Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-12-05

ticed that it was gone, then no one
need ever know that even before death
came to separate them they had bid
one another goodby-for the last time.
The train stopped at Elmcourt and
Godfrey, more than ever dreading rec
ognition, cast swift glance about
| him for some vehicle to carry him to
| the house.
| And there, right before his eyes and
| just as he had left her not yet four
hours ago, he saw Alice in her phaeton.
He thought it some mad delusion
of his brain. He passed his hand across
his eyes and looked again, but the Wis
| ion still was there. She was bending
| forward, looking eagerly for those
working girls who had failed to come,
and he saw a shade of disappointment
overspread her face. Then she spied
him, and her expression changed to
one of bewilderment and then anxi-
| ETY..
He staggered forward to the phae-
ton and grasped her arm. Alice! is it
really-and are you.-alive?"
| "Geoffrey! what absurd questions!
you certainly are crazy, or you are ill!
Come, get right in-every one is star
ing at you"
He scrambled into the phaeton. still
| holding her fast, and Alice drove
swiftly up the road.
Whats the matter?" she asked anx-
iously. What brings you back this
way? I'm sure you must be ill!''
Williams came to my Office and told
me you were-dead," Godfrey said
slowly. Some horrid accident-and |
i came back"
"Oh," said Alice, Il begin to under
stand. Well, what you heard was
partly right, only it wasn't l. 1t hap
pened to Miss White; you didn't know
ner, middle-aged woman who lived
above us on the hill Evidently your
friend mistook the names, White for
Wright. Her horse bolted and-she
wasn't much of a driver, poor thing
she turned him against stone wall
and was instantly killed. But-please
uon't hold my arm so tight, Godfrey;
it hurts, and really cannot drive"
Then only did he become conscious
of the tightness of his grasp upon her.
| anu lie IeledStu HeI VIII COLluSeV
apology and forced effort to laugh.
But instead of laughter came sud-
den sob, and burying his face in his
hands Godfrey broke down and wept
like a child.
With an exclamation of dismay
Alice turned off from the road into a
quiet woodland lane.
| Rut after few mompnfS Cnoff ro v
recovered himself and begged her par
don for the exhibition he had made OF
himself, adding with really cheerful
grin, ''By jove, did you ever see such a
fool as I've been making of myself;
but l couldn' thelp it. Fancy finding
you alive and we'll, after I'd been think
ing of you as-ugh!"
And you cared for me-like that"
Alice said, marveling.
Il didn't know it'll thought that
you were-gone," he admitted rueful-
ly. "And then; well, simply couldn't
stand it, that's all. Alice, it's no use;
you must consider things a bit Can't
-ou make up your mind to put up with
me? l know you don't think much of
me any more, and | don't pretend to
care for all those things you're inter-
ested in. But then you are so aw-
fully good and patient with all those
foolish and ignorant poor people, and
after all | can't be any more uncongen-
ial to you than they must be-and so
oh, hang it, Alice, can't you be an
angel and put up with me again-'un-
til death US do part'-in awful, bitter
earnest?"
But, Godfrey" said Alice, you
don't seem to remember that last night
when we decided to end our engage
ment we agreed that this was for the
last time?" Yet there was a strange
little CLEAN of a smile in her eyes as
she said it.
But that was before you had died
and l had gone into oblivion" Geof-
frey said penitently. "And besides, it
shall be the very last time it ever is
ended, can promise you that. Alice,
here's your ring, let me put it on again.
Oh, if you could know the depth of
my misery when | thought of you as
dead-and your ring in my pocket bor-
ing into my heart like knife l know
you can't care much for such a fellow
as l, but you said you probably would
never marry any one else, and l am
just absolutely certain that l can't
live without YOU"
you poor, dear boy" Alice said ten
derly, as she held out her hand for him
to slip on the sparkling ring. What
will you say, then, when l tell you
that | love you-more than ever-and
the most difficult word l ever spoke
was this morning when bid you good
by?"
He stared at her incredulously. "But
then-I don't understand; why did you
-" he stammered.
"Because-well, really thought that
you no longer cared for me-" she con-
fessed blushing. and l thought you
would be happier if you were perfect
| ly frpe-to choose again -