The Brussels Post, 1888-9-21, Page 7fl
SEPT. 21, 1SS8,,
......... ....
®� r Veown sister's Oniid, and 1 oanuot soo
1 � � � youwronged or going blindly into
troublo without warning you. Aro you
not permitting yourself to become in.
Wrested in Miss elarsdou to a degroo
t that is tot wise 2"
Ititi " Why not iso ?" ho answered with
I
burning °hooks.
" Have you not realized that oho is
one of tbo most fashionable young ladies
in New York, and belongs to ono of the
woalthiesb and moat fashionable fain.
lies? If you could but once goo her
mother you woulduuderstand mo."
"Bub she herself has changed," ho
By B. P. BOB,
.—. A°Tnon or `,.,_ L.
"BARRIERS BURN= AWAY," " orekINtl
AOBkmSTNUT BURR," =Os
J
present from`Mi, Marton."
" 1 assnro you 1 °xpootecl :nothing of
tho kind," he relabel a trifle indignant-
ly, "'Why should I ? As it is, I am
doubtful wltothor .l ought to accept of
it,"
,< Why should 1 2" Lottio achood with
a merry laugh. " `].'mat's like you. But
Wow `you wish to hurb and wrong
,ainoere friends vory much, I advise you
to keep it and do as they may. You aro
so exceedingly proud or humble -which
shall l call it -that 1 fear you will
neither expect or take anything from
me."
"' " Hao is a cluoer-looking parcel fa.
Frank Homstead," said Mr. imnarly,
with his chuckling laugh.
With intense delight Lottie saw the
studout hositato, and bis hand tremble
as he slowly began to opon it.
"It's not a torpodo, or infernal ma-
chine, that you need bo fn such tropida.
tion," sho whispered. "Ib won't go
off."
" Is it from you 2"
r " Look and soo." ...a..
Ib was a sermon holder of rich, plain
morocco without, but within most elab-
orately embroidered. Most prominent
among the rare and dainty devices wan
a single oar.
The expression of his faco repaid hor,
as ho examined it with a comical blend-
ing of rovorence and affection, as some
devoub Catholic might a relic. In talo
blade of the oar was worked with the
most exquisite fineness, the words, " A.
true Knight." Within an innor pocket,
where they could not readily bo seen,
were tine words,
"with rho thanks of Lottlo Marsden "
But his quick scrutiny soon discover.
od them, and he turned and said with
an emphasis that did her good
"I value this more than the chock."
" What folly 1" she said, blushing with
p}easuro ; " it isn't worth five dollars."
" I can prove to you it is worth more
than the check," he said in a low
tone.
' How ?"
" We value that gift most which we
receive from the friend we value most.
Thero ; it is proved in a sentence ; but
I can prove it over again."
"What delightful lessons in logic
Butou sure] cannot rove it again."
" Yes. If t e gift from the friend we
value most contains evidence that
thought and time have been expended
upon it -that gift, however slight its
market value, as a worth to ns beyond
price, because showing that the friend
we lova supremely thiuks of us in our
absence,"
1 did put a great deal of time and
thought on that little gift, but you have
repaid mo," Lottie answered in a low
tone.
Their brief but significant tete-a-tete
was now interrupted by De Forrest,who
caro forward to thank Lottio for her
costly gift to him -a gift bought on
Broadway. He had uneasily marked
tho fact that sho had givon something to
Homstead, but when ho saw that it was
only a sermon -cover ho felb quite re-
lieved.
" Come here, Frank, and show me
your present," said Mr. Dimmerly a
little later.
Homstead good-naturodly complied,
and the old gentleman looked. at the
single embroidered oar with a comical
twinkle in his eye, and called again :
" Lottie, come here."
She approachod rathor shyly and
reluctantly, not knowing what to ex-
pect.
" Now, Lottio," said hor unclo re
proachiiilly, pointing to the oar, " I did
nob expect that from so sensible a girl
as you aro. What is a man going to do
with ono oar, unless he is to take a
lonely scull through lifo as 1 have 7
Did you moan to su best that to Mr,
Homstead ?"
