
ried her"
er And she-did she not love you!
ne Alan did not hesitate. nor did
TO- prevaricate. A less truthful nan I
ne he might have made light of Vel
hs ica's devotion, but he could not.
dead girls passionate eyes. fixed U
va him with an expression OF undy
love in them, rose up before
" She" he said, In a low voice
loved me more than her life"
AS, Joyce gave a little exclamation.
"a was not altogether pain. but as II
had said that she had known II v
the or course she had loved him! "
IFS woman would not have loved 4