Year: 1879

Men easily forget" she thought.


and with the thought, she sighed.
The winter wore 10 an end. and slow
" the invalid grew weaker and more


weak. The shock had been greater


than her nervous system could bear.


and she sank under it dav bv day, until
the exertiOn of moving from her bed to
| her couch became too great. when. for


the first time, the realization burst upon
/ her daughter that she was soon to be


left desolate indeed


Earl, during these months, came and


went as of old; but sometimes Irene
| asked herself if his words to her had
not been dream.


Not once did his ewes rest on her with the
| old look-not once did he hold for sin
gle moment the little fingers within his
own and sense of empty disappoint-
ment, none the less bitter because un-
| acknowledged, brought to the proud
young eyes many an unshed tear. But
the bltterer sorrow was in store, as the
lnvalid's rest approached more and
more near, until the Angel of Death
stopped and gathered her TO his breast
Earl was there at the last, and as she
lay so quietly there on her pillows-they
thought her spirit had hown-she sud
denl Y reused, and laid her daughters
hand in his


Take her!" she said, Il give her to
you I"


Then her eyes closed forever.


DO not mind it she meant only rs
brother, Irene" he said, in comfort,
days after, to the weeping girl, and
Irene wondered why she could not as
such accept it.


So the weary days merged into weeks,
the weeks into months, and the proud
spirit learned its own bitterness. She
saw Earl rarely nowhere was no lon
ger the invalids impatient demand
upon his time. Some of the old friends
had come forward in this second hour of
suffering but through all she missed
him, and the thought that he had
learned forgetfulness, brought her no
comfort. She was thinking of him one
evening when he entered.


Il am going away, Miss Irene he /
said. "Will you bid me God speed ?"


The old pride struggled for mastery
against the choking in the slender throat /
but the words she strove to utter refused .
TO come. ?


81 have been studying law during
these years of hard work, and am able .
to wait for the practice | hope will come.
You will think of me sometimes, Irene ;
and if in trouble, remember the words .
| once said: That / stand always ready
to act the part of friend. Is even
this asking too much ?" he added, as
her silence continued.


Had he, then, forgotten all his words
the love he had said was hers forever
or did its pale ghost lie buried too ?
But she must speak; she must not let
him know.


Goodbye !" she faltered then spite
of herself the words she had thought +
locked in her heart burst from
her: Earl, do not go ; l cannot bear
it ~


Irene !" Where had his icy indiffer-
ence fed now? His face was pale ; his
voice trembled in its struggle for calm
ness. "What matters it to you p


Everything !" she exclaimed, as her
pride lay with folded wings at her feet
cor if you must go, take me with you J"


'Irene, do you know what your words
| can take you only as my +
wife? My darling, is this true p


But in answer she sprang into his /
open arm, dimly realizing that the color :
her cheeks was the abhorred
red flag with which she had announced
herself to the highest bidder, but Earl,
holding her close to his heart, will yield
his prize nevermore.