Year: 1879

doesn't know it, and there's no use in
her worrying over me. She couldn't
help me il she knew


Is it serious, Robert? 2 Her eyes
were grave now, as they rested question
ingly on his face.


Don't ask me to tell you anything
more about it, he said, turning abruptly
away.


Men have lived through it before now
and l shall,' he added with another
laugh. Don't bother your head about
me, Helen, but enjoy yourself as best
you can


It was a pleasant ride home, in spite
of the thoughts that would keep coming
into Robert Braith's mind. She was by
his side and he loved her.


The old summer seemed to come back
again, with its Eight which never was
on land or sea- to Robert. The dream
Of hi, heart was Just as sweet as it had
been in the vanished days. She had
not changed at all since then, but she
was the same winning woman who had
won his heart away, and would keep it
forever.


The days passed like charmed ones,
with rows upon the river, and long, de-
lightful walks at sunset time with songs
in the brief, delicious evenings, and
quiet talks about books and the men and
women who wrote them. Robert was
not her inferior in the culture which
comes from good books; because he Was
farmer was no reason why he should
be ignorant and uncultiyated. He had
studied, and formed wide acquaintance
with earnest, Thoughtful men-through
the books they had writton-and in this
way he had educated himself to much
higher level than most of the young men
Helen Hunt met in her OWN circle of
society at home. But, because he lacked
their self esteem and conceit, Robert
always thought of himself as lacking
something in mind and manners, which
those she came in contact with in her
own sphere of life ought to have, and did
have, for all he knew to the contrary.
Perhaps he was right in thinking that
they ought TO have it, But she could
have told him they did not always.


One day Jerome Alstyne came out
from the city. Robert had heard that
lie was lover of Helen's and he was sure
of it when he saw the mans face at their
meeting. But Helen showed no sudden
gladness as ought to express itself in the
face OF woman when she meets the man
she loves, and Robert felt satisfied that
she did not care for Alsiyne as he did for
her, and the thought brought a sense Of
exultation to him.


Alstyne did not stay long. When he
went away he carried a face which had a
look Of defeat in it, lie had striyen to
win the woman he loved, and had failed.
From the bottom of his heart Robert
pitied him. Ee had not liked the man
very well before, but when he drove
down to the station with him, and saw
how deeply he felt the loss of what he
had hoped TO win, feeling of kindness
came over him. Must they not bear
henceforth a sorrow which came Of low.
ing one neither might possess?


'Braith, you arc sorry for me--you
pity ne, he said. Il thank you for it..
You understand what there is to pity me
for. You can well afford to pity me,
since you have won what I lost. wish
you all the happiness I had hoped for
myself.


II don't understand you,' Robert
said, with strange thrill at his heart. i
have won nothing you would haYe priz-
Cd.


DO you call Helen Hunts love moth
ing| Alstyne cried. L would give the
world for it, if had it to give"


you are Mistaken Robert answered
Il, but Alstyne interrupted his.


I am not blind, he said She loves
you, and you will find it out when the
day comes for you to tell her what you
must some day


She lived him. There was a world of
rapture III the thought. But-and the
haunting spectre which comes to sit by
your hearth and mine came into his heart
theu-their ways in life were so wide
apart that they conld not be bridgel
over. He could never ask this woman
to stoop to his lowly life. And he could
not lift himself to hers. And yet she
loved himl He could not for one no.
ment forget that. And to know it was
SO sweet, SO unutterabIy sad.


The days after that went more like a
dream than ever. He tried to keep away
from her, but his heart would not LET
him.


He tried to school himself to the
thought that, since he might not have
her for his own, he ought not to think OF
her IS man thinks of the woman he
hopes to win. But he could not do that.
He could only love her, and tell himself
that his love was but vain one.


But it could not always go on in that
way. Fate took the matter in her own
hands at last.


Robert was at work in the meadow one
afternoon. The loaded wagon was driv-
en- to the barn, and he sat down to rest
until its return. As he sat there. Helen
came down the lane. She saw him, and
came across the meadow and sat beside
him, under the old apple tree.


What they talked about he never could
tell. He remembered in vague way.
that they saw darkening sky, but that
was all, until the sudden fury of the
summer shower broke npon them. a
fash pf niiy1Iino briuhtuacu = mr. Fro,,-