Year: 1873

4
were not engaged. Still, he had
shown her great attentions, and bis
advances had been received cordially.
Under hispresent circumstances, cbiv.
airy and honor forbade further ad.
vance. He must leave her free-open
to more advantageous offers lie
must leave her forever and forget her.


No; he could not do that. lie
could go out west and begin life anew
No! He could not-could not. And
here he made discovery. He loved
her. With all her apparent shallow.
ness she was splendid girl at heart,
and be loved her, and must leave her.
And how could he explain or tell her
how it Was with him.


How could he ask her to wait-wait
for him-perhaps for years. Wait
while he searched for clerkship, that
when obtained would not support
them both. Her father was q man OF
business, and possessed of some
wealth. What would he say to such
folly,


Surprised at the sudden strength
of character his trouble had develop
ed. he took manly stand and resoly-
ed be would call on her, bid her fare
well, and leave her with his love un-
said He would suffer alone. Per-
haps time could cure the smart. Peo-
pie said it would, though he did not
believe it then. Come what might,
he would not stand longer in a
false position He would see her at
once


Not without a furtivc tear or two,
he arrayed himself in his best and
went out in search Of breakfast How
i'll seeming his present wardrobe and
his poverty. He must leave his cost
ly lodging place at once. He would
begin to economiZe Immediately by
buying cheap breakfast at some res
taurant. 1t was sad meal; the
wretched food and dismal saloon
wearied him, and somehow the bread
was salt. He crept into dark cor
ner and rumplcd his damp napkin in
vain effort to be cheerful Then he
went out at the strange hour of ten in
the morning to find her home. The
streets were full of people hurrying
on, and on their business or pleasure.
For him their was neither He had
never been in the streets at that hour,
and they seemed strange and foreign.
Her home was quite at the other side
OF the city, at the far end of the horse
railroad. How many times he had
gone that way. He must walk now.
The cars passed on empty in endless
procession, in q way he had not no.
ticed before. He would not hurry,
for it was such an unreasonable hour
to call.


He paused to look in print store
There was picture hanging there
representing q family gathered in
homely comfort round a simple meal
in some Scottish hut. Semi-poverty
in every line of the engraving; but
there was also love and peace, chill
dren and happiness He gazed long
and earnestly at it. Love and want.
Somehow they were not friendly ex-
cept in pictures. The picture was a
lie, and yet it was true. Love is
greater than poverty. A policeman
said, Move on, move" and, hustled
by the crowd, he was compelled to
return to his present sorrow.


With a heavy heart he took up his
cross and his way at the same time.
He would be man at any rate, and
see it through, whatever happened.
Refusing to look to the right or left,
he went steadily on, and presently,
with beating heart and nervous
fingers, rang her fathers bell.


She herself opened the door to
him. Smiling, clad in simple morn
ing suit, and, as if to add TO his sor-
row, full Of winsome merrimcnt and
gayety. She asked him into the par
lor, that she was just then flirting a
feather duster through, and they both
sat down in the fiecks Of sunshine
and shadow behind the group Of
window plants.


After some commonplaces, she
said:


See, The slip of geranium /
cut from the boquet you gave me. 1t
has rooted already. I'm glad. 1t
will make q nice plant-a remem-
brance of the flowers


He smiled family, and pretended
TO be interested. Somehow his
thoughts would wander to something
else. For moment he was silent,
and she said that be was not very
amusing, ard that she would return
to her busting.


But he had story to tell her


A story. Now that was worth
while. She sat down in low chair
before him, arranged her drapery as
prettily as possible, and said:


Begin please, I'll be good"


He had a brilliant idea. He would
tell his whole story effectively, and
see what she said to it. He would
sketch his own case, and while pre-
tending TO amuse her, draw from her
manner and answers some hints of
what he had best do. II she took it
as mere fiction, no harm would come
of, it and he could depart with clear
conscience. What if she took it as
truth What if she saw through the
pretense That was not very likely,
and-yet-if She


She was impatient.


"Tbe story, please-if you have
not fallen asleep. Poor boy. He
has to work so hard -


He began.


"Once upon a time there was q
young man"


How interesting


II say there was young man, and
he fell very much in love with n young
la-girl--"


"Girl is BETTER


please don't"


Pardon me- Go on"


With an effort he resumed, while
his eyes began to grow very bright.
She noticed it in silence.


"He loved her very much, though

he could not tell whether she return
ed his love or not He had not made