Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-03

summer on the farm-yes, even those
days before we had spoken together Mt
| all-for at least | then could see you
every day face to face"
"Eunice. It's no use! We cant. be
wise you and I've can't struggle
against the inevitable. The I9"er
that draws you and me togethe: IS
stronger than our wils-wc mist Held
to IT,"
She drew her hand away from his.
mo, no. If you mean we must yield
to It at the expense of another girls
happiness. will not"
"Georgiana. you mcanT
"You are betrothed to her."
The devil ann
"But you are as good as
"That's her idea. not mine never
originated t. And If have any in
nuence with myself
"You told ne you loved her.
81 spoke tiguratively. mean ! lIred
youth, beauty. grace"
"Ohw
Don't you seeT"
"Please to label your remarks 10 me.
literal or 'fgurative. She WAS
speaking quite seriously. with a look
Of bewilderment; "Cr may minunicr-
stand you painfully"
"No, Eunice. you and will not mis-
understand each other again. For we
shall speak the same language-the
language Of our hearts,
"But IL 1t was not Miss Ellery. what
was 1t that kept you from me when
you wanted TO come"
81 will tell you"
He drew q long, deep breath, then
half turned to her rs he walked beside
her and talked.
"It was while the days dragged by
when I was waiting for letter from
you, and my heart grew sick with
hope deferred that great truth be-
gan to dawn upon me. came into
the realization that my whole horizon
was cOlorcd by the thought OF Eunice;
that in thinking Of her | found my
only interest. my only happiness: that
in the meeting of her life and mine,
the deepest needs of my nature had
been met and fed: and at last | came
face to face with the knowledge that
she was all 10 me that woman can
be to a man; that loved her utterly"
Eunice walked mt his side like one
moving in n dream. For n moment
the silence between them throbbed
with their strong emotion.
"And then" he presently went on,
the gravity of his voice calming her
throbbing heart, "came my bitter
struggle with myself was not will
Ing to take advantage Of your ineXpe-
rience-before you had had an oppor-
tunity to see other men. knew you
cared for me, but how could be sure
that your feeling would bear the test
of your larger knowledge and expert
ence? Clearly my honorable course
was to be silent, to withdraw into the
background Of your life, until you
should come into a mature understand
ing Of your own heart.
"Then, the simplicity Of the life
would have to offer you as the wife Of
! teacher compared with the brilliant
career you might have-possessed Of
large means-a man would have to
think better Of himself than thought
TO ask woman to make such sac
rifice.
"The possibility that you might think
me fortune hunter put aside as an
unworthy thought Of you. That your
aunt might attribute such a motive to
mel was Indifferent to that, though
I believe she would favor me as a
suitor she's so daft about family
And she's not mercenary either. So
my own comparative poverty would
not stand in my way with her.
"Then 7 reasoned that in denying
my heart I risked not only my own
life's happiness, but yours as well.
Fortune hunters would swarm like
CONTINUED on page four)