" Mr. Ilomstoacl found out another
meaning than that," she said laughing,
" and I'm not going to stay hero to bo
teased by you," and she ran out of the
xoom, tho picturo of blushing happi-
ness.
When Ilomstoacl again saw hor it was
with a great dread in his beast, and his
tones wero grove and almost stern.
"0-11-1t you found out another
meaning, did you 7" said Mr. Dimmerly,
looking both kindly and quizzically ovor
his spectacles at his nephew.
" Well, uncle, to tell you tho truth, 1
hardly understand myself; my visit
hoc is a groat contrast to my quiet
seminary life, and I have been getting
deeper and deeper into a maze of happy
bewilderment every day. So much has
happonod, and I am so changed, that
like many, in tales of onohantment, I
scarcely know whether I am myself."
"I have seen the spell working," said
Mr, Dimmerly dryly, "and am thankful
that the transformation bas not been of
the nature that Shakespeare portrayed
in his Midsummer Night Fantasy. Your
head might have become turned over
the won girl, and you have reached
the por' when it is bound to be turned
over a
one.
a
linhe is
,
ho said fervently, s
Y
the
noblest and most boaub�ftl being 3in
existence)."
"Frank, I wish to see you," said his
aunt quietly ; and he followed her to
hor own private sitting•room.
Mr. Dimmerly indulged in his low,
ehuolding laugh as ho looked after them.
"Now she's going to 'stop' it, lis he,
Inthe meantime I'll go out and stop
the brook frac running dowel bill,"
" Tho limo has coma," ,said Mrs.
Illarblimont to !mor pperplexed nephow,
with the oomplacont superiority with
whish rho With of this world onhghten
those "whoso heads ateoftenin rho
clouds," " The thio has conic when n
meat speak plainly to you of It matter:
as important as it is delicate, You aro
urgoa eagerly.
13nt Mrs. Marehmont smiled incredu-
lously and pityingly. "How littlo you
know the world," she said. " 1'n what
do you expect all your sentiment to end?
Only sentiment 7 You say you purpesc
boiug a home missionary. Can yon
imagine for a moment that one, situated
as sho is, would contemplate such a
life? Hor parents would as soon bury
hor,"
llomsteed groaued tinder his aunt's
remorseless words, but said in a sort of
"h!:d dasporation : "Hot parents! Is
this Ilindostan, that parents can treat
theirclaughtersas merchandise ? A girl
of ]Hiss Marsdou's force and nobility of
character.—"
"O Frank, lmsh 1 It absolutoly makes
mo sick to ;sae ono so easily deceived.
' Nobility of character,' indeed 1 Well,
I didn't wish to speak of it. I could
not beliovo it oven of Lottio, but nothing
less than tho whole truth will couvinco
you," and she told him of the plot in
which Lottio purposed to make him tho
ridiculous subject of a practical joke,
and intimated that all her action since
was but the carrying out of thab plot. ,
At first Ilomstoacl grow deathly pale,
and liis aunt, thinking ho was going to
faint, began fumbling for her salts. But
a moment later tho blood suffused even
his neck and brow, and he said passion-
ately :
' I don't believe a word of all this;
Miss Marsden is not capable of such a
falsehood."
" Whothor in your unreasoning passion
you will believe it or not, makes no dif.
ference," said Mrs. Marchmont, quietly.
"It is true, as I can prove by Addie and
Miss Parton."
Ho took a few hasty strides up and
down the room and muttered:
"I will take her word. against all tho
world. She shall answer for herself,"
and he rang the boll.
When tho servant appeared ho said
"Ploaso ask Miss Marsden to comp
hero at once."
Mrs, Marchmont regretted Homstead's
action very much, but it was too firm
and decided to be prevented. She had
planned that after his " eyos had boon
opened to his folly" and Lottie's friv-
oliby, to say tho least, her nephew
would, with quiet dignity, cease bis
attentions, and perhaps might shorten
his visit. She had a horror of stenos,
but feared that one was coming now.
Hemstoad admitted Lottio with a
silent bow and gave her a chair.
