The Republican journal., 1903-02-05
AI'sWeII That Ends Well
A STORY OF FOUR-SIDED LOVE.


He looked for the most part straight
in front of him as they walked across
the field side by side. His forehead was
puckered, his mouth set his peculiarly
youthful face paler than its wont.
Life" he said, lis such huge re-
sponsibility.'
matte tone which SO often characterized
it in the performance of his clerical du-
ties.
Life is such serious matter; do
not think we half realize its tremendous
seriousness"
g-of-er-tigers?" said she.
His voice dropped to one of surprise,
almost of irritation. "What do you
mean?" he asked.
Il haven't grasped the connection,
she said. ut is only when l am in pain
that l feel like that"
Plainly he was seriously affected, for
he even ignored her frivolous aside.
"Oh, what is it?" she asked. There
must be something" she continued.
Has the vicar'-here she smiled, al
though unwillingly-''has his reverence
been insisting Oh the fifteen minutes
limit for your sermon again?"
you couldn't neglect your mother
for any one," she said, bravely.
No. he admitted, no; that's true" y"
$50 YOU are forced to make duty of
necessity" she said.
He waited a moment, repeating her
words over to himself, as though he had
not reached their meaning.
Give me- he said, ''one crumb OF
consolation to help me through the
empty days. If there had not been
this plain, straight way of duty for me,
could you-??"
Eyes, oh, yesw she said.
Il had to speak," he questioned.
Il can bear it better?" she said, ''since
you have spoken
''If love were alp" he quoted.
Nothing else could have made me
love you like this" said she.
Only his look thanked her: Now, ;"
he said, you must forget that once l
was tempted to play the man. You
must only remember me as the concelt-
ed young curate who tried
'Don't!' she exclaimed, don't hurt
me like that.'
Take your own way, then" he whis-
pered. with wintry smile. "And bless
hold nv secret-safe with YOU
Dear God, how safe!" she cried.
And so they parted. 1t was the only
way.
But that was not the only confidence
with which she was honored at about
this time. and strangely enough, 1T was
the curate's mother who next put her
powers of secret keeping to the test.
She prefaced her confession with a
touch of tlattery.
Il hope you will not laugh at me for
a silly old goose
LAS if | should
II don't knoW-wait and see. sup
pose that in your idea no one could pos
sibly fall in love after-weh' thirty
five?"
"Oh, why not?"
Very well tried, dear. very cred
itably said But am more than thirty
five-and | am i'll love. L don't wonder
you start.
Il don't-think- did,
Not badly, But there, | don't want
YOU to think that because experience
has taught me to laugh in the face of
misfortune ! cannot still feel, child.
There is no love like a late love for
tearing YOUR heartstrings. Practice
helps to make perfect, perhaps-l don't
know. Women love and marry and live
happily ever after-hundreds OF women
do that. But l have had experience,
and | know what | am saying is true,
that not one woman in hundred ever
finds her ideal as |, SO late, have found
mine.
"Oh, said the girl, doesn't he
doesn't he-forgive my asking j but
doesn't he love you?''
Yes, dear, that's not the barrier. l
think at my age, you know, failure 10
return my affection would have marred
the picture in the beginning, have brok-
en- up the likeness to the ideal too soon,
would have stayed the springs of love
before much harm had been done. No,
I am spared that. But | think you
know how [ have lived for and III my
son ever since his father died. L have
brought him up to honor his dead father
beyond all living men. How can l now
acknowledge to him that greater than
his father has arisen for me? How can
I publicly set another in the place death
has made sacred? Wouldn't it be like
sacrilege in his eyes? The seed soWed
in my boys heart has fiourished beyond
D6lt1-ulS Ftly lONC 1OI Aio 10 Civ" ILiSo
with it. If struck at the one, might |
not endanger the other?"
The girl summoned all her store of
courage to her aid.
But if he should-think of marrying
himself, wouldn't that make a differ
ence?"
'.You think that because you are so
young yourself dear girl. And how
natient Won have been to meP' she said
coming back to her accustomed consid-
Grafton for her companion. Some
times l have felt l must speak, just
once, or it would kill me-and now l
have spoken. You will respect my con-
tidence, know
Yes," said the girl, eyes.
These were the questions which
troubled her, filled her waking thoughts
and sent her restless to bed.
And while she still waited she be-
came the victim of yet another conf