Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-04-11
"PEARL"
~ ~
CHAPTER IV.-lContinued. J

here. in order to make the foregoing con-
yersation clear.
patience was Sunday school teacher
If The church to which the sisters went.
sbe being the only one of the sisters who
had any inclination or liking for the
work.
4 short time before our story opened.
the church changed Wears. The old
vicar left on account OF his health Civ
inc way, and it passed into the hands of
a Younger man; not so young, however,
but that there was some foundation for
Pansy's complaint against him.
He was a stern-l looking, silent man of
perhaps 40, and Patience, like the rest of
his parishioners, had been at first i'm
pressed by feeling of awe.
But soon this feeling, though it did
not entirely wear off, ripened into one of
deep esteem and reverence; and, what
had hitherto been an unthought-of thing
to her, she began to love him with Il
deep, earnest, lasting love.
They had not come into contact very
much, and Patience had noticed little III
his behavior to justify any hope she
might have entertained with regard to
his love for her
But now she had had full and blissfuI
assurance of it, and she was, as she said,
quite happy.
There is no need to relate in detail the
feelings with which she awaited Sunday
and her nervousness during the after
noon school hour. She hardly spoke to
MIR Raymond till it was over, and when
he found his way to her side, she sum
moned up all her courage, put her hand
in his, and said, with a frank smile,
viii you come back to tea this after
noon!"
Thank YOU, he replied. adding in a
low tone, "at any rate, l will walk with
you, if | may. | cannot tell you now
whether I may have the pleasure of ae-
cepting your invitation"
They walked down the road together,
with many pairs of curious eyes fixed
on them.
No doubt some of them were jealous,
and it is certain they were numerically
critical; many Jokes went round
amongst the onlookers at the expense
Of the unconscious pair.
Meantime, they walked on. side by
side, in silence for some minutes, but at
last, turning into less frequented thor
oughfare, Mr.. Raymond began, quietly:
Il was afraid, when | received no an
swer to my note, that l had offended
YOU / was sorry afterwards that | sent
it, for it must have seemed rather pre-
sumptuous, on the strength of our slight
acquaintance, to take you by surprise,
as | must have done
"Oh, no" replied Patience. Indeed, it
never occurred to me as being SO at all.
| was very glad to get it, but really did
not know how to answer you, and
thought it would be better to wait till
today, and ask you to tea personally"
Them said Mr.. Raymond, Il may
say what l wanted to? | may ask YOU"
he paused, as if uncertain whether to
90 on or not, and Patience said, almost
in whisper, ASK me-
No he continued Il won't speak
till / have told you something that You
ought to know first, and then YOU shall
Judge for yourself what to say.
Many years ago, when | first entered
the church, 1 was engaged to be married
to a cousin. l was only p then, and
loved her with all the ardor Of young
man. But 1 was doomed to be disap-
pointed. She had given me her hand but
not her heart.
Her parents were anxious that we
should marry, for | had money of my
own, and in obedience to them she had
accepted me. But ere we had been en-
day was fiXedl saw her accidentally
with another man. He looked some
years older than | was. They We're talk
ing earnestly when | came upon them.
1t was a quiet country place where
we lived, and it happened in a field Dor
dered by path overhung with trees. II
was summer time, and the field was di-
vided from the road, besides, by a thick
hedge l was i'll the road. and overlook
them on my side of the hedge, as they
were walking very slowly.
i should, of course, have taken no
notice, had it been anyone else; but Just
before | reached them heard my cousin
address him by name. | should have
known her voice among q thousand
the voice | loved so well-and | could
tell, from the tone in which she spoke,
that she was greatly agitated.
Il wondered what il could mean
Why was she there, walking alone with
another man? Who was this man? \
thousand fears presented themselves to
my mind in the moment of time that
stood there, and / resolved to stop and
listen for an explanation
But they spoke in such low tones
that could only catch a word here and
there Evidently she had betrayed her
sen III her emotion when she uttered the
word that had attracted my attention,
Tor l heard him say, hastily, Hush' and
then / could catch nothing more. as
have said, but word here and there.
But presently l saw him take her
hands in his, and draw her to him. and
Slss her lips. | heard the words. Good
by my darling, and l heard her sob out
F" broken reply, and then he went away
and left her.
4 met her few minutes later. on her
way home. l will not tell you the whole
oil my conversation with her, though,
even now, l can remember, think, every
word. The result was that she con-
lessed to me that she cared nothing at
an for me, she loved this man, who was
an army officer. at home on sick leave.
tut who was to Join his regiment the
next day, and they had met to say
g3odby
represented TO her how she had de