The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-06

DcdT IHc-HOW touching! InOuPnJ.
Edith, while Berta continued, unsus-
pecting her cousins disagreeable
thoughts.
1T was in Switzerland that Mr..
Blount joined our party, and as 1
had the whole care of the children,
sometimes he accompanied us when
we went on excursions. | don't think
Mrs. Marston had any idea how dam
gerous it was, or else she never
would have allowed me to take the
children. One day there was a snow
slide, and | CHANGED to become aware
of it before anyone else. The chill
dren were safe, but Mr.. Blount was
directly in the way of it, and 1 man
aged to drag him backward just as
the immense mountain of snow came
laundering down. and crashed into a
ravine, almost alongside of us. An
other moment. it would have struck
him and carried him down along with
it."
Good gracious! How romantic!"
exclaimed Edith. "Then you saved
his life?"
"He chose to think So" said Berta,
coldly. But it was a mere chance.
If anyone else had been there, it
would have been the same thing"
She turned away, and presently left
the room. and Edith saw very plain
ly that she would not be questioned
further on the subject.
"She's in love with him, and doesn't
l. - Al.
enced girl, land be careful. Some
one says pity is akin to love, and
already she has the enormous claim
upon his attention of having saved
his life. But gratitude isn't love, and
| don't believe a man likes to feel
that woman has saved his life. Any
way, / must devise some means of
keeping them apart"
"To think you should have been
right about Berta being engaged"
said Edith that same evening to Oh
liver Blount.
They were on the veranda, and the
shadow of the vines made the dusk of
twilight so deep that Blount's sudden
start was not seen by his companion;
but had the light been less dim she
might even have noticed a slight paling
of his handso countenance as he
said:
''Is she really engaged, then? I'm
sure | wish her all happiness. l knew
her slightly last year when I was
abroad, and think her a lovely char
acter. But who is the happy man-if
it is not an indiscreet question:"
"Ah, l can't tell you that just yet!
She hasn't given me her entire conf
dence; but she wears his ring. l have
seen her kiss it again and again, as if it
contained the whole world for her in
that little heart that is carved on the
stone. Such a curious ring it is"
divers own heart gave sudden
bound as he listened.
'Then it is to the giver of the ring
that she is engaged?" he asked.
"Why, certainly-to whom else? She
wears it on her engagement finger:
and no girl ever kissed a ring as l have
seen Berta kiss hers, unless she was
crazy in love with the giver of it."
Blount made no remark; but Edith
did not doubt that she had produced
the right effect on his mind. and per-
haps she had; but she would have been
tolerably mystified if she could have
known Just what this effect was To
her amazement the revelation she had
made to him had not the effect she an
ticipated. Oliver neglected all oppor-
tunity of devoting himself to the fair
Edith. and was constant as her shadow
to the shy, brown Berta.
"The man must be going crazy. I
believe the sly creature has bewitched
him." thought Edith, almost in de-
spair, as she watched him walking
along beside Berta one day, his head
bent low to catch the murmured words.
Her gaze followed him till they disap-
peared within an arbor all overgrown
with honeysucllle; and then curiosity,
not untouched with jealousy, overcame
all other feelings, and Edith flew to-
ward the arbor, and, hidden by the
wild growth of vines, listened to the
voices within.
"You wear my ring, Berta, dear"
Oliver was saying, "and you promised
to wear it forever as token of nv
gratitude. You would not let me say
more at that time; but now you must
listen to me, darling, and promise to
wear another ring-a plain god one
as token of my hearts devotion to the
only woman | can ever love"
ooh, Mr.. Blount-Oliver!" faltered
Berta; but she did not draw away from
the encircling arm. GLOW can you care
for me? And Edith always thought
I'm sure she thinks, too
Edith's cheeks began to fame with
rage and modification. She felt dis
position to strange her cousin before
she could say anything further, and she
had to bite her lips to keep from cry
ing out.
"Oh, no; the fair Edith knows better
than that; BESIDES" added Oliver. seiz-
ing Berta's hand and kissing it, "but
for her l would never have dared to
tell you the secret of my heart; it was
Edith herself who told me that she
had seen you kiss this little ring of
mine in such way that she knew you
loved the giver."