Year: 1875




It was one she should have been
used to, and now the absurdity of
it seemed to strike her for the first
time in all these years.


They laugh at me, she muttered
to herself. / know they laugh at
me. Perhaps 1 am mad; but they
don't know what love is. Charlie
wouldn't have left me like that. If
he had died he would have given
me some sign; and, yet-if he were
alive, it would be stranger still. No,
no, they are right. 1 am wrong.
He must be dead.


And as though the new had Just
been whispered to her, she clasped
her hands to her forehead, gave a
cry, and sank down on her knees in
theroad.


She knelt there few moments
and then arose. In this interval, the
wind had blown the clouds from
the sky, and the moonlight lay white
upon the path, and lit her on her
way " uCl pun uOlAC'


There at her door sat a man, a
strong determined looking fellow,
who arose as she approached and
held out his hand.


Here you come, he said, tired to
death, worn out, still on, that fruit
less errand. Jessie Lester, can't
you give up this nonsense and think
of the living little. Think of me,
Jessie, for Just half an hour.


l do think of you, she said. l am
very sorry you shonld be so good to
me, when l must seem so bad to
you.


Then she sat down on the porch
and took her little hood off, and
leaned her head wearily against the
wall of the house, and the man arose
and crossed over and sat down be-
side her.


Give it a softer resting, Jessie,
he said, here on my heart.


She looked out into the night, not
at him, as she spoke.


Job, she said, l begin to think
that you are right, that he went
down IN the Sphynx with the rest
ten years ago. But what good
will that do you? What do you
want to marry me for?


The man drew closer still as he
answered.:


Before you were married to Charles
Lester loved you. While you
were married woman l loved you.
All these ten years since that vessel
went down I've loved you. A man
must have the woman he loves if he
gives his soul for her.


What horrible thought! said she.
His soul!


1 should have said his life, said
Job. / don't want to shock you.
But you don't know what it would
be to me to have you. And then
I'll do everything for your boy.


Yes, she answered. l know you
would.


There was a pause. Then she
gave him her hand.


Job, she said, very softly, I shall
pretend nothing I don't feel, but 1
know Tve been crazy all this time,
and if you want me you may have
me. It's very good of you to love
me so.
And thus it seemed to have end
ed, that ten years watching and
waiting, and there was triumph in
Jobs eyes as he turned away and
left her with the first kiss upon her
lips. But at the end of the green
lane he paused and looked back,


told her the truth, he said, when
1 said that when a man loved a wo-
man as l loved her, he must have
her, if the price were his soul itself.
And then he drew from his breast a
lettet with a great red seal upon it,
looking at it for moment, and hid
it away again: :.--


Married. Yes, they were to be
married. : Every one at M'Kibben's
Corners knew that now, Jessie Les
ter went no more to the postofice
for her long expected letter. Job
was furnishing his house-had fur
nished it, for on the,morrow the we'd
ding was to take place: And it was
night again. A month, from that
night, when she had come for the
last time, as every one thought,
through rain and mud, to make heI
sadly foolish query, she was sensible
at Iast-very sensible. She had
chosen the substance instead of the
shadow.


And now, as we said, it was night,
and wetter one than that other one
later, too, for Mr.. Fairjohn had
closed his store, and was compensing
himself with what he called a night
cap of some fragrant liquor, water
lemons and sugar, and was supping
| it in by the stove, when there came
upon his door a feeble knock and
4 when, being repeated, he heard therC
staggered in out of the rain drip
ping figure-that of jessie Lester
the bride who was to be on the NOR
row.


She was trembling with cold, and
as he led her to the fire she burs
into a flood of tears.


Pm frightened, she said. Som,
one followed me all the way.
heard them.


You've no business to be out alone
at night, said old Fairjohn, bluntly
And what's the matter?
- She looked up at him Plteously'


I thought there would be letter,
she said. 1 dreamed that there wa'
one, l thought Charlie came to me
and said, Go to the Office once more
1 have written, 1 have written
And thought l saw letter with q
red seal.


So did,, muttered old Fairiohl
to himself.


He went to the box where tn,
letters were kept, and brought then
to her in his hand.


Look for yourself, he said. And
now Mrs. Lester, Pm an old man
Take my advice. Remember wha
your duty will be after tomorrow
Remember not to 60 crazy.
Ten years have gone since you
husband left this place. If he's aliV'
he's rascal, and you are free o