Page 383 (1/1)

All her portion of the as finished now, and in the balhtness of that warm April afternoon she went into the fields where she could be alone beneath the soft, suuish into the ear of Him who had so often soothed and coht, for the first time since she heard the dreadful news, she had dreamed of Mark, and when she awoke she still felt the pressure of his lips upon her brow, the touch of his ar clasp of his warm hand as it pressed and held her own But that was a dream, a cruel delusion, and its memory made the day more dark and dreary as she wentonce beneath a chestnut tree and leaning her throbbing head against the shaggy bark as she heard in the distance the shrill whistle of the doard train froht, as she always did when she heard that whistle, "Oh, if that heralded Mark's return, how happy I should be" But many a sound like that had echoed across the Silverton hills, bringing no hope to her, and now, as it again died away in the Cedar Swa, white ledge of rocks where with Katy she used to play, and where Bell Cameron had come with Lieutenant Bob, while Morris, too, had more than once led Katy there since the weather was so fine

"The Lovers' Rock," soe boys andtheir vows beneath the overhanging pines, which whispered back again, and told the winds the story which, though so old, is always new to her who listens to hi pine there was a large, flat stone, and there Helen sat down, gazing sadly upon the valley below, and the clear waters of Fairy Pond glearassy hills and flashed so brightly fro For a time Helen watched the banner as it shook its folds to the breeze, then, as she re had been saved from foul dishonor, she hid her face in her hands and sobbed bitterly: "God help e the price or think I paid too dearly for hts Oh, Mark, , but you were dearer to ive you up--hard to know that the notes of peace which even now float up to us frorave which I can never see Oh, Mark, , I loved you so much, I miss you so much, I want you so much God help me to bear God help me to say, 'Thy will be done'"