The new enterprise., 1905-07-27

this voyage Her voice was so low
aud gentle that had 20 lean forward
TO catch exactly what she said, and
as did 50 she laid her hand in mine,
Perhaps you don't know" she said
slowly, quite what your friendship
has been 10 me-
! stumbled and said something bald
ana stupid in response, and Mrs. JEFF
ferson went on:
Tor seven years l have lived for
nothing but this visit home TO Eng
land, When anything in my life was
little disappointing, | always said TO
myself, 4 have the children TO go back
to- And every week | had their pre-
c!ous. foolish little letters. which told
me SO little ard kept me huugerlng to
see them"
1T must have been awful to lcAvc
them again." l said, and in the dark
took again tie little hand which had
lain IN mine
They were so fond Of me-" said Mrs.
Jeife, son. still in the same halting
fashion, like one who speaks an un-
familiar language. Il mean when they
were little things l do rot thinl;
quite tiny children could ever have
been more fond Of their mother. And"
she hcsltated for moment. and said,
with SO much difficulty that It seemed
almost ike cruelty TO allow her 10
proeced-"I always thought they would
remember ne, although they were so
Eu,c.' She paused again, and went
ou: you mustn't think that l was
s.i.y about them. or thar expected too
much. / always thought at first they
might he a little Bit shy Of me. But
they didn't even know me- and they
were certainly disappointed in me. one
Of them was five years old when
said goodbye TO her. Now she is Il
school girl OF thirteen. Her only pho.
lograph Of ne was taken long ago, 50
It is 10 wonder that she didn't know
me-"
l did not Ill in tie pause by any
baual remark
"rhey have been brought up In
very prlm household" went on the gem
lie voice, "ln which love, fear, is not
a thing that is reckoned with or en-
coura-el, They rather dcspised me for
laughing and crying over them when
we met, and-it is only natural. OF
course-all their little condolences were
for the people who brought them up,
ana all their ways of thinking are
their ways and not mine. One Of my
little girls, found is not q very truth
ful child. and the other, when l asked
her what she would like best to do
seemed more content at home
But you made friends and got over
all thar before you leftI' l said en-
couragingly,
III only I had had a little more
time" said Mrs, Jefferson
II would have been SO much better
for her If she could have wept. She
locked her thin hands together, and
said with a sort Of wall in her voice
If only had had little more time"
After while she went on quito
quietly. and told me that her husband
had sent FOR her to return TO him, and
she had been obliged TO leave the chill
dren.
"Of course man wants his wife in
a solitary life like ours" she went on,
cNcusngly. And so | said goodbye
to them. don't think any one was
very sorry when l came away"
The decks were quite deserted now.
Tomorrow they would be alive with
passengers preparing TO leave the ship,
and friends meeting friends from Bonn
hay, and ships officials, and hurrying
agents and persplring stewards. To
night they were quite deserted save
Cor Mrs. jefferson and me.
I'VE live quite an isolated life at
the tea garden" she said presently,
but l left a little dog there Of WHICH
I am very fond. l am afraid you will
think me very morbid and imagina-
tive" she added in her deprecatory
little way, but think l have based
all my possibilities Of bearing things
upon the question of whether or not
my dog knows me again and is glad
to see me-"
shll held Mrs. Jefferson's hand in
mine, and now l raised it to my lips
and kissed it. you will let me
know" said huskily; and found to
my surprise that l could say no more.
Yes, will let you know" said Mrs.
Jefferson.
And one day got little note from
her which said: THE dog knew me-
and that was all.-S. Macnaughton, in