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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3721, 27 November 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

the words of scorn she ineaut to utter refuted to come. Pride struggled desperately with the suffocating feeling that was growing up about her heart, but in vain. A veil of darkness shut out from her Leigh Creighton's face, aud uhe fell fainting in his arms. " Such a ridiculous display I" observed Mrs Meredith, the next morning. "I expected more control on your part. I never saw such a disgusttd expression on Mr Creighton's face." To all of which Miss Harlon answered —nothing. Only when, the next afternoon, in the twilight's dusk, the servant, with a somewhat amazed expression on the welltrained face, put into her band Leigh Creighton's card, she wrote upon her own the3e words in answer, and putting them in a sealed envelope, bade the man return j them to him: ■ ; i

V The one kindness you can do me is to ignore the fact that we have ever met before. It is my desire that we shall never do so again." And with these words she thought to close the volume of her life's historj. The six weeks were drawing to a close, and May was growing uneasy on the subject of her wager. For the first time her carefully-sharpened arrows failed to hit the destined mark; and although her heart j was not interested, her pride was, and she determined anew upon conquest. But with Fay the wager had been forgotton, as one afternoon she stole down into the music-room. Every one was out. The honse was deserted, as she sat down at | the piano, and let her hands play with the keys. Had her brain evoked the melody ; which followed, or was it in the spirit of the past. She had not* played that air since she had left the little parlor at the parsonage, when another manly, strange voice had mingled with hers. She began it now, but the sweeter, softer memories it brought were more than she could bear. She burst into bitter, choking sobs, and the keys soeraed to wail in harmony, as her head fell forward upon them. But the sound did not die away. Another voice took it up and finished it up to the close while she sobbed on. She did not even wonder how he had come t aere —did not even think of escaping him The misery of the preseut absorbed and overwhelmed her.

"Fay! little Fay!" he said' when silence, except for her sobs had fallen. "Tell me what all this cruel misunderstanding has meant, all these years. You used to love me in that far off time. What has changed you." " Used to love you! " the girl answering, her indignation calming. "Do you dare boast of it P Yes, I loved you; and when my father died, and I was left alone I looked for you to comfort me—looked in vain—until heart almost broke. Then picking up the paper one day, I read in it the news of your marriage, and gladly escaped the scorn of my soul by accepting Mr Merdith's offer. Has your wife been long dead, Mr Creighton ? '

" Married ? My wife dead P" the man answered aghast. "My darling, what a mistake it has all been ! I have never married. It was some one who bore my name; I did not even know. I wrote you again and again, and as soon as possible tried to find you. All in vain! You had left no trace behind. I was wretched, and went abroad to try and forget you; but I could not. Fay, I have found you now, never, never to lose you again !' But May, returning from her afternoon drive and hearing voices in the musicroom, suddenly hears the last carefully prepared arrow in her quiver snap, as she discovers a picture older than any even of the oldest painters may have endeavoured to transmit to canvas, and with the discovery knows that she has lost her wager. ,