Year: 1876

ever quarreled in our liyes-oh, you need
not smile-and | am very sorry, though /
wouldn't own it to him if he were here, :"
willfully shaking my head, Don't you
think it is hard to say good-by even when
one is not angry?"


'Jettv," he said impulsively, 'What a
little child of nature you are I've seen
hundreds of women more beautiful than
you, accomplished, elegant, full Of grace; :;
but | never saw such simple. lovable,
childish nature in all my life. You are a
revelation to me, darling. every day of
my stay here; you are my inspiration, my
delight. Life was nothing until you be-
came part of it; and now-now upon
the soulless clod out yondern sweeping
the air with one. white hand, you are
wasting the sweet regrets that ought to
be mine, and mine alone. Darling, am
jealous" lifting my face to his. And
too am going away. You don't stop to
realize that


"You are rot going now ," l said :;
'taat is all care to know. Let US put OFF
the evil day"


But l can't, my love My new yacht
is coming down the city, and | may even
| 60 to-day, certainly tomorrow. Now you
know, darling, why l crave every moment
| oi your time and thought"


My hand dropped the grasses | had
been gathering and crept nearer to his,
and in the hush and silence that followed
| his words it seemed as if the sun were
veiied and the summer day lay dead


Then shall never be happy any more"
taltered


But | shall come back soon, darling
Besides, l shall be unhappy too"
You can not miss me as | shall miss
you. You will be back in the whrl OF the
city-just think-I have never been there
at all, and all know about it is what you
have told me. And shall have nothing
to do but pore over the books you have
marked, and wonder when you will come
again | shall be with you all the time
couldn't be absent from you if | would,
you see," trying to smile through my
tears.


"shall you try"


| shook my head.


II have been thinking of a plan" he
said, dreamily. after moments silence.
"Shal! tell it to you now. or shall wait
until you have known me longer. and low
ed and trusted me more?"


Tell me now" | whispered Il could
dot love yoa better If waited years"


81 am going away, Jetty," he said, with
that caressing voice that Went to my
heart at once II have another Yacht,
another butterfly" he smiled down
into my tace-"to take the place of the
one that was lost She will be here be-
fore the sun is down. Shall YOU be with
me, Jetty ?"


ZIP" stammered II do not know
what YOU mean''


Then let me tell you, darling" taking
my hand in his. II want you to go away
with me tonight. l want that all the
rest of our lives should be spent together
yours bound up into mine. | want YOU
for my very own, the dearest Joy that
life holds for me-"


'To leave father asked, trembling
".


But my love surely would comfort you
for any thing You might lose through
trust in me-"


II 90 not dare risk that loss even to be
your wife, said in so low a tone that he
had to bend down his head to hear, dread
ing to hurt him by my answer


Il have no sympathy with an old time
my hand in his. while smile hoyered





some who argue that love is not an endur-
ing bond unless fastened firmly by the iron
fetters OF law. | own no such necessity
Mere you not niue from the moment our
eyes met ? Soul touched soul then heart
spoke TO heart. We will make Us a world
of our own. darling, unfettered by bonds
| want you love-I need you. Come
away with me, then, this very night
bo,~lc o,1I
they trembled in his clasp. looked up
through proud tears. then down to the
slender circlet OF gold--my mothers we'd
years, AS my eyes fell upon it, it made
me strong.


Say it is all a dream. l gasped. Tell
me that you take your cruel words back,
Life would not be worth having if | be
leved as you do, and love itself would be
a torment and mockerv."
"Ihen you can not have faith in me-
he said, coldly; then your lips have
framed a lie when you said you loved and
trusted me. A true love imposes no CON
ditions"


| sprang from the bank OF which we
had been sitting. All at once the scales
were lifted, and whereas once l was
blind. now could see' | breathed
purer, freer air. "Great God can such
things be?" cried, seeing for the first
time the gulf yawning at my feet. Then
| turned swiftly from him and fled away,
as if for lite.


Time went by 1t seemed slow enough
to count off the days and months that
made up the years. with consuming pain
and regret always in my heart, How |
waited If only could hear from Ben
just one line to say he torgave me But
none came. Father never asked mo any
questions of Mr.. Arnold or Ben. | never
heard from either. Both of them had
sailed out of my sight, out of my life
Sometimes IN those long three years we
had news of Ben; sometimes letter
dritted over from foreign ports; but new
er word to me. Once paper told US
the ship had been spoken off the Azores,
sails set tor home and SO we knew. as
the days went by, that she was drifting
nearer. Every sail that saw skimming
over the blue, staggering up from an un-
der world, as it were, through faint lines
Of sea and sky. set my heart beating like
a drum and my nerves tingling with anxl-
ETY. How would he meet me, and what
could l say to him2 Many morning did |
rise with the first flush of dawn. turning
the glass SO it might sweep the whole
great arc of blue, making every white
winged gull q homeward bound ship,
holding my breath and praying, Lord,
send him safely back | did not dare
add, "to me" And when dark nights OF
storm swooped down upon us. would
light the lamp in the tower with dull
agony at my heart, lest even then, in the
teeth of the wild storm, Ben's ship would
he drifting toward the fatal rocks.


"A watched pot never boils.' old Janet
once said, dryly, to me; and then knew
that had not been able to hide my impa-
tient longing from one pair of fond, anx-
ious old eyes, at the least, though l had
tried to hide it even from myself. After
that l would rot go up to the tower only
to light the lamp very early each night.


One day, when l was quietly mending
by the table, Janet suddenly opened the
door. "He's comet" she said, her old
face work. mo all over with ioy. and then