Year: 1873




every week, hoping every mail would bring
her letter, but i'll vain One thing only
had she to cling to, and that was, the fact
that his mother did not hear from him
either He has not forgotten her,
know, said Maud, land | am very sure
he has written to us both.


The first year of his absence had passed,
hen Mrs Lyle received a second letter.
1t was written ia a constrained manner.
He spoke of having written frequently be-
fore, but had received no reply Did not
mention Maud's name at all. She wrote
to him immediately. Imploring him to tell
her the reason IT his long silence, re-
minded him of his promise To write every
week, and begged him to return home at
once.


The second year was half gone, and the
long silence If her lover was beginning to
tell upon Maud. She was not less beauti-
ful, but the round face had become longer,
and the brown eyes were often filled with
tears


1t was at the close Of a sultry day in
September that she was sitting at the open
window of her mothers room, awaiting
her fathers return from the village, W hither
he had gone for the mail A dark cloud
was rising III the West, and the distant
thunder muttered angrily. Not breath
Of air was stirring nature seemed
awaiting the coming storm.


Maud was in better spirits than usual,
and had hurried her father off soon after
dinner saying she felt sure she a get a let
ter. She took her seat at the window, ere
he hal gotten out of sight, to watch for
his return. Her patience was well-nigh
gone, when she saw him coming up the
road.


She ran into the yard To meet him.


Il have package and letter for you,
Maud. he cried


''Oh, father, give them to me. What
made You stay So long


Long Why. came back directly Joe
Melton gave me the mail. He was pre-
pairing t. - away, for some time. | pre-
sume and he did not give me the mail as
soon as got there


Mand did not reply, for she was tearing
the cover III the package London pa
pyr, directed ia a ladys hand, and letter
were it, contents.


She saw at glance that neither the pa
Ter or letter was sent by George, and the
gloom If disappointment fell upon her
face. Opening the paper, she glanced at
its contents.


Was IL fate that made her turn to the
column uf marriages One of the list
had been marked, and she hastened to
read. Her heart seemed turning to stone
as she read that, on the 18th of the pre-
vious month, George Lyle had married
Ella Nelson. The letters swan before
her, and only those two names, and the
one word, married." seemed branded
upon her brain in living fire.


A panoramic view Of her future passed
swiftly before her, and she realized in a
few moments the DIES olation of years
For while she stood, the paper in her
hand, gazing upon the fatal notice, but
sseng nothing save those names and the
one word Then. handing the paper to
her father, she said,


''lt contains the notice of George Lyle s
marriage with Miss Nelson"


Her voice did not falter but, as one
walking in her sleep, she walked away
through the yard gate. TO the orchard, and
thence to a cliff over the river. Her mind
was a chaos she could not think.


She had seated herself upon rock, and





into her pocket. Taking it out, she looked
at the superscription ; the characters were
familiar. but she could not recollect Uhose
they were. 1t was large envelope, such
as are used for official documents She
broke the seal, and smaller package fell
into her lap. She took it up it contain
ed erery letter abe had tcritten George Lyle
since IL wcrt to Europe. The thought Of
foul play, for the first time, flashed across
her mind, and she hastened to read let
ter in the large envelope.


All here was the clue all was plain
now The letter was from Joe Melton,
and ran thus


"MIss HINTON ! shall be bey yond the
reach If your indignant Papa, and the
officers of the law, ere this reaches you
and You learn that the recent marriage of
oar friend is my work. You have proba-
bly, forgotten threat | made to you, some
three years since but l have not forgot
ten It. and well have l kept my word
thanks t. the help of my fair friend, Miss
Ella


You have been very constant to your
absent lover, but your1etters have gone
no farther on their foreign destination
than my trunk. He, too, was equally as
constant, until latter long practice) was
able t. write him a polite little noe, in
your hand. telling him that absence and
the superior charms Of another (no less a
parsonage myself had caused you
to utterly forget your old love, and begged
that he would consider the engagement at
an end, &c.


"Af!er that, my gentleman sent no more
letters to his false lady, and Mama was
allowed to receive one or two, after was
sure that no word Of you was contained in
them. | have thus far made you sc-
quainted with our plan, but there re-
mains little to be told Miss Nelson had
promised to marry me if Id break off the
engagement between her present lord and
yourself. When | received a paper last
week with her marriage in it, sat down
and wrote to George Lyle, returning his
letters to you and disclosing the entire
plot to him. So ] am eren with all parties
now, and wish my lady Ella JOY of her
married life. One thing will tell you.
know he loved you to the last and, if il
will console you any, he knows now that
the letter ! sent him was a forgery.
have loved you, Maud Hinton, since the
first time | met you. You received my
addresses with scorn, and joined YOU
chosen lover in laughing at me. ] have
made you both miserable for life, and-am
satisfied. You will never see me again
and will seek to harrass you no more.
"JoE MELTON"


The letter dropped from Msuds nerve
less fingers, and, with low moan, she
buried her face in her hands. All, better
far better. to have believed him wilfully
false. But to know now, when it was too
late, he had believed her false, had loved
her TO the last, it was too much, and th'
sad heart seemed breaking with its weigh
of anguish.


Her future she could not think upor
only-the past, with its relics Of Joy, wa
there to mock her. HIS voice and laugl
were ringing in her ear she is with hin
| Enk- - ga A.