Year: 1874

"Yes; have fingered here too long
already This summer has been a very
pleasant one to me. One of the pleas
ATTEST summers of my life, think.


Can you guess what it has been to
me 2" he asked suddenly. Il have
learned lesson in it that never tried
to learn before. l have learned to love
to iove you",


His earnest eyes were on her face His
words were full of passionate strength
and tenderness. Beneath his gaze, she
felt how unworthy she was of such a love
as he gave her.


81 am sorry, she said, slowly.


He started, growing pale.


WHY he asked


"Because-this letter is from the man
l am to marry"


He answered not word, but his eyes
lwerc on her face in strange, half doubt
ing gaze Could these words OF hers b,
trueY Could it be that the woman he
had thought to be so. true aud womanly,
and who had let him go on learning to
love her, knowing all the while to what
he was drifting, was the promised wife OF
anotherl How he had been deceived in
his estimate of her! think the shock
which John Rainsford's faith in woman s
truth received was, at that moment, full
as strong Us that which her answer gave
the love he held for her. To him she
was the ideal woman the type Of woman
kind and, proving her untrue. he doubt
ed all, because he had been 80 cruelty
deceived in her.


She saw the lines Of pain about hls
mouth.


Z" / am sorry, she began.


But he stopped her.


t." he said. leave the matter
as it is 1t is better so. No words OF
yours are needed to soften the blow.
shall get over it in time, l think, without
them.


"If | had known" she said, but
again he interrupted her.


:" ! am going, now. hope you will
be happy and never regret whatyou have
done, but some day think you will see
what pitiful amusement it is to win q
mans love, just for the sake Of winning
it. Good BY"


And John Rainsford was gone.


Eight years passed, bringing strange
changes with them.


Kate Warfeld, in the years gone by
since that summer afternoon when she
made her choice between the men who
loved her, had become wife and wild
ow.


In all those years she had not succeed
ed in forgetting John Rainsford-she
had tried to do so. Her husband had
been kind to her. He had lavished his
wealth upon her. But she could not love
him. She nau been n true anu -fuitarful
wife to him. that is, if a woman can be
such without love, but all the while q
memory urked in her heart of sum.
mer time that had been strangely sweet
and pleasant because of the love that had
come to her in it


The years had also brought changes to
John Rainsford. lie had become a sue
ccssful man People began to point him
out AS one of the most promising men in
the political world.


One night there was party at one of
the Senator's houses in Washington.
The beauty and talent of the season were
there. The scene was like one from en-
chantment. Light shown on gay, bright
faces full Of the glad excitement Of youth
and life, and on older and sobcrer faces,
for whom the novelty and freshness of
such gatherings had worn off Jewels
flashed and sparkled and lent an added
brilhancy to the scene. The air was full
of strange and sweet perfumes. The
| "a al. Io
band made the air vibrant with exquisite
melody.


Kate Leith, in dress Of some rich
fabric, that set off the beauty of her face
to perfection, looked out upon the scene
with hope stirring in her heart that was
very sweet and tender. The man who
had loved her in the years gone by was
there She was free now, and she knew
that she loved him. IL, in all these years,
he had not forgotten herr


And then the womans heart stirred
with feeling that was inexpressibly ten
ter. Her life had lacked something that
gold could not purchase 1t was love
that she had needed to make her life
what the life Of every woman ought to be,


A swift color flashed into her cheeks
He was coming toward her, with a sweet
faced woman leaning on his arm.


He saw her, and came forward with
outstretched hand


:" ! am happy to meet you once more
he said. Her eyes dropped under his
gaze, and a soft, happy light came and
went in them. She gave him her hand
with an eagerness that told how glad she
was to see him.


"Allow me to present my wife. Lois
this is an old friend Of mine, Mrs
Leith.


Every trace Of color faded from the
woman's face. But she gave his wife
her hand in a smiling welcome, and mur'
INJURED few words Of congratulaton,
while her heart was covering up sweet
hope that had met swift and sudden
death. So true it is that smiles can hide
an aching heart = Western Rural
A WISE PARENT.-Sophronius, wise
| IA Ia, M,