The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-04-17
Ais Well That Ends We'll.
4 STORY or 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, is such a huge re-
sponslbility"
Unconsciously his voice took the
dogmatic tone which so often char
acterized it in the performance Of his
clerical duties.
Life is such a serious matter; l
do not think we half realize its tre-
mendous seriousness"
g-of-er-tigera?" said she.
His voice dropped to one Of sur
prise, almost Of irritation. What do
you mean?" he asked
Il haven't grasped the connection"
she said. 1T is only when am in pain
that | 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-"hash his rever-
Ence been insisting on the fifteen min
Utes' limit for your sermons again"
AYou couldn't neglect your mother
Ear any one, she said, brayely.
NO" ne admitted, mo; that's true"
$50 you are forced to make duty
@E 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, zone 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, yes" she said.
Il had to speak?" he questioned.
q can bear it better?" she said,
"since you have spoken"
eff love were all?" he quoted.
Nothing else could have made me
8sVe you like this" said she.
Only his look thanked her. Now"
he said, you must forget that once
was tempted to play the man. You
must only remember me as the con-
Ggited young curate who tried"
DON'T" she exclaimed, don't hurt
me like that"
''Take your own way, then" he
whispered with 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
dgnce 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 touch of fattery.
Il hope you will not laugh at me for
a silly old goose!"
%As if l should"
@I don't know-wait aid see. l sup
pose that in your idea no one could
possibly fall in love after-well,
khfTty-ive?"
@Oh, why not?'
every well tried, dear Very cred
Stably saidi But ] am more than
dhirty-fve-and 1 am in love. don't
wander you start
81 don't-think-I did"
'Not badly! But there, don't
want you to think that because ex-
wsrience has taught me to laugh in
ahe face of misfortune I cannot still
feel. Child, there is no love like a
Rate love for tearing your heartstrings.
Practice helps to make perfect, per-
Raps-I 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
4 am saying is true, that not one
woman in a hundred ever finds her
8dsal as I, so late, have found mine.
"Oh," said the girl, doesn't he
doesn't he-forgive my asking-but
doesn't he love your"
eyes, dear, that's not the barrier
/ shrink at my age, you know, a fail
mEe to return my affection would have
marred the picture in the beginning
have broken up the likeness to the
IDEAL too soon, would have stayed the
wfings Of love before much harm had