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Show I The I Happy Meeting. s utJuutrcrtJcruTj . f tflf I By Grace Terry I KsEn-vniKii!" aillul llu! 8n,0,llcrci1 "eony In I F I ml tul8 lluPorlll word would 111 jM lmvo touched with pity any ISSaaJ heart capable of under-standing under-standing It, but It bad no ffcct on the innu to whom it was addressed, ad-dressed, and whose cold eyes were fixed sternly upon that sweet, young face, from which the harsh decree his lips had spoken had driven the bright color and happy Bralle that bad made It so fair to look upon. "I mean what I say, Mnry; you must give up all thoughts of marrying Jnmes Eldrldge. A man who bus reached the ago of twenty-three, and never laid up a dollar, will be no sort of dependence for a family. .1 suppose he thinks a marriage with you will place him beyond be-yond the necessity for work; but ho is greatly mlstnkcn. 1 linvn earned my money too hardly to throw It away upon such as he;" 1 "You do .lames an Injustice, father; be docs inn seek my hand from mercenary mer-cenary motives. With nil his faults-Hud faults-Hud I will not deny that he has such-he such-he has the truest and tendercst heart that ever beat 'I shall never lovo another an-other man as I love him. Bestow your r-jfij wealth on whom you will, but do not, t beseech you, innke your only child I to utterly wretched!" ' "Enough of this folly!" exclaimed Mr. Dane, harshly. "You know what 0 my will concerning this matter is; and 0 It only remains for you to show wbeth-Q wbeth-Q er you will continue to bp the dutiful daughter that you have hitherto been. You can see James to-night, If you will, but only to tell him what I tell you now that this mustlc your last interview; inter-view; that you can never bo his wife. Kow go; I have more Important matters on hand thnil listening to the silly fan- n cles of a lovesick girl." ;v Mary arose from her seat nnd turned toward" tho door; but her cheek was pale, and there was a look in her dark eyes, as they rested upon her father's 1 face, that he had never seen there be-I be-I fore. "I will obey you, father, but rcmem-ber rcmem-ber that you are dooming mo to a " lonely and Joyless life. I will give up James at youc bidding; but, as I can never love, so will I never marry any other," It was with very different feelings from what' she had anticipated that Mary awaited the approuch of her lover. But the step of Jnmes was light nnd buoyant, and be greeted her with a proud and happy smile. With her It J &i was llclr lnst "view; with him it t ' 'W? was but tho precursor of many more, as well as tho happy day that would mako her1 his own altogether. But ho could not but notice her pale J cheek and troubled look. "What is. tho matter, dearest? Why do your eyes look Into mine with that jnournfnl gaze? You surely do not v repent your promise. 1,et mo hear ,. from those sweet lips again that you Jove me!" "I love you, darling!" murmured tho fair girl, laying her cheek lovingly to J Ills, and speaking in tonts, to which tho sorrow at her heart' gave a mourn ful and subduing tenderness, I "It Is for tho last time," she thought, as she yielded to his passlohnto em- ' brace- In which she was folded. Then, with h visible effort, she withdrew her-eelf her-eelf from his arms, x "Hut I can iiQrcr be your wife, DO James." "Can never bo my wife, Mary!" re- rk pcated the young man In it tone of rlc sorrowful astonishment. "What do you mean? You surely will not break ul your sojourn promise?" "You know It was conditional, James, . depending on my father's sanction. 1 did not dream that ho would withhold I it. But he has not only dnuo his, but ' forbidden mo to see you again. So this Is our last meeting," jSt "Hut he ,'U1 relent, .Mary," pleaded . James. "IU will not ruin tho hnppt-Vjf hnppt-Vjf ri. ncsH of his only child.' .' ' "You do not know father. James; he will never relent; it Is not In his nu-,14 nu-,14 turo to do this. It would be wrong 0 for mo to hold out hopes than can never bo realized." U was In vn I n tiUi the young man argued, pleaded, nud even reproached; t tk mfh hl -wept, t rmal&e Im la her resolution. will wait years for yoa, 'Mary," be pleaded; "only hold out to mo the hopo that I shall not wait In vain." Mary shook her head. "I will not be so selfish as to let you waste your youth In f rnltless waiting. Oo; mako some happier woman still more happy with yonr love. As for me, all this pas I shall never lovo another as I have loved you; the lips that you kiss to-night shall be held sacred from the touch of any other." And so they parted. In the room overhead sat an old man, counting over, with exultant heart, the gains of the Just closing year, unmindful unmind-ful of the great human love nnd happiness happi-ness that ho had trampled beneath bis feet. We can touch but briefly on the events nnd changes of the years that followed, and which combined to place tho lovers still farther asunder. Inplred by a mania for speculation, Sir. Dane left his p!nmt New Eng-land Eng-land home for California, where ho was as successful as ever In heaping up the wealth that was his' Idol. In tho meantime Mnry .remained truo to ber promise. Prom all the admirers that her beauty and modest worth drew around her, she turned steadily away. And If her father urged the claims of sonid one of them upon her notice, her answer wns the same. "At your bidding, I separated from the only man I can ever love; but, as I told you then, so I tell you now, I will never marry nnothcr." Soon after his rejection, Jnmes Joined the nrmy, taking sin active part In the great strngglo that was then nt Its height, partly to deaden the restless pain at his heart, and partly from the higher motives that animated so ninny brave men In that dark hour of our country's trial. Though he enlisted as a private, his skill nnd bravery Insured his rapid promotion, ni:d nt the close of the war he was honorably discharged dis-charged with the rank of captain. A few months after business called him to San Francisco, As he was en route for that city, nt a way station, two ladles, dressed in black, entered one of the cars, the one In which .Tames, now Captain Eldrldge was sitting. sit-ting. He could not see the face of either, but there was something In the form of the younger, especially in the graceful turn of the neck, that at once arrested Ids attention, thrilling his heart with strange emotions. She turned her head. Yes.lt was she, his lost, but never forgotten, Mary! And, as their eyes mot, the blush, tho bright nnd happy smile that overspread over-spread her countenance, showed that she still held him In as loving remembrance. remem-brance. The older la'dy was Mrs. Dane, Mary's mother. In the conversation which ensued Tic learned that Mr. Dane had died a few months previously. T.eft alone, as It were, the widow nnd daughter, as soon as the business of the deceased could bo closed up, prepared to return to their homo In the East, though propos-Ing propos-Ing to stop n few weeks In an adjoining adjoin-ing town to visit a friend, nnd they wero now on their way thither. James escorted them to tho house of their friend, where he was so happy ns to find the opportunity he so ardently desired. "Is not the hand of Providence In this unexpected nnd most happy meeting?" meet-ing?" he said, his eyes resting appeal-ingly.upnp appeal-ingly.upnp the benevolent countenance of Mrs. Dane, "and will you, can you refuse to recognize Its leadings?" "It Is for Mnry to choose," was tho smiling response. "I made my choice long ngo," said the blushing girl, as she raised her smiling eyes to her lover's face. Here Mrs. Dane considerately left the room. "Said I not aright." murmured Mary, as she yielded to the warm embrace to which she was folded, "that I would glvo myself to no other? The kiss you loft upon my lips when wo parted, you will And there now." "My love! My own!'! exclaimed the enraptured man. ns lie drew ber still more closely to his heart. A few weeks later Jnmes and Mnry publicly pronounced the vows that mndo them one In life. ns In heart. Does not the heart of tho reader echo with ours. "God's choicest blessings go with them?" Now York Weekly. |
