Year: 1874




did not understand, and could not evade.
Still, she kept silence, and waited for his
words, Swords which, when they came
pierced her like sword.


Mrs. Hannaford, think l must 20
away tomorrow. 1t is midsummer and
all the hay is down." r5


" But thought" she faltered, timidly,
"you were to stay the summer through"


$50 should, if all things had been as of
old. 1t is not good for me to be here un-
der the new regime"


" have tried" she began and then she
stopped. Her tears cholked her. She could
not go on, and tell him, in simple common
places, that she had tried to make him
comfortable.


eff you had done no more than you
tried to do all would have been WE'LL" he
cried, his tones fervent with sudden pas
sion. 81 saw you just what you were, and
your husband just what he was. 1 saw
how much it was in you to give to some
man how little you were even asked to
give to him. God help us both, for have
learned to love you. 1 covet my neigh
boris wife-I dare not stay here"


Sho said nothing but he heard through
the stiffness the bitter sobbing which she
strove to smother 1t was more than he
could bear. He crossed over to her, but
he did not take her in his arms. Some
shield of purity was about her which still
held him away from her, though he was
close at her side.


Carrie" he said, calling her for the
first time by her name, "I must go away
tomorrow but you shall go, too, if you
will. Your love would be worth to me any
sacrifice. What would mine be worth to
your You know just how much your hus-
band cares for you. You have seen what
life with him is. Do you think it would
break his heart to lose you? tell you, no.
He would very composedly get divorce
from you, and marry more wisely next
time. You would be free in few months,
ard the moment you were free, you should
be my wife. So help me God, 1 would
deal honorably with you. Don't you be-
lieve me ?' h


He caught low Yes," murmured un-
der her breath "Then will you come? /
think can make life a different thing for
you from what it ever has been. You shall
know what it is to be loved by man with
a mans heart in him. Will you come, or
will you settle back ON the old life, and
send me away alone to curse the fate that
ever brought me to the knowledge of
you?" ,,t


He stopped, and then she could hear his
heart beat in the silence. Temptation be-
set her sorely. How sweet this love would
be of which he spoke-this love for which
she had SO hungered--this passionate
lovers love, which Joseph Hannaford
would never give her. She had tempera-
ment to which love was the supreme thing
1t was her one idea of Heaven. But she
had not gone for enough away from the in
nocence of childhood for her guardian
angel to have forsaken her. Clearly, as if
some human voice had spoken it, she heard
a whisper, which came again and again,
and would be obeyed-" Pray p She got
up at last, and saying to Hugh Waring
nothing but "Wait," went away to her
own room.


In the darkness she did not see her hus-
band, who sat there in an armchair, too
tired to care for light, and waiting for
her. He would have spoken, but somehow
he felt the excitement Of her mood, and
silenced by it. She knelt down, and tried
to obey the voice. But she could not col
lect her thoughts, and only two words
would come, over and over again" Help,
Lord, helpP'


Vaguely Joseph Hannaford comprehend
ed that she was passing through the crisis
of an agony such as he, in all his placid
life, had never experienced or Witnessed
Some intuition withheld him from trying
to comfort her-made him feel how idle
would be any consolation which he could
offer; but when at last She left the room,
he arose and stole softly after her. A
deep, yearning tenderness for her filed his
soul full. He thought he had never loved
her half so well in his life; and what this
trouble was which was breaking her heart
he must know


Downstairs she went and into the dim
room where Hugh Waring waited for her ;
and her husband stood just outside the
open door, and listened breathlessly for her
words. She spoke at first with a certain
feverish eagerness, as If she doubted her
own strength, and must hurry through
with what she had TO say before it failed