Year: 1874

is true. 1 have made you incur risk.
But you have not forgotten, perhaps,
that it was not until all other resources
had failed, that i sought to save you
from the needless selfishness of society,
by interposing between you and it?
Possibly might have done it more cir
eumspectly than have. But to man
situated as / am, in the prime of his
days on earth, to ignore entirely his So
eial nature, is defrauding himself of the
object of his existence, and compelling
his own martyrdom.


az call God to witness, and you to
witness, that have done what have
done, with every respect TO you,. and
with regard to your entire welfare. I
did it without laying single obligation
upon you, while I risked my own future
peace in the experiment. For ii is not
in the nature of things that should be-
come so Intimately acquainted with you
should see you ever gaining in beauty
and every charm that belongs to the
best Of your sex-without thinking Of q
possible happiness.


ado not look so terrified. Let me
finish what have to say. | have not
Intentionally sinned-if sin it be to
love that which is loveable. / have
generally avoided ladies' society; but
circumstances compelled me to interest
myself in you. And when little by lit
tie beheld unexpected traits of charac-
ter, as we'll as constantly developing
personal attractions, l yielded, at first
reluctantly, at last willingly, to the
temptation. You needed what had to
give, for the present. l needed what /
should have tried to win for myself in
the future-a true, sweet wife. Judith,
l love you with singleneas of devotion
you will find it hard to match in your
knowledge of men; not with any selfish
passion, but with every Intelligent fibre
of my soul; and all the better and more
purely that have had TO put such
strong restraint upon myself. If it is
wrong, God help me, l know not what
is rightu'


1t was well for Judith that she did
not love this man; that the old infatua-
tion for Mr.. Shultz had prevented her
heart turning to him, and that she re-
garded him as she might have regarded
a generous relative, i'm whom authority
and protection were blended; else, the
sight of his trouble might have confused
her Judgment. AS it was, she leaned to
mercy's side. He had been so good to
heri He was himself so unfortunate,
how could she be hard on him? The
tears kept springing to her eyes.
at is difficult thing to decide-the
absolute right of things" she said,
gently and sadly. 'T suppose it must
be determined by our relations to 9TH
ers, and their involvement in our ac-
tions. 1 cannot feel like uttering your
condemnation. 1 am under too many
obligations to you, and the old habit oI
personal regard is too strong upon me
yet. I only can say that it must bC
wrong for you to cherish such feeling:
as you have spoken of for me. Neither
situated as you were, ought you to have
given, nor to have accepted, such aid
and protection as you have given me
Kindly as it was meant, it must com
plicate the difficulties of my position il
the world"


"Do not say so, Judith If you be
lieve in my integrity; if possibly some
time my hope of compensation for pas
misfortunes may be realized, all is no
vet lost. In order to avert scandal
should that woman's story get afloat,
will absent myself entirely, until sucl
time as 1 am free from bonds. A suffi
cient sum of money shall be placed a
your disposal for you to continue you
education at Madam Ms; or, if yoI
prefer it, you can remove to some insti
tuition in the East, out of the way O
disagreeable rumors, or the chance O
my following you" And Major Floy'
eagerly perused her countenance for de
niaI or consent.


"Do you think 1 would stake none.
from you again, Major Floyd ?" aske
Judith, with dignity. 'Tnstead of that
my first care will be to repay what l al
ready owe you" Then, feeling that sin
must seem ungratefuI, she added frank


ly: "But thank you'll thank you


thousand times for the real benefits yo


have SO generously bestowed on me
and do not think it wrong to be CRATE
full"


The Major rose and paced the roor


with those impatient gestures a ma
uses when he feels that Fate is agains
him-that he might as well war wit
wind-mills as wrestle with circun


stances.


"You make an end of everything


then? You return to the battle of th
babies, according to your lady friends
and dare the dull weight of your lionel
ness and misery TO crush you? o, il


dith, Judith, L know you better tina
you know yourself, and you will "
, find the need of such care as / woul
: give you-win cry out for it in yor
; pain and dread, as child cries for i


mother in the dark" and pausing in b
restless movements about the room, f
stood regarding her bent head and d.
jected air, her white hands twistin
nervously in her lap, with eyes as moi
) as her own.


"Fhink better of it, Judith. Leave