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"As if I could ever forget!" she answered passionately "Oh, Paul! The sorrow of it! Themy heart to tell you! Were you very unhappy when I left you?"

"Unhappy! I never knew, until then, what real, heart-breaking sorroas It seeone out of htness left"

"What was that?"

"You made me a promise, dear--a solemn promise; and I felt--at least I hoped--that the day would come, if I only waited patiently, when you would be able to redeem it"

She crept closer to me and yet closer, until her head nestled on ainst mine

"Dear heart," I whispered, "is it now? Is the time fulfilled?"

"Yes, dearest," she murmured softly "It is now--and for ever"

Reverently I folded her in athered her to the heart that worshipped her utterly Henceforth no sorrows could hurt us, no misfortunes vex; for we should walk hand in hand on our earthly pilgrie and find the way all too short

Time, whose sands run out with such unequal swiftness for the just and the unjust, the happy and the wretched, lagged, no doubt, with the toilers in the roorains trickled out apace and left the glass e of a key and the opening of a door aroused us from our dream of perfect happiness Ruth raised her head to listen, and our lipsto the friend who had looked on our grief and witnessed our final happiness, we turned and retraced our steps quickly, filling the great, eo back into the dark-room--which isn't dark now," said Ruth

"Why not?" I asked

"Because--when I came out I was very pale; and I'm--well, I don't think I am very pale now Besides, poor Uncle John is in there--and--I should be asha with happiness"

"You needn't be," said I "It is the day of our lives and we have a right to be happy But you shan't go in, if you don't wish to," and I accordingly steered her adroitly past the beaht that streaatives," said Thorndyke, as he e then each when they are dry, as theyto do?"