The west shore., January 01, 1889, Page 15, Image 14

THE WEST SHORE.
15
Afterward he started off on a long, wearisome
round of professional visits, and spent the remainder
of the day wandering restlessly about town. Not un
til the streets were gemmed with gas lights did he go
home.
" Home! " He repeated the word to himself, and
vaguely wondered at its empty, meaningless sound.
Henceforth one spot would be as much a home to
him as another. He even grew a little bitter and re
bellious, and wondered if men were endowed with
hearts and the power of loving sacredly, only as a
means of torment for them. His soul cried out with
Shakespeare: " 0, how bitter a thing it is to look into
happiness through another man's eyes!"
Again he stood outside and saw Leonie sitting in
in her favorite chair, by the hearth; and he knew that
she was waiting for him to come and speak to her,
and to participate, in a brotherly way, in her regain
ed happiness.
" I'll jast go in and have it over, once for all," ho
muttered, and in a moment he was standing beside
her, looking down into her upturned face and saying
" I want to tell you; Leonie, how glad I am, for
for your sake. I shall pray for your peace your
happiness."
He tried, oh, so hard, to make his voice steady
and calm; but it trembled, after all, and his eyes wav
ered and grew dim with a mist of tears, as he looked
at her.
She said nothing, but lifted her luminous eyes
once more to his face, with a glance that bewildered
him, then reached up, and taking his hand in both
her own, drew it down and pressed it first to her lips,
then to the soft, warm velvet of her cheek, where sho
held it in a silent caress.
A wild thrill of despairing love swept over him
and shook him as the veriest reed is shaken in a
storm. One long minute thus; then she aroso and
stood before him.
" Allan' she said, in her beautiful, low, clear
voice, "do you know that I have sent Arthur Des
mond forever away from me?"
" What!"
Ho distrusted his senses, and thought ho could
not have heard aright
" It is quite true, Allan, I have sent him back to
Australia. I have convinced him that tho girl who
once loved him with all her soul, is no more, and that
the woman who stands in her place has set hewlf a
standard that such as ho can never attain. Why do
you not speak, Allan? Are yoa sorry that I am tot
going to leave you?"
" Sorry! God in heaven, Leonie, can this really
bo true?"
" It is true, Allan."
" And what docs it mean? Oh, Leonie, what does
it mean?"
" It means, Allan, that having found a real dia
mond, I never again can soil my womanhood with
paste. No, no," drawing away from him as ho put
out his arms with a quick, glad movement, " no, Al
lan, not that; all must bo just as it has been. I am
not freo-I-"
She could not complete tho sentence, for his arms
wero about her, his lips persistently seeking hers.
" Darling," ho said, when ho let her go, an hour
later, M I am brave now; after this hour I can defy all
eternity to tako you from me. What is time or space
to us now, dear? True, you aro not free; but I can
wait until such time aa you feel willing to lot tho law
of our land free you. I will go to Scotland for a
time, I havo long wished to visit Aberdeen, tho
birthplace of my parents, and I will remain abroad a
year too years five ycars-or until I receive- from
you tho magic messago 1 1 am free,' "
" But Allan, I shall miss you so; why need yoa
leave mo?"
"Why need I leave you?" ho echoed. "You,
yourself, havo said it, dear you aro not free."
" I havo never leon free since you havo known
me, Allan, yet how happy wo havo lxen together."
" Heavens! How liko a woman's logic that is."
Ho took her faco in, his hand, and smiled into
her earnest eyes.
" Little, woman," ho said, with a thrill in hit ten.
der voice, "do you recognize, no difTorenco Ixtwcen
tho then and tho now? Do you think I am going to
lo as good a boy in tho golden future as I hare Iwn
in tho gray pout? If so, how much you havo yet to
learn of Allan Kirko. No, dear, it is l t that I go
away for a time. In piojortion as you mini me, you
will hasten tho time of my homo-coming, andhark!
there goes tho door M; a summon fur me, prob
ably." Even as ho sjxAe, a smant entered " A call fur
you, sir, and a carriage waiting at tho door," said tho
maid.
Ho bade I'onio a silent good-night with his eyes
and went out
" I havo been snt in great haitoforyou, Doctor,"
said tho messenger at tho door, " a man has shot him
self at tho hotel"
Allan KUko started, ami aked quickly, " Who is
tho man?" for tho natno of tho hotel mentioned was '
that at which ho had met Arthur Detmond.
Tho man only answered, " Can't say who, sir," and
away daahM tho carmgo through tho night muts.
Something atl to say to Allan Kirko that it
was Arthur Desmond he wu going to , and tho
premonition proved true. In tho same little parlor