The weekly examiner., 1901-08-24

greatest honor a good man can give g | woman. I am unworthy of it."
 "No, nov' Stuart cried at last, turning
 to her "I love you. Let me say il
 even if it may be for the last time.'
 And then he did what he had not
 thought of doing when he began. But
 he faced the possibility of an answer. ing love in this woman, and he longed for her too much to leave the matter without fully showing her his heart. : He took Rhera's glove from his pock- ct, the glove he had picked up on the trail that night. Seer he cried, as he showed it to her. T passed along this path one night, and it was a night of great beauty to me. I found you lying over there close by the mouth of that pit. I caught you up and carried you down to safety. And for a little while you were mine in my hearts thought, and you could not say me nay" His voice broke in a sob. A man can sob only under certain emotions. Stuart had never felt that before.
 l As for Rhena, she caught her breath and then stood pale and still. 'They told me Dr. Saxon brought me in. Why did they not tell me the truth? Why did he not tell me? owe you my life' 1t was both a question and a state : ment. Stuart would not even now an- ticipate the love that might yet be his. He stood there facing her, silent after that one outburst. At last he said gently, 'tI woold like to keep the glove; may Iw
 She did not answer him. He put the l~o 11- l, IL very, very pale.
 He said one more word, "You believe love you?'
 "Yes; believe it," she answered in a i very low voice.
 "I shall always love you," he said. , He took off his hat. The act was one of reverence. Some time when have won your love, as I know I have not yet shall speak again." he added slowly. And then he turned and went back over the trail, never once looking behind. If he had When he disappeared behind a clump of frs, Rhena knelt down by the old stump and laid her head upon 1t, and her prayer was very much like the prayer of that night when Louise had called upon her. After awhile she rose and went down the trail. But she was not the same woman. Her heart was shaken for the first time in her life by the love of great and good man. An, it is possible if he had said to her, "Rhenav' she might have said, "Stu- artr' and given him all. It was dan gerous for her 10 think of him. She felt as never before. And then the glove, the knowledge of her safety due to him-she trembled. There were times in her feeling when if Stuart had come back she would have said to him: "I love you. Let us go on our way through life together!' And she went on into the next cottage, a look in her eyes that was new to them and an emotion in her heart that she could not suppress.
 As for Stuart, he went down into Champion with feeling that was not that of defeat or Encouragement. It had been a crisis with him. He had at last spoken. He had nothing to regret in all he had said. And in spite of the fact that his answer had been no some thing told him it was not final. He was the last man in the world to try to argue the woman he loved into low ing him. He was not and could not be a pleading suitor for the heart of this woman of all persons in the world. He said to himself the time would come, although he did not attempt to picture when or how, when she would be his as he wanted her to be. With that great thought burning in him he enter ed upon one of the busiest and most significant weeks of his life.
 In the first place, when Sunday came he joined the church. He had already two weeks before gone into the pre- paratory meeting with Andrew and there recited his experience. It seemed the most necessary act in the world that he should identify himself openly and boldly with other Christians in the organization which Christ loved. There was not a moments hesitation in Stu arts mind about the duty and privilege of church membership. That was notable day in his life when Andrew asked him to rise and give assent to the church covenant.
 The news that Stuart Duncan was going to join the church was interest ing enough to call out large part of the population of Champion. Andrew had never seen such a congregation. St. Johns was crowded. very largely with the miners and their families. Stuart was the only person received at this communion. When he rose at An drew's invitation, his face was calm and even beautiful. It was a splendid sight to see these two men facing each other at the communion service. When Stuart kneeled to receive the baptism, Andrews voice trembled for second over the words, "I baptize thee, Stuart, my brother, disciple of Jesus," and many an eye in the audience moisten- ed. When the bread was passed, Stu art received it from one of the miners who had worked in Champion mines ever since Stuart was boy. He was