, 1902-04-21

TA
The boy found a crumpled sheet Of
letter paper.
woman's work in that connection. But
she was possessed of ordinary sense,
and it is quite impossible that she
could have drawn a personal meaning
from anything l said. Yes. yes, utterly
impossible"
There was another night" he re-
fected, when l walked home with
her-a night of moonlight and of
damps laden with message of old
fashioned flowers. We walked slowly,
and she talked but little, seeming
much depressed In spirit. When she
reached the gate she impulsively
caught my hand in hers, speaking In
confession. I have grievously offended
my father and my mother she said,
by giving the love Of my heart to n
whom they consider unworthy, al
though they do not use SO harsh a
term. am most miserable. know
not which way to turn. My soul is
sleeping in darkness. Advise me and
comfort me. my pastor / was con-
fused for a moment. l replied to her
haltingly. My dear Miss Martha l
said, I can Judge neither as to the
right or wrong of your position, for |
know not the man. Is he a good man.
The best on earth she replied. The
answer was as inevitable as the qaes-
ton was ridiculous. And he has given
his heart to your She pressed my
hand. involuntarily drawing nearer to
me-so near that my lips almost
touched her hair. He has no said so
yet Then we stood in silence for a
period that seemed long. When l
spoke my words were such as might
have been expected from a boy mas
Querading in the vestments OF wisdom.
I prescribed passages from the Scrip
lures as a doctor might have prescribed
medical agents from the apothecary's.
Tonight said before you seek your
bed read you from the epistles in your
testament. First. John; second, James.
the fifth verse Of the first chapter, and
the eleventh of the fifth Thus | may
have directed her. And l swelled with
pride that l could so readily cite a
source Of solace. Perhaps, If it be that
my poor counsel was so worded, she
misunderstood me. Perhaps she read
the fifth verse Of the second epistle of
John-John-second. II she did"
His hands clenched, beating softly
upon the chair arms. His oyer opened,
and he sat upright, reaching for the
Book upon the desk. Rapidly he turned
the leaves. Slowly he read the pas
sage aloud.
And now l beseech thee, lady, not
- though l wrote q new command
ment unto thee, but that which we had
from the beginning. that We love one
another" What must she have
thought? Certainly, the passage being
utterly foreign to the purpose for
which she read it, must have impressed
her as having been cited deliberately
for another purpose. l beseech thee,
lady, that we love-oh, blunderer! She
ovShoSu "S - TIA 1/AlLiG WOuueT.
And from what l felt to be a high
ssnse of delicacy, the purest of consid.
Grafton for her embarrassment in hay.
Ing revealed herself to me In an un-
guarded moment, | avoided her.
thought ] understood. And she has
been waiting all these years for-me.
The roses must have been a personal
tribute to me. She ceased to brins
them when l went away"
He wa convinced, and the convic-
Hon wrung from his lips a sound not
unlike a groan. He glanced at his
watch. An hour had passed since the
ae0arture Of the caller. Under the i'm.
pulse Of q sudden determination he
leaned towards the desk and began to
write.
A knock sounded upon the door. and
he swung about In his chair to receive
his mail. He started violently when
his glance fell upon the top letter Of
the bundle. for 1t bore the Bomley
postmark. His hands trembied as he
opened the envelope.
Dear Mr.. S!lverness." the letter said.
Il have Just returned to the old home
from q long stay in California. and l
am about to marry Miss Martha Bur-
lingame. 1t is her wish, as well as my
own. that you oficiate at the cere-
mony. VIII It be possible for you to
do 10 next Wednesday, the 25th? 1
will gladly pay you i've hundred dol
hrs for the service. and we will both
Be evsflastinEly Obliged and honored
besides. An early reply will confer .
favor ON yours truly. Hiram Ayles-
worth"
Across the bottom Of the sheet. In .
feminine hand. was this:
The I'VE hundred dollars my be
devoted IL missions II you 70 des,re."
The Rev. Mr.. Silverness sat rar .
IHH ~ .H"N .I-|N| |aNE