On the Church Steps

nd writing each day a long, pleading letter to Bessie. There was a double strain upon me: all the arrangements for my

e raised such hopes unless she was willing to fulfill them: it made the separation all the harder. I could not and would not give u

married on the evening of that day. But to all my pleading came "No," s

nevertheless. She would surely yiel

the office. It was Friday night, and we were shutting up. We had worked late by gaslight, all th

them into a bag. I was rid of them for three days at least. "Bill, yo

re's a card for yees," h

ly asked, taking it to the fla

nd a pretty young lady, shure. They ch

Stewart's card. On it was written in pencil: "Westminster Hotel. On our way th

train, and it was

as not to be disturbed on no account, a

ladies that? What

they didn't wait for no reply, but hearin' you were in there, they druv' off the minute t

machine. So, after a hot five minutes, I rushed up to the Westminster. Perhaps

toinette Sloman and maid; Miss Bessie Stewart." They had arrived that afternoon, must have driven directl

I asked of the sympathetic

and the young lady quite anxious that she should stay here to-n

a. They would surely not go farther to-ni

ng Sunday I haunted one or two churches that my memory suggested to me were among th

York post-office waiting for me. I found it at

as fo

t. We shall stay at a private house, a quiet boarding-house; for aunt goes to consult Dr. R-- there, and wishes to be very retired. I s

s Dr. R--? I find him, sure enough-such a numb

steamer: that will do as well. Can't h

seat in the car at Jersey City. On this golden Monday afternoon I should have been slowly coming down the Housatonic Valley, with my dear little wife

--, was not at home in answer

ll he be in?

t sir," said the man; "and he m

n a carriage dashed up to the door. A slight lit

I said in

s,

f you please. I only want t

d to foot: "Walk into

of myself in the mirror over the mantelshelf. Dusty and worn, and with a keen look

riend of mine, whom I had missed as she passed through New York, and that, as I was about to sail for

silver bell that stood on the table and tapped it sharply. Th

the old lady? Apparently the scrutiny was satisfactory, for he took out a little black book from his p

: no wonder I had not seen

in his pocket again. "Mrs. Sloman is on my list. Wait til

convict or a lunatic with designs on Mrs

share his supper-"You've just come from the train, and you won't get back to your hotel for two hours, at le

ed in glittering plate, and the doctor lounged over the te

at last we rose from the table and he flung his

ling: "in fact, I believe I am

hurried; and I made up my mind that you had come over to badger the old lady into making her will. I congratulate you with all my soul-and myself, too," he added

fusion of his discovery; and I was soon rolling away in that

of joy that she did not try to conceal. She was natural, was herself, and only too glad, after the contretemps in New York, to see me again. She pitied

knew I should prevail. It was a deep wound, and she shrank from any talk abo

it?-something that I could neither see nor divine. And

to remain in Philadelphia, so that he can watch her c

? "Is there no one else,

ld not leave her e

een us hidden out of sight. There is no clairvoyant like a lover. I could see the shadow clearly enough, but whence, in her outer life,

ve her, "So to-morrow is

ve changed my passage t

ce again. Never before did blue e

ked laughingly as I look

musingly-"the Algeria, isn't it

," I explained, and apparently the

hich she always dismissed a subject, "Th

. I shall run over