The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-03-05

| she put IN quickly. And L like you,
she went on, with a change of tone,
so much better for your devotion
to duty. Yes, do"
Her last words banished his per-
pleXity. They also awoke to cutlery
the mans heart, beating wildly be-
meath the correct clerical coat.
But it is so hard" he said be-
tween his clenched tceth-"some-
times, my darling, almost more than
can bear!"
him for the words he should not have
spoken.
Give me-" he said, tone 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-?"
yes, oh yes!" she said.
Il had to speak?" he questioned.
81 can bear it better" she said,
''since you have spoken"
| IF love We're alp"
| 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
1 was tempted to play the man. You
must only remember me as the con-
ceited young curate who tried"
DON'T" she exclaimed, don't hurt
me like that"
Take your own way, then" he
whispered, with a wintry smile.
'And bless you always, my one love.
You alone hold my 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 conf
dence with which she was honored
at about this time, and. strangely
enough, it was the curate's mother
who next put her powers of secret
keeping to the test. She prefaced
her confession with a touch of fiat
terry.
81 feel I must tell some one, my
DEAR" she said. 81 shall feel better
then. And there is no one l could tell
so easily as you, with SO great assur-
ance of sympathy and understand
ing"
She was young to be the mother
of her big son, very good-looking,
very attractive in manners still. She
smiled at the girl, while the girl
WINGED, because she knew that smile
| SO well on another face,
81 hope you will not laugh at me
for a silly old goose!"
GAS if | should"
81 didn't know-wait and see. 1
suppose that in your idea, no one
could possibly fall in love after
well, 35?'
"Oh, why not?"
very well tried, dear! Very cred
itably said! But 1 am more than 35
and / am in love. l don't wonder
you start"
81 don't-think-I did,
''9fJJot-Dadly! But there, I don't
want you to think that because ex-
perience has taught me to laugh in
the face of misfortune l cannot still
feel. Child, there is no love like a
late love for tearing your heart
strings. Practice helps to make per-
feet, perhaps don't know. Women
love and marry and live happily ever
after-hundreds of women do that
But [ have had experience, and l
know what I am saying is true, that
not one woman in a hundred ever
finds her ideal as l, so late, have
found mine"
"Oh," said the girl, doesn't he
doesn't he-forgive my asking
doesn't he love yOu?"
Eyes, dear, that's not the barrier.
L think at my age, you know, fail
ure to return my affection would have
married the picture in the beginning,
have broken up the likeness to the
ideal too soon, would have stayed
the springs of love before much harm
| had been done. No, am spared that.
But 1 think you know how 1 have
lived for and in my son ever since his
| father died. l have brought him up
| to honor his dead father beyond all
| living HleH. HOW can now aCknOWl-
| edge to him that a greater than
| his father has arisen for me? How
can [ 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
fourished beyond belief-his very
love of me is entwined with it If /
struck at the one, might l not en-
danger the other?"
She waited moment, but the girl
had nothing to say, and she went on
again, speaking rapidly, her voice
vibrating. They say I've spoilt him.
If so, it is only in little things-he
+ has heart of gold; but even for the
/ little things | must bear my punish
ment. And who can measure the
! temptation woman has to face
left alone in the world with her child
to pet and humor him, to make her
self indispensable to him at any cost
even at some cost to the beloved
object? | haven't had a thought
apart from him until lately, and he
had always known it. Now the habit
of years has blinded him; he sees
what he has seen so lOng-how many