Year: 1873

would see her. So she walked hurriedly
across the road, opened the gate, and
softly stepped into the lawn. Another
minute and she was at the window, look
ing in. What singular behavior. She
could not helpit.


The little room was as neat as when
she herself had watched over it. A
cheerful fire was burning in the CRATE,
although the night was not cold, and
lighted lamp stood on the table 1t was
there that Harry was sitting. How her
heart bounded as she caught sight of
him. He held in his hand book from
his scanty library.


She recognized it at once; but he was
not reading now. Was he asleep-or
was he buried in sad reverie? Nettie
thought the latter was the case, and her
heart was touched:


81 wish | had borne with him." she
said. But moment later her heart was
| touched, when she saw tear roll down
his cheek and drop upon the book. The
lonely man was not asleep-he was cry
| ing.


She could not help it. All the woman
in her heart was aroused, and she was
at the door in moment. No ceremony
she burst into the sitting-room, and
was at his side.


"Oh, Harry T.


Her voice quivered with emotion.


"Why, Nettie" he exclaimed, trying
to hide his tears-men are ashamed of
them-"is it your"


Eyes, Harry, l was passing looked
in--I saw yon sitting here so lonely,
and couldn't help coming in. l thought
of the time we were happy here, and


Then her womanly tears could be re-
pressed no longer. There was no use of
trying to hide them. Beside, her voice
broke down, and she could say no more
just then.


He rose and took both her hands from
her face and held them in his own. 81
thought you had blotted me out from
your memory"


"No, no, Harry she sobbed, 81
could not do that, could not help leav-
ing you; but / left you loving you more
than ever. Oh | have been unhappy


"Nettie you have heard that T.
"Yes, | have heard that you have
changed-that you do not drink any
more-that again you are manly and in
dustrious as you used to be; but how
lonely you must be here !" and the tears
gushed forth anew as her heart felt what
her lips spoke.


Yes, l am lonely, Nettie-more than
you may think but | have deserved
| . l. ., e., bo 7 aotnl
had no Encouragement had nothing
to make me do so. 1t was only pas
sion for drink that seemed impossible
for me to overcome. You were all a
wife could be. When you left me ]
thought | should become worse than
ever Only day or two after you left
me was in town drunk, and | heard
some village people-they thought ]
could not hear them across the street
passing all sorts of remarks about me
saying | was doomed man, and that de,
struction was near. Although intoxicat.
ed that startled me, and for the first
time | felt the full force of our separa-
ton, and realized that destruction stared
me in the face. | had bottle of whis
ky in my pocket at the time; when out
of town smashed it, and washed my
face in stream by the roadside, aDd re
solved never to touch liquor again. II
was hard to keep my resolve for the
first week or two, but | stood it, and
soon my taste for drink disappeared. ]
care nothing for it now, and would moi
touch it if it ran in streams. Now Net
tie, if you love me as ever, and Goo
knows | love you the same-let us get
married over again, and the bitter ex
perience of the last few years will only
enhance our happiness. Nettie, dear
what do you say p


She could not answer she was cry
ing as if her heart would break, and
her head was pillowed upon his breast
1t was more eloquent "yes" than the
tongue could speak.


The moon was rising as he walked
home with Nettie to her fathers.
So Harry Rogers and Nettie Ra,
were married again, and there is no di
vorce that can part them now.