When sho saw his grave, pale face,
lior heart misgave her strangely, and
she trembled. so that even he noticed it,
ansa also anothor fact-sho did not moot
his eyes. He fastoned his upon her, as
if he would read her soul, for ho now
felt that more than lffow ns at stake.
"Miss Marsden," ho said, in a low,
doop tong, " my auuthas made a strange
charge against you, but I said to hor,
and now I°say to you, that I will tako
your word .against all the world, Slno
asserts, and sho gives the nacos of hex
witnesses, that your action -your kind-
ness toward me from tho first, has boon
but tho carrying out of a deliberate and
heartless jest. Is it true 2"
Lottio's 'wonted quickuoss failed hor.
Sho had boon so happy, sho had seemed
to have got so far beyond her olcl, falso
self, and so established in his affection,
that such a rovers° slid not seem pos-
sibio. But the evil that at ono tiro she
had feared lead now come in a form so
unexpectedand soriou' that,for a mo-
s,
ment, sho was stunned and bwildered,
and fell into helpless confusion. Tho
of t naso aggravated wattu o hog hor dis-
tress., How could she explain ? ",\loot
coulshe say? In response to his
question sho only trembled more vie-
lontly and buried her burning face in
leer hands.
Ho saw in this action confirmation of
fears that he atfirstwould scarcely enter-
tain, and regarded her a momont with a
sbrango oxprossiou upon. Iris faeo--augox
and pity blenilod, and thou silently left
tho room.
The sleigh stood at the door, and the
coachman was just starting on an orraud
to Newburgh.
Mr. Dimmerly looked with surprise at.
his nephew's pato fano ; a surprise that
was ,greatly inoreasod as the young man
seized his hat and coat, and said 171 a
husky tono:
"I am going to New 'York for some
days," and he sprang into rho sleighand
was driven away.
"Well," said the old man, tostily, "if
sho 'toppod' him as easily as that he
deserves to lose her."
And Airs, Marchmont, seeing Hem -
stead depart so silently, congratulated
horsolf that sho had escaped a scone
after all, and complacontly thought,
" Those things can bostopped' if taken
in time, notwithstanding brother's south
mental nonsense.'
As poor Lattices mind • emerged from
its °haus into nn ctod thought, she
co e
s eedily carne to the conclusion to tell
THE IIRUSS.EL.S POST
in a tone that hor unolo novo, hoard hor
use boforo.
" (lone to NowYorkfor mayoral clays,"
ho said.
Lottie tottered a momont as if she had
received a blow, With ono hand oho
stoadied herself on the balustrade of the
1stairs, w}wiilo slpo passu dthoaoml or soros
climbed to her room,
CHAPTER XXXIV
LOYAL,
Iloilo was startled ab tho pallor of
Lottie's face as sho metered tho room,
and rose hastily to offer assistance, bub
Lottie motioned her away. Without a
word sato threw herself upon the bed
alld signified ha grief and despair by
an act as old as the oldest rocords of
humanity-sho " turned her face to tho
es all,"
Ballo know that Mrs. Mare1imonb bad
" spoken plainly," and had seen Hem-
atcad drito away. Silo expected Lottio
to come to ha room in a towering pas.
Moo, and was prepared to woather tho
•L rrnn in cynical endurance, assured that
ha friend would aysntually thank her
for having hada a hand in broeldng up
Cita " whole absurd thing."
But whin!. Lottio entered, with the
exptrssiou of ono who had receiveet a
-mortal wound -whop in silence and
despair she had turned her face from all
the world as if there were nothing left
in it for which she eared, rho nervous
young lady began to foar that this
affair might not pass away like au or-
dinary mood.
Sho roasonod and remonstrated, but
Lottio did not heed, and scarcely heard
hor. Then she wont to Mrs. March-
mont, and disturbed even that lady's
complacency by her account of Lottie's
appearanco and manner. But with ap.
proving consciences they both said:
" It was time something was done."
Tho dinner hour came, but Lottfs
silently shook hor head to all urging to
come down. It was the same at suppor. .
