Year: 1874

independent in her way. But as sht


left without consulting me. did mo-


choose to inquire into her affairs.


He turned away with despairins


pain at his heart. She had gone, gone


in anger and bitterness, jealousy, thai


he might so easily set right, but for q


teasing impulse and passing touch OF


resentment. Gone without leaving a


single trace to tell where he might find


her. Gone without a kindly word Of


forgiveness or farewell out In the wide,


wide world. with only her fair face, her


proud, tender heart, her slender, child


ish hands to fight the stern battle of life
alone.


II have lost her-my littlel'' he muir


INJURED, as he stopped at the tree once
more. II never knew how much l
loved her until nowl"


Six years later, one November after
noon. May Ashley toiled wearily UP the
long stairs to the lawyers office, where
she worked at copying. She glided into
her accustomed seat but paused little
before taking her pen into her tired
fingers, and rested her head upon
her hand.


Six long yearsi And the fame and
the fortune were still so far away. And
the girl of seventeen who had looked the
future in the face, and rushed forward
so eagerly to meet 1t, had learned some
hard lessons since then.


1t came over her with flood of recol-
lections ss she looked out through the
dusty windows from her high seat, over
the tall house-tops to the far blue sky
beyond. The parting by the river side
from the one true love of her lifetime :;
the anger that burned fiercely for little
time. then died out, leaving only pain
and regrets; the long, single e-handed
fight with poverty and discouragement
till the brave heart nearly broke; the
lack of appreciation for the best endeay-
ors; the years of want and toll; the
passionate longing for the love and
tenderness she had so hastily thrown
away the slow wasting of the years
that, after all her glowing dreams, had
only brought her, at last, to a place
where the grinding heel of poverty no
longer pressed; where, by patient,
constant effort, she could be sure of a
livelihood oftolerable comfort-nothing
more.


Was 1t nothing more? Yes, they
had taught her worthy lessons, the fiery
heart and passionate will Of youth, had
given way to womanly sweetness and
strength; the pale face that bent over
the books, had won from these stern
teaching, better meaning than the
sparkle and glitter Of youthful beauty
for the olden willfulness, it spoke now
of patience; for the olden restlessness
it told now of peace. She took the pen
in her fingers and began to write, but
her thoughts were far away. Spite of
all her efforts, there would come between
her eyes and the paper, the shadow of a
face looking at her through the Stiffness
of the September night, with love and
surprise and reproach in the honest
brown eyes. For the thousandth time
the lover of the girl had seemed to come
before her, looking as he had looked
when she turned from him in anger to
see him no more. A sigh rose to her
lips. "Of course, he has forgotten me
He has married no doubt isI will mot
think Of him again."


She resumed her writing, but the
sound Of voices In the inner Office dis
turbed her. The employer was there
talking with some gentlemen who had
come In with him. Usually, May did
not mind this, though she could hear
heir voices distinctly, but this afternoon
'he was in q different mood, and that
The might fix her attention more closely
ipon her work, she rose to close the
ioor. AS she did so, a name dropped
romher employer lips, caught her ear
md held her SPELL


"Thers, Harry, you will find these
'apers all right. Quite nice little for.
une for a young man like you. You're
! lucky fellow"


That's what l tell him, 4" said another
'oice, "but he don't seem to appreciate
lis good luck. He looks as il he were
ding to the gallows instead of coming
nto q nice fortune"
"rhe factis, Harry, said the lawyer,
you have buried yourself In that couu.
~ place so long, you don't know how
enjoy life. In the first place you
lust go into society more, and the next
hing-marry. There are plenty of girls
hat would like TO lift that doleful look |
rOm Vnur faaa and ~ IA . alu... +,