The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-12-02

"Catssess people .always loss
things" said she sevsrely; II always
told yoa how careIesa you WERE"
I'm sfraid you were right" l ad-
mitted; but / didn't mean to be-"
ooh, QUE never means to be. Of
course. Don't urge that az an q.
cuse."
'The fault ia not all mine," 1 q.
tenuated.
She laughed.
Whom are you trying to put It
on?" she asked.
But did not reply, and presently
she inquired more kindly:
"Was what you lost of much value"
"Of the greatest value"
"Pshaw! that's too bad. Have you
tried to recover it," And now .
friendly interest warmed her tones.
Its no use," said I h%opelessly.
But 1 should think you'd try, a.
least" she urged.
l looked at her speculatively.
Il wish 1 dared" I sighed.
" AOSOA' VAy uOA I yOu UdK9J
There are several reasons"
She faced me accusingly.
Are you talking In epigram?" she
suddenly demanded. "You know how
l hate it."
mot at ALL" ! protested; "but, you
see, this didn't really belong to me. l
never possessed it. l hoped that some
day it would be mine, and now 1 have
lost the hope of it. Do you see whA
I mean?"
She put her chin in her palm ant
stared into the fire.
THAT is so different-so altogether
different" she said.
"'But quite as hard to bpar," I in.
sisted. 1T Is no easier to lose the
hope of a thing than to lose tho thing
ITSELF
Perhaps not" she a6raitted,
thoughtfully; "but we have all and q
great many losses of that kind"
II never had a loss like this" l re-
piled seriously, and I arose to panch
the fire and change the subject.
B.tbara, however, was both sympa-
thettn and interested, and also, I
think, she considered this a safe and
comfortable topic and she wished to
avoid others that might not prove
30. So she said:
7 can't e why you have given up
all hope of getting this thing that you
want. You say you dare not make an
other Ay at 1t. But I don't under
stand Is it seine sort of a chairman
ship, had has q been given to some
one else1"
1T is got a craftsmanship" l an.
swered her; "bus, yes, it has been
given to. some one else."
quite i,7evocablS"
II am afraid So"
TIN 80 sorry for Wv"
THANK you. I mead your sym.
pathy."
Then it mcant a great deal to
you?"
She turned in her chair quite sud-
denly and Ecoked at me, tfse question
in her eyes. At TIE momen2s the IRE
began to f1asce and crackle, falling
full on my unwilling face, scd her
eyes, meeting niue, comprehended in
spite of me, wavered, and dropped.
"Oh!" she breathed vesy softly, "oh.
why did you-did you do it,"
"He isn't much of q man who goes
about whimpering, ,is he?" l asked,
trying to smile but making a dismal
failure of it. III the fire had only
smouldered a minute longer you need
never have known. Don't remember
II, and don't let it make any difference
in your-your happiness"
"Don't!" she cried. sho ylt her
face down on the arm of the chair and
left it there a minute, while stood
looking nclplessly down at her. Pzes.
emily she affted her head end looked
at me with eyes filed with scurn.
Il hate myself when I think Of what
you MIST thirk of me-" she flashed.
"Can you think cue kindly thing?"
"Not one," said I. "but a thousand
Her smile waveted through tears,
and she put out her hand to me. She
ought MOTT was q dangerous mo.
ment: there are times when tho hard.
est thing in the world is to- taka the
hand of the woman you love. But shs
didn't know 1t. and l took II.
(TO DE CoNTJAUED)
Hia First Taste ~ Mus+. 4