Year: 1872

If you can't forgive me, I'm afraid God won't
either


She held out her hands imploringly, as she
spoke. Even in the midst of the dull despair
that filled his heart, he felt ray of pity for
the poor conscience.stricken creature, then
beseeching him to pardon the act by which
his whole life had been so strangely altered
the revelation of which had cast him so sud-
denly from the height of his prosperity down
into an abyss of helpless, hopeless wretched-
ness and bewilderment


81 forgive you, Sarah" he said touching
her hand for moment with his His voice
sounded strangely in his own ears he seemed
to be some one else-to have lost his own
identity, with his fortune and his name.


"Bless you for that! God bless you for
those words !" said Sarah, fervently. 81
feared you never could bring yourself to say
them."


"And no one ever knew of-of what you
have told me" Brooke forced himself to ask
presently. He wanted to hear the whole Of
the miserable tale


mo one, dear; not living soul. I lost
my husband shortly after, and my grief for
him swallowed up my other thoughts for
awhile; then Mr.. and Mrs. Eversham came
home, and carried you to them, and they
praised me up for the care I had taken Of you
and said you had grown so fine and strong
schooled myself to listen to their praises with
out shrinking, though I felt as if I must sink
into the earth with shame, at the knowledge
of what I'd done and, having once faced that
out and seen them satisfied, it all seemed made
easy. And as years went on and saw what
fine, noble boy you we're, and 50 clever and
good too, I began to think that what had
done was all right, for you deserved to be rich
and grand; and then your brother was 80
weakly was always thinking maybe be might
die and who so fit to be master of everything
as you? And so I got used to it like, and
didn't worry over it more than 1 could help
until these last few months, when it's just been
pressing forever on my mind. And when
this mortal sickness came, something whisper
ed to me to send for you and tell you right
away, or I'd have no peace with God"


"And was there no clue-not the least sign
by which anything could be known concern
ing me?"


mo, dear-not one. You were nice,
clean looking little thing, and your clothes
were all good and carefully put on, though
plain. Whoever put you there must have
been very particular to guard against any
body finding them out"


Brooke sighed, a deep, heart-rending sigh
Every avenue to the hope of discovering his
name and parentage seemed closed. He felt
himself cast utterly adrift in the world ; his
whole past life a bright delusion and mockery,
his whole future blank, void and shapeless.


Old Sarah, after a few more rambling re-
marks and fearful protestations which Brooke
scarcely heard, relapsed into silence; and he
sat there, staring at the dull expiring embers
on the hearth, trying to shape his thoughts
into some sort of order, and unconscious OF
the flight of time, until loud, impatient
neigh from his horse, which he had left fasten-
ed outside, reused him from his abstraction.


"The poor beast must be cold and tired" he
muttered. "There's no good in my staying
here any longer, suppose, so 1 may as we'll
60 home"


Home! The word was mockery. He had
no home.


"To my brothers house." he corrected him
self.


That, too, was mockery. Who was his
brother?


The thought of Arly brought tears for the
first time to his eyes. "1t will nearly kill
him." he thought. "He must not know yet."


Old Sarah had fallen asleep. She looked
very i'll and haggard, but he did not see any
sign of immediate danger, or any reason for
farther delay at her cottage; so he went into
the next room, reused the children, who were
all huddled on the floor asleep, told them he
was going home and they had better look af-
ter their grandmother, and that he would ask
DR.. Harris to visit her in the morning; then
mounting into his buggy he set off in the di-
rection of Oaklands.


1t was clear moonlight night, and selim
trotted we'll. An hour brought him to the
gate; the sleepy negroes did not hear his whis-
tie, so he was obliged to alight and open it
for himself. "It makes no difference" he
said bitterly, "I have no right to their servi-
ces now." Actuated by this reflection he
made no farther attempts to rouse them, but
carried his buggy and horse to the stable, un,
harnessed Selim and placed him in his stall,
and then let himself with his latch key into
the house, went up stairs and flung himself
all dressed as he was, upon the bed.


There was no sleep for his eyes that night,
no rest for his excited brain, through which a
million perplexing thoughts chased each other
in wild confusion. So entire revulsion had
been given to his feelings, so extreme was the
shock they had received, that it was no won
der he could not yet clearly weigh his situa'
tion, or form any definite plan of future action


One thing he was resolved on. He must
quit Oaklands. He had no right to be there
it was Arlys place and not his. Whittier he
should 90, he must leave for time to decide
only he felt, and the thought struck anguish to
his hearts core, that in the whole wide world
there was not one spot Of ground that he could
call his home


II am wanderer On the face of the earth,
he thought "The curse Of Cain is upon me,
though I have committed no crime to merit
it."


Md than In bis crloona and hewil dermenf