Entreaty, remonstrance, the assumption
of hurt and injured tones wore alike un- !
availing. She lay motionless, like ono '
stunued and under partial paralysis.
Mrs. Marchmont loather complacency
utterly, and Mr. Dimmorly proved but
Job's comforter, as he snarled :
"You have stopped' it with a ven-
geance. It's always the way when people
meddle."
Nervous Belle was in a perfect tremor
of anxioty, perplexity, and weak re-
morse; and she kept flitting in and out
of the room as pale and restless as a
disquioted ghost.
Do Forrest thought he ought to bo
"chief mourner:," but no ono seemed to
pay much attention to him.
As for Lottioono evor•pres0nt thought
seemed scorching ha brain and wither-
ing heart and hope.
" Ho thinks mo falso-falso in every-
thing-false
very
thio false in everylance and word to
him-falso even whu I spoke of sacred.
things, and 11e will despise mo for ever. '
Little wonder that sho was so drearily
apathetic to all that could bo said or
done to ammo hor. Tho fall from rho .
phomolo of hor religious bopo and
earthly happiness was too far and groat
to permit speedy r000vory.
At last she roso, and mechanically dis-
robed. for the night; but no sloop biassed
hor eyes, for, on every side, sho saw, iu
tuning letters,thoword"false. " With
increasing vividness her fancy -portrayed
a pale, stern, averted face.
Tho uoxt mornnag sho was quite ill,
and hor aunt, in alarm, was about send.
ing for the physician, but Lottie pro-
vontod hor by saying, somewhat coldly:
" What drug has the doctor for my
trouble 2 If you rosily wish ma to got
better, give Bello another room, and
leave me to myself. I must light taus
battlo out alone."
" Now, Lottio, how eau you take a
littlo thing so road to haat?"
" Is it a littlo thing,ar
that rho 02222
whom I most honor and rospeob in all
g.
tho regards me as a false flirt 2"
"You suroly cannot apply such lam
guago to my nephew?"
" I do; and on tho bust grounds. If
I am young, I am somowhab capable of
judging. Ho is not the llrstman 1 have
seen. You do not know, and have•novor
appreciated, Mr. Homstead."
But, Lotbio oomsar c your stati
on
and prospopts with hi."
" There is scarcely any cue with
whom I would not exchange prospects.
I am sick of society's artificial distino•
Mous, in w111011 true worth and manhood
'-all thab Heaven carps for -count for
nothing. What dons Mr. Homstead
caro about may woaltlt, namo, and posi.
tion in Now York? He looks at mo ;
and you, or rather, my own sonsoless
folly, have made me appear a 'weak,
false thing, that, from the ver laws of
his boing, 110 cannot help despising.
But it was cruelly hard of you and Boll�o
when you saw that I was trying to bo
cliffarent-a botbor girl, to show him
only what I was, and give nee no chance
to explain. Ho will never trust, -novo,
evon look at me again." And, for the
first Limo, the unhappy girl burst into a
passion of tears, and sobbed so long and
violently that Mrs, &Iarahmont had a
distressing cousciousnoss that hor world.
1y wisdom was not equal to this oase ab
all. Sho would have tolographod Hem-.
stead to return, if she a kno n whore
to addross
Sho was often bemptocd
Siemstoad the whole truth, to condemn to writo to Lobbio's mother, but dreaded
}rself moro soveroly than ovenon he could
tho
roProe°hos of Mrs. Marsden for pot.
in his angor, and ask his forgivonoss.
But when sho raised her tearful Paco
to speak, ho was gone.
She hoard the sound of bells. A sud-
den foar chillod her, and alio sprang to
the window and saw a vanishing form
that she droadod might be his. Without
a word to albs. Marchmont, she rushod
down to tato lower hall, whore sho found
Mr. Dimmerly fuming about..
" Whore is Mr. Ilemstead 2" sho asked
oagorlyy.
"Whab tho donee is alto matter?
What haeo you and Seethe boon saying
that 1•rank should °omo down .here
whits as a shoot 2"
" lint Ybhorm 15110 ?" sho asked again,
misting matters to remote snob a crisis
boforo "stopping" them, And so,
fn anxioty and porplexity, tho day
draggod slowly on, until, at last, Lotti°,
woarlod out, fell into tho heavy sloop of
utter oxhaustion, from which sho did
not walco 1111 the following morning.
