Year: 1879

Yet when twelvemonth had passed, hls bitterness began to be something less in degree; occasionally 8 ray ot sense would break upon his gloom, and the thought would come to him that, after all, he had never once spoken oi marriage to Emily Travers in so many words; he had taken everything fo1 granted; he had left the way open fol any other beggar that chose to come along. Why, he asked, had he ever doubted Emily? She loved him today like brother, as she had always done. Loved him like brother Not she, he would reply to himself, when he had felled her lover to the ground, and had flung her from him like a snake. She had reason to hate him, he said of course she did hate him.

 Life looked dark enough to Norman Macpherson at that time, and you may be sure he made no effort to set things right but, with the persistency of his Scottish race, he fitted his back to bear the burden; and when the three years cruise was over, he made no visit to his home at all but got another term of sea service, much to the relief of some one else who wished to stay ashore.

 As for Emily, she had not been sure that night that she was not beside her. self. Talking to the young naval officer who was going to marry Sophy-a secret she had kept at Sophy's requirement., aud concerning which she had often drawn on her fancy for Norman's pleasure and surprise when she should be allowed to tell him-addressing him affectionately, as she felt toward one so soon to be her brother, and answering his threat of taking Sophy away by begging him not to part her from her sister, suddenly white maniac with blazing eyes had appeared in the window, an uplifted arm had fallen, the shrieking Sophy had run to lift the head of her senseless lover, and Norman was gone, What it all meant she could not conjecture, and she was too stunned to make the effort. She went about as if she were moving statue; every thing seemed to go on long, long way beyond her view; she was waiting for a word that did not come and when day after day and week after week crept by, and no explanation came from Norman, and she knew nothing of his whereabouts. except the official statement, she realized that her world had collapsed with it.

 When Emily came up from that sick ness 1t was like one emerging from the dark valley of the shadow of death, and some of tho shadow still clung to her there was look on her pale face as if she were gazing into land beyond. Sophy was married, and went away; her mother closed the house, and took Emily to Europe, sitting down at last in a little town on the eMediterranean shores. where they could pick up their scattered threads, and see if they were still Amer jeans and the days went by 80 quietly, with the slow rising and falling of the blue water of the tideless sea like an indolent breath beside them, that they hardly knew how many of them passed. If they were not happy days to Emily, n either were they entirely unhappy; only there seemed to be nothing to look forward to, and, except her mother, nothing to live for. She used to go among the people little, to take long walks along the sea-wall at sunrise and at sunset, to watch the white wings of the ships as they went in and out and one day was just as monotonous as another, and she did not care whether they staid in this place or went on toward another; she simply felt that she could not go home to that hateful house where all the misery happened.

 Nor was there any giddy variety in Norman's days-out of sight of shore, the sun coming up and going down as if by machinery, and he only glad to be in harbor for the sake of putting to sea again. Indeed, it sometimes made h1m furious to see the eagerness of the young men for the pleasures of the shore, and it was so seldom that he joined them that he earned mention with the com mander as the most morose man afoat.

 One day, being in Asiatic waters, the officers of the Attaseck, that had paused on her way from more southerly har- Dor, came on board, and as they stepped on the deck, almost the first person that Norman saw was tall, dark, handsome fellow with scar across his forward. In an instant he had turned upon his heel, and was striding to another part of the ship, before he knew what he was doing, or could make up his bewildered mind to action in relation to this man. who must long since have been Emily's hus- band, as he reasoned. But he was not so quick that another foot did not come striding after, and hand was laid upon his shoulder in manner that made him wheel about at once.

 "Well, MT. Macpherson" said the stranger, in great honest voice, "ac- cording to all the laws of society, I be- ieve you owe me some satisfaction and I have come to claim il"

 Dy aAA HOoAS1 S1I, SaAu hEs MdC- pherson, mechanically, with bow.

 And then the stranger broke into a hearty laugh, "And I won't say any thing" he exclaimed, "about your out rage to your superior officer, but, by love p he cried, with another peal oi laughter, cit serves you right. Did you suDpose all tha world wanted to marry your Emily, you conceited monkeyi Sophy was girl much more to my mind, let me tell you. Sophy has been my wife this many month. And it was oi Sophy that Emily was speaking wher you took the law into your hands. ]