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me. I just lay still and let hjm sup
port me above 'the water. I think
those were the happiest moments of
my life. And when at last we were
picked up and put safely aboard and
given warm clothes and hot drinks in
the saloon cabin, a sudden fear fell
on my spirit. I knew that, since he
had spoken, I should never see that
look in his eyes agajn.
"Just before we stepped ashore he
came up to me. He looked at me in
quiringly. 'He said nothing; there was
nothing for either of us to say. He
took me in his arms and kissed me.
"Then he spoke. 'I am going west
today,' he said. 'Tell me your name.
When I come back I shall come to see
you. It may be six months or six
years. But I shall always claim you,
I shall never let you go out oil my
life.' "
"And?" questioned the, little bride.
"That s all, my dear."
The lonely girf had arrived the day
before the bridegroom was called
back to the city: She was a bird of
passage; she was due to return on
the day that the bridegroom return
ed. The bridegroom actually arrived
at the hotel Just as the lonely girl
stood fa the office, "her baggage beside
"her, waiting for her carriage, The
bridegroom walked in and the lonely
girl turned and looked him full in the
face.
The little bride paw the look on
her face, but' she was too much ab
sorbed in the bridegroom to think
much of the lonely'girl. She was en
gaged just then in putting a muffler
about the bridegroom's shoulders,
so thathe should not catch cold. The
lonely girl sat down in a chair and
leaned net head back against the
wall, her face the color of chalk. The
bridegroom had gone out of the of
fice and. the little brid.hurried to the
girl In the chair.
"You feel ill?" she asked. "Can I
get you some water? Won't you lie
own?"
"No,'' answered the girlrising with
an effor. "It was the heat, I think."
The little bride had thought that it ,
was very cold. She did not say any
thing, however, but helped the lonely
girl into the carriage and waved her.
good-bye.
The lonely girl, lying back against
the cushions, sobbed wildly. Yet,
though her grief overwhelmed her,
in her heart was a song of gladness
because she had not let the little
bride know. Thank God that she
would go through life ignorant of
that!
She had recognized him as soon as
he entered the office. He was un
changed: there was the same joyous
look In his eyes; the ame spirit of
youth stirred, in his heart. "Even in
her pain she would not have missed
that period of happiness and those
years of waiting.
Meanwhile the little bride had
sought and found her husbpnd and
taken him to the cozy seat on the
stoop which everybody had, agreed to
leave unused for the sake.of the little
bride.
"Arthur, dearest," said the little
bride, "I want to say something
something awful. Do you remember
a confession you made to me the day
before we were married about
about kissing a girl once after a ferry
accident?"
"I don't want to remember those
past transgressions," growled the
bridegroom, kissing the Tittle bride.
"But why did you do it, Arthur?"
persisted the little bride.
"Why, I told you, my dear," an
swered the bridegroom, huffily. "I
felt sorry for her and well, she
looked as if she wanted someone to
kiss her. That's alL What harm did
it do?"
"You hadn't even seen her before,
Arthur?" persisted the little bride.
"Not so far as I am aware, my
dear," her husband answered. "Go
ottrdon't spare my feelings."
"You've not seen her again, have
you, Arthur?"
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