But tho rospito from that mosb d0•
plossing of all suff°ring, mental trouble,
had givon her a °hanoo, and hor hoaltlt•
ful notate began to recover.
Sho was a girl of too much force and
aharactor to succumb long to guy 1nfS-
i'orttmo; and, 5s sho saidto hor aunt, the
inoaxmt to fight this babtlo, out to aero
lend of a solution,
To the sttrpriso of ovary ono, alto np•
. ria Veeeet i
poured at the breakfast.bablo, vory pato
but quiet, and perfectly self-possessed
Thor° was a dignity and deoision iu her
boaring, however, width would motto
oven Mrs. Marchmont besitato boforo
"meddling" again. Do Forrest was half
afraid ,
aid of her, and begun to real}z° that
sho was not talo girl Imo brought to the
country but a few weoks since.
After brealctast she dismnissedBello by
saying plainly that sho wished to bo
alone, and then sat down, and, for tiro
first time, tried to clearly understand the
situation. It grew moan and more col.
donb how dosporatoly against her were
' appearances. She had been falso at
first, and, iu a eoi•tain souse, must appear
(also to the last, in thab sho had not told
him the truth, AcsiQcs, just when and
how sho hadbecomc in earnest sho could
nob remember. Tho poor girl was greatly
discouraged, amlagain gave way to tears
as if hor heart would brook.
But in the midst of her sore treublc,
liko a flash of genial light, came the
thought,"If Air. Ifamstcad will miovar
look at inn again, them is Ono who
and sho apraug np, and, having found a
Bible, turned to its sitorbest text, r".
momboriug, with a quick sob, how aim
had first discovered rt. Witli almost the
distinctness and, reality of actual prof.
once, there rose up bolero her mind Ono
who, with bowed head, wept with mop
for anon. .Every tear of sympathy all.
hneared to fall on her bruised heart; and
ope, that she believed to bo demo, be.
gan to revive. She just clue" to ane
smmplo thought, "'Retails sorry for ma;
and it comforted her.
Thou sho began to turn the leave:: leek
and forth to end places whore .;osa'1
showed kiulnoss and forgave, and ells
, grown sumer°, and come t0 mean all fhb
said and did. Could the color that carne
and wont BIM light from an Muer lime
-could tears that seemed to come more
from her heart than cyos-could words
that had sounded so true and womanly,
and that had often $wolf on the most
sacred th0m0s be wily simulated ?
"If so," Ito groaned, "then there are
only two in the wide universe that 1 eau
ever trust ---Cod and my mother."
Moreover, in her trial Lottie had an
helugnent advocate to whom even de-
liberato reason appearod only too ready
to lend an attentive car -the student's
,mart•
Thorofare, she $nafy received a better
vindication than tato Scotoh verdict "not
proven," and tate young man began to
bittorly coudamn himself for having left
hastily, and before Lottie had timno to
explaln and defend herself.
His first impulse was to go basic at
,nae and give her another hearing.
But almost before he was aware, ho
found a new culprit before the bar for
j udginent- Himself.
If the trial, just completed, had failed
to prove Lottie's guilt,' it had mast 0011.
olusivoly shown him his lova Ifo saw
how it heal developed and grown while
he was blind to its existence, He saw
that his wild agony of the preceding
clay was not over falsehood mica decep-
tion in the abstract, but over the sup-
posed falsehood of a woman whom hehrd
come to love as his owil soul. And even
11070 he was exulting in tho hope that
she might have pass•:d as unconsciously
as himself into like awoot thraldom. In
tho holiof of her truthfulness, bow else
could 110 interpret her glances. tones,
actions, and oven plainly -spoken words ?
But the flame of hope that had burned
h igh or and brighter, g: aduaily sank doevri
again as hu recalled his aunt's words,
"How is all this sentiment to end2-in
only sentiment?"
He remembered his chosen calling.
