Year: 1878

changed his mind.


'Not tonight, thank you," b.
said, -"but as my way lies the same
as yours, may l not have tn,
pleasure of your company"


'But | shall have to keep yol
waiting" she said.


''Tis of no consequence" he an
swered; ! will smoke cigar in the
garden here until you are ready"


Left alone, he sat down, anG
lighting his cigar, puffed at it il
gloomy silence.


81 am fool" he thought, bitter
ly; "worse than a fool; what have
that l dare offer her in return fol
such love as hers-a love 50 pur,
and holy that my very dreaming oi
1t makes me feel all the more un
worthy, and yet the mesnest wretch
in the gutter would be gloriied and
raised above the rest of human kind
If the halo of such a love as hel
pure heart could give were cast
around him. But II have wreck.
ed my life, and there is a living bar
rier worse than all between US that
cannot be put aside. 1t makes one
almost believe in the myth of q
heaven where such a woman lives
and breathes-a hell is an estab.
lished fact, and l dwell in its tor.
ments always"


He saw her coming down the
steps, and throwing away his cigar
Joined her.


The gloom of his thoughts still
hung upon him, and they walked
along in silence through the twi,
light that was fast deepening into
dark until they struck into little
woodland path, where the purple
shadows lay thick and dense, and
everything was hushed and silent, ex-
cept the rustic of the wind among
the leaves and the hutter of some
bird out later than the rules of good
society allowed, as he made the best
of his way home to the nest.


GLOW good you are!'' he said,
suddenly and impetuousIy. You
must be one of the angels
that legends tell come some
times unawares aud walk with
menl The very air you breathe
seems made more pure and holy.
Surely from the depths of your sin
less heart you must have pity for
one whose life has been frittered
away and lost. God must have
sent you to the earth to be a guardi
an angel to some poor hopeless
wretch like"


"Like me-" he was going to say,
but he felt the little arm within his
own tremble, and he stopped sud
denly while dark flush mounted to
his brow. "Why will l persist, -
he asked himself reproachfully, Sin
trying to win her love under these
false pretenses and soil this stainless
lily with my own dishonorP"


"Pardon me-" he began aloud,
when a turn in the path brought
them in front of a small cottage.


"Here is the place." she said, and
by the light that streamed from the
window he could see that her face
was flushed. A great tide of anger
against himself swelled through his
breast.


@AIready," he thought, 81 am
bringing nv curse upon, her," but he
smiled as he surrendered the little
basket of delicaeies she had brought
for the sick woman 10 her, and said
he would wait and escort her
home.


She raised the latch and opened
the door, and as she did so he saw
through the opening an old woman
sitting by bed on which lay a
younger woman with dark Span
ish face and long tresses of curling
black hair, and as ne saw, a sound
that was half curse and half cry
burst from his lips, and involuntari-
ly he took step and crossed the
threshold.


The effect of his entrance was no
less marvellous upon the woman.
She started to a sitting posture and
looked at him with wild, staring
eyes, and gasped as though she
wished to speak but could not.


''Ralph Wiltonl" she cried, at
length, shave you not -wrOnged me
enough? Must you track me here to
torture me further? Away, | sayi
60 back to your painted harlot, and
leave me, your deserted wife, to die
in peace."


Ralph Wilton's head was bowed
in shame, and with clasped hands he
knelt by the bed and murmurmed
elena! forgive me-"


The woman did not answer. She
had fallen back upon the bed again,
and the old nurse rose quickly and
laid her hand upon her breast.


"No, Mr.. Wilton" she said, SOL
emnly, "she will never forgive you.
God has taken away the power"


He did not hear. Kneeling by the
bed, his face was buried in his hands
while great sobs that seemed almost
to rend his frame burst from his
lips.


And Beatrice. She had shrank
into a corner of the room, covering
there as though some one had
struck her q death blow. Two hec-
tic spots burned upon her cheeks,
and she seemed to pant for some
where to turn and fly. But when
she saw this strong mans bitter ago
ny, her great, noble heart forgot its
own exceeding pain, and went out
in pity for his. She quickly crossed
the room and laying her hand gent
ly on his arm, bent down to whisp-
or some words of comfort to him.


He started at her touch, and
turning his eyes, red and swollen,
towards her, took the skirt of her
dress aud kissed it.


"God bless you" he sobbed, "you
are nobler and kinder than ever He
was. You did not cast me from you.
Do not condemn too quickly. She
was my wife. l married her when
l was but a boy and she old enough
to be my mother. She had been the
curse of my life. was not faithful