Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-03-14
THE SILVER LINING.

Were last lnVelOplnB tine flby IN q
mantle OF dreary darkness o. Hem
ry Raymond. senior partner in the
great house of Raymond end Sill
verthorne, locked the desk some
what YEARLY, and with curt
"Good night" to his subordinates,
passed ontinto the street
Having hailed passing HANSON.
be wac rapidly driven to bis house
in Wgndham Square. a bandsome
carriage with . pair 81 splendid
horses stood before thedeor. and
in the brilliantly lighted ball be
came face to face with his beautiful
wife. A smile that had sos0ething
Of pain 10 it crossed his features as
he said softly
Going ont, Mauriel ? Can | do
anything for you p
THANK you. no, = she replied,
with stately graciousness. ~
am going to the Mounfips, and
shall not be back until late"
lie accompanied her to the door,
standing bargheaded till the car
riage rolled slowly away; then. Civ
ing orders for a cup Of strong col.
fee to be brought to bis room, he
walked firmly up stare
The last Eve years bad made a
great difference in Henry Raw
mond's life. IL seemed wonderful
to him, on looking back, that be
bad found strength enough TO 90
through with il. And after ell be
had failed. The end had indeed
come and it was defeat Fire years
before, Muriel Kenyon. urged by
her friends to accept bis offer Of
marriage. had said
"Mr Raymond, let n,e be can
did. You ask ms TO be- four wife.
and in reply sag that | Do not love
you. | admire your character. |
believe you TO be homes and true
and kind-utterly ipcapab.e Of q
mean or dlsbonorahlo gca-ans You
have gained my respec, and esteem.
More cannot say. ! leave the de.
cision 10 your hands
But he bad never hesitated.
"Once she is ms wife, love will
come" be told himself confident
ly. "Such affection as mine can.
not fail to bring forth fruit"
After the wedding they had gone
abroad for two months. at the end
Of which time Muriel had taken up
her residence 10 the big house which
her husband bad furnished in
princelv fasiou Never had woman
a more devoted husband; the light.
est wish, the variest caprice was
gratlfed, and the giver asked for
o reward.
But there was in him a longing
which looked DOT Of hia eyes some.
times and pleaded far more elo
quentIV than words, though the
cold beautiful statue that he called
"wlie" never noticed il. He bad
made his choice, no told himself,
and would abide by IL.
Judged by her promise, she gave
him no cause for complaint. All
her duties we're faithfully perform
ed; TO the eyes OF the world aud
even OF their most intimate friends
she was a model housewife What
more could be required Was IL
her fault il the love light never
cleaned in those magnificent eyes;
il the beautiful face remained cold
and the pulse unquickened BY one
single throb at his approach ?
He had struggled hopefully for a
time. feeling that snccess would be
certain in the end; but, as the weary
months dragged on, bis heart sick.
ened with a silent despair, and he
acknowledged that the task he had
undertaken was we'll nigh impossi
BILE. This evening he was going all
over it again, asking himself what
he had left undone that he had
made such hopeless middle.
Presently his eyes fell upon the
piles Of books and papers, covered
with calculations. which lay on the
table, and a SILVER passed through
bis frame and he started up.
"How shall | tell her ?" he