Year: 1874

The sweet voice paused and the blu


eyes had far away dreamy look Ger


aid Vane sitting there by her side watch


ed the color come and go in the clea


transparent skin at last with sigh sh


turned to him and said, Il" Do you know


there is something in Owen Meredith


poems touches my heart and makes i


cry out with despair" and in low


dreamy tone she went on repeating thu


rest of "Aux Italiens."


Gerald Vane knew she would come


out of her dreamland soon, so he sal


there quietly watching the shadows play


at their feet.


These two, Gerald Vane and Mabel


Warning, had grown up together and
their childish love had grown with them,
indeed, he did not know when he had
not worshipped Mabel Warning, and
when at last he ventured to tell his love
and had won her promise to be his, be
felt that his happiness was complete.


Now as they sat there under the old
tree, she in her girlsh beauty, dreaming
idle dreams, he with his broad shoulders
and dark handsome face, they seemed
well suited to each other.


Mabel, | have something to say to
you, Gerald said at last. She turned
her blue eyes toward him with ques-
tioning look; &c am going away very
soon" he continued.


Going awayl" she repeated. g Yes" /"
he said, "you know l am poor and must
get cage for my birdie before 1 can
claim her. | have had an offer to go to
England and enter wholesale house
there as a junior partner; it is better
than | can do here, and we will not have
to wait so long, darling.


Oh, Gerald, what shall / do without
you," said Mabel.


You must be my own patient dar-
ling, he said with tender caress. "Your
father will never consent to our union
until can place you in the position you
now occupy, and it will be many years
before can do that, unless l accept this
offer.


But, Gerald, the time will be SO long
while you are away" and the blue eyes
were full of tears as she raised them to
his face.


" Not longer than it will be to me, my
precious one. | shall write you every
mail and you must do the same, for your
letters will cheer and comfort me in my
new home"


Long they talked there under the old
tree, until the length ening shadows
warned them that it was time to part.


Gerald was to sail from New York the
following Saturday, and this was Tues
day, SO soon, it almost seemed to Mabel
that the parting was more than she could
bear, but under the fair girlish exterior
was brave, true woman's heart she |
would not make the trial harder for him
SO putting on brave face, she employed
herself in many little useful things for
his comfort while he should be away, for
Gerald had no mother nor sister.


In the solitude of her own room, Ma
bel would give up to bitter tears, for
heir parting seemed forever. The short
lime Gerald had to remain with her soon
passed away, and one beautiful morning
'he parted from him under the old tree
'he could not have any eyes upon her
when she said good bye to him.


Two years have passed away and
here have been many changes. To
Gerald they have brought prosperity.
He is still in England, but is busily max.
ng arrangements to return to his native
and in hopes of finding Mabel, for he
has bad no word from her for over
year. That she is false he will not be.
ieve; the letters have been miscarried
,r she is ill, he reasoned once home and
Ill will be explained.


We will leave Gerald and follow the
ortunes of Mabel for the last two years.
For a while after Gerald left her she
ave up to her bitter grief. There was
10 one to offer comfort and hope to her
orrowing heart. She had lost her moth.
r eight years before, and her father, /
Judge Warning, had never understood 8
lis child he was cold proud man, who
pent most of his time amid his books !
e had entered into heavy speculations
DON after Gerald left, and had lost near
? all of his once handsome property. ,
was hard for Mabel to leave the old 9
ome where she had been so happy with {
ierald, but the few hundreds left to them +,
Tould hardly allow them to keep it.


Judge Warning, unable to bear the
hook, had been attacked with paraly- a
IS, and upon Mabel came the planning d
nd arrangement of such things as they i
Iished to retain; she had hired three {