'mild be ask this child of luxury to ;lo
ith him to the far West and share hie
Ms of toilsome privation ? He had long
felt that the life of a missionary was his
vocation. She had never had any such
fooling. Ho recalled her words, spoken
but yesterday, it seemed: "Do you
imagine that any nice girl will go out
with you among the border ruffians?"
That is the way it appeared to her
then. If such a tiling were possible, that
sho had become attached to him, would
it not be an unfair and almost a mean
thing to take advantage of her affection,
and, by moans of it, commit her to it
life for which she was unfitted, and which
might become almost a martyrdom.
The change from her luxurious ]come to
frontier -life would be too great. If sho
felt called of God to such a work -if she
had laid herself as a sacrifice upon the
divine altar, that would be very different,
for the Master would give no task with-
out imparting strength and patiene0 for
its fulfilment. Besides, He had Heaven
to give m return.
But his unselfish manhood told him
plainly that he, Frank Hein stead, had no
right to ask any such sacrifice.
Incidentally, Lottie had mentioned
the number of hor residence, and ho
hastily wont up Fifth Avenue, and saw
her palace of a home. Every stone iu
the stately abode seemed part of the
barrier between them.
An elegant carriage, with liveried
coachman and footman, came around to
tho entrance, and a lady, who had Lot-
tio's feattres, only they had grown rigid
with pride and age, entered nt and was
driven away. As ho saw her stately
bearing, and tho pomp and show of hor
life, ho could almost boliove his aunt,
that this proud woman of the world
wouldrather bury the daughter of whom
she expoctod so much than marry her to
an obscure home missionary.
His heart grew heavy as lead, as ho
groaned : " Even if she loves me I have
lost her."
Thou came the supreme temptation
of his life. Why must he bo a homo
missionary 2 Who was thorn to compel
such a sacrifice of himself 2 He might
come to this city, and win a place as
high as hors, as many poorer and morn
friendless than himself had clone. Ho
might even seek some well -located
!eastern church. Ho might aim. to be
0110 of the groat popular praachors of
rho day; and so bo able to come to the
door of the proud home, and ask what
it would bo no condosoonsion to want,
Again he was out in rho storm -again
he was in the thick of dm battlo: pas-
sionate longings and love on ono hand,
stern, steady consoienco on the other.
In painful pro - occupation bo again
walked unknown distances. His aim-
less stops took him away from tho
mnausions of tato rich down among tho
abosos of the poor. As ho was crossing
a street bis troubled oyes rested upon a
plain cross over a lowly chapel door.
Ho stopped before it as a superstitious
Romansh might, nob roveren0iug the
emblom, bub 10 vivid remombranoc of
Him who sufforod thoroon. He recalled
His self-sacrifice aucl His words, "Who-
soever -doth nob bear his cross and come
after me, cannot bo my disciple."
Ifo bowed his head a moment, thou
t12urne0101•d, quietly and went back to his'
Tho conflfetwas over -the temptation
passed -and be was loyal.
soon found out that this was His life-.
His work in which He never wearied
kindness to all, forgiveness for all. Then
the thought stole into hor heart, as the
dove brought the "olive leaf" from
across a dreary waste, "If Mr. Hemstead
is like Isis blaster be will forgive me."
Hopo now grew strong and steadily, and
the impulsive, demonstrative girl kissod
111e littlo Book, prossed it to her heart,
and caressed it as if it ware a thing of
life.
She got out her portfolio and wrote:
"Mr. Homstead, I sincerely ask your
forgiveness for my folly, which you can-
not condemn as severely as.I do. Though
unworthy, indeed, of your friendship
and esteom, can you believe that I am
not now the weak, wicked creature I was
whon we first mot. But I have not the
courage to plead my own cause. I know
that both facts and appearances are
against me. I can only ask you, Who
told His clisoiples to forgive each other
' seventy times seven.'
"Yours, in sorrow and regret,
" LOTTni MARSDRN,"
"I have now done the best I can," she
said. " The issue is in God's hand."
