Year: 1874

| DC q happy Wue'


81 have obeyed your wishes, and that is
happiness enough you have been my
father and my friend"


He led her away, and in the calm repose
of that moonlight evening they drove back
to the lonely house which had been the
witness of so many varying scenes, but
where Nellie would find no more the per-
feet rest and peace which had made her
early years so beautiful.


For hours William Sears wandered aim
lessly through the streets, dwelling upon a
single thought which had fired up amid the
leaden weight upon his brain. For the first
time he realized all that he had taken upon
himself-the strife and wild contention had
dispelled the apathetic languor which had
been so long upon his soul, and he grew
mad again beneath the narrowing agony
which came back.


AT length he found himself near the ho-
tel to which he and Mr.. James had driven
upon their arrival He went in, was
shown to room, and sat there through
the whole night, struggling against the
frenzy which seemed rending his very
being.


One idea came up palpable and strong
he must see Catharine once more, it might
be wrong, wicked, he knew not, cared not
he must find her once again After that
it mattered nothing to him what came
death must be near-no human frame
| could long endure the anguish which fe-
vered his veins.


When morning came he went out made
preparations for his departure all with an
outward calmness, but still he had only
one hought-Catharine name rose con-
tinually to his lips, and many times he was
conscious of murmuring it aloud, but still
had no power to check the utterance.


The sunset of that day William Sears
watched out upon the broad ocean-watch-
ed the gorgeous colors brighten and then
fade from the west, burning their gold out
against the pallid sky, as every earthly
hope had burned it's glory to ashes upon
| his heart.


One thing he had refused to do-he would
not go to South America as his father had
arranged. He turned stubbornly back
upon his old path of travel, hoping perhaps
to gather some stray grains of gold from
the heavy soil of the past, or more likely
from vague desire to learn something of
the woman he still loved, but must forever
avoid.


They were on shore at last, and he was
journeying through beautiful Normandy on
to Paris. When he reached the city he did
not intend to see Catharine, but could not
resist wild impulse to inquire about her.
He drove to the house where he had caught
the sole glimpse of paradise this world had
offered him. He was out of the carriage
almost before it stopped, and rushed up to
the old concierge who stood in the entrance
when the man recognized his face, he
called out,


" Madame is gone"


Where, where?"


Really he did not know


William could not breathe in Paris In
another hour his passport was signed and
he speeding on in that aimless journey.
For two days and nights he did not sleep,
scarce tasted morsel a burning thirst
consumed him which no draught could
allay, but the very sight of food was sicken-
ingly loathsome He exchanged railway
carriages for the diligence, but hardly
noticed the change, the one seemed not
slower or more tedious than the other He
reached Geneva, but he could not rest
there, hurrying forward, still forward.


The sun was setting as William descend
ed at the little inn in the village of Cham
ouni. He was so exhausted that he could
scarcely stand, but he left the house, passed
down a lane to a road which wound through
the open fields, and stood in the very shad-
ow of Mont Blanc The village bells were
ringing for vespers, filling the air with
their clear melody; floods of mingled gold
and rose-color bathed the distant peaks,
and spread like veil over the narrow val
! ley, while above him lowered the summit
of the mountain, dazzling in its awful
whiteness, and lending solemn majesty
to the whole scene. Sears remained trans
fixed SO near that she might have heard
the sound of his footsteps stood Catharine,
motionless, amid the stern grandeur of
Natures solitude


He knew not if he cried out, but she
turned, saw him, took few steps forward
and sank into his extended arms.


"You have come back, William oh,
knew that you had not left me forever |"


Then the tide of manorv surgad ovar hie