At the dinner -table she again perplex-
ed the mystified household. They, in
their narrow `tvorkllinoss, had no key to
such a problem as Lottio Marsden had
become. Sho was gentleness itself. The
mystic tears falling from divine oyes had
molted away all coldness and hardness,
and the touch of her words and manner,
if Wo may so speak, had in it a kindli-
ness and regard for others to which even
the most callous respond. Patient self.
forgotfulnoss is the most Godlike and
most winning of all time grapes.
After dinner Mr. Dimmerly shuffled
away by himsolf, with a sound botwoou
a sniffle and his old ahuolde, muttering,
"I don't beliovo it's 'stopped' after all,
Any way, I wish Sha wore going to bo a
home.missionary in my homo.f'
Lottie wont with Dan again to the
pond, and then to the "fallen tree;" but
site found no other tryst there save mom-
ories that, in view of what had happened,
were vary painful.
After her return sho no longer shunned
tho others, but sat down and talked
quietly with them, as multitudes of mon
and womon are doing daily, giving no
sign that in rho meantime thoy aro
patiently watohing at the sepulchre of a
buried hopo, which may, or may not,
visa again.
As with Lottio at first, so with Rona -
1 stead, the word "false " seomod. to have
tho malignant power to quench hope and
haPp1iness. If it is faith that saves, it
wontcl seem that it is its opposito-dis-
trnst-that most quickly destroys. In
no way can we deal morn fatal and
ruinous blows than to deceive thoso who
trust us.
' And Homstead felt, at first, that he
hadboon docoived and trifled with in all
that was sacred. For hours both faith
and reason roolod in passion, that grow
and raged hm the strong man's breast
like a tropical storm. Ho plunged into
the streots, crowdocl with his unknow-
ing, uuncarind fellow -creatures, as bo
would loss himself in tho depths of a
lonely forest, and walked hour after
hour, ho know not and cared not whfthot.
Two thoughts pursued him liko goad.
lag phantoms-falso--docoived.
At last, when the frenzy loft him,
weak and exhausted, he found himself
near a largo hotel, and ho wont iu and
slept almost as the dead sleep.
In this ease also sloop proved"nature's
sweet rostoror." In the morning faith
and reason kat together on their throne,
and he recognized the deity that what.
ever rho truth might be, ho must aot the
part of a man and a Christian.
Ho sat down at last and calmly tried
to disentangle rho web, S000nd thoughts
brought visor judgment, for after going
g � � , g g
over ever day and hour of his acquaint.
anoo withyLobbi°, ho could s0arcaiy re.
u
sisb tho conclusion that if shohallb ag un
it falsehood. she was ending in truth. If
she, in all hos 'words and manner, had
only boon acting, he could nova brat
his souses again or be able to distinguish,
between the hollow anti tho real,
Hour after hour ho sat and thought. ,
IIo hold a solemn assiso within his own
breast, and marshalled all ho could rm.
momboe as witnossos for and against
Much in her conduct that at fleet pus -
And, now grow clear in !tor purpose to
010tinniz0 him, and Oven as tato as
Christmas.ovo he romombered. how hot:
use Of rho word "comedy" hall jarred
tomb:mangy upon his oar. 13n1 on tho
other hand tltom,e seomarl oveml2norO nou
elusive ovidonco that sho had gradually.
CHAPTER XXXV.
EER. mumeRLY ResoevnS 20 "usenet."
IOmstoai found m
I d so 00l
s ace, the
next two days, in the saleoti
on of moos
s
for his library. IIo did not expoot to
visit the East again for many year's,
and made all his arraugomouts accord-
ingly. Ho wrote Mr. and Miss Martell
a letter, whioh thoy regarded as a model
In its exprossiou of dolmcato appreciation
and manly modesty.
Toward the and of the wools ho 70
turned to Mrs. Matehmont's, by no
moans surd whethor ho would find
Lottio there 00 not, and quite certain
that tato lose h° saw of her the better.
Ho walked from the station, and want
around by rho way of the pond, His
eoso1utiou almost falicd him, as ho 1001c-
ol nitbo ";fallen tree,, ospocially ae ho
(TO 1111 CONTINUED.)
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