The Yankee Champion — page 175: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

168 THE YANKEE CHAMPION. “You do not misunderstand me, I hope?” | “No. I understand you well. I do love you.’’’ “Then lam happy,’ she murmured, with a look of inexpressible gratitude. ‘“‘For long years my heart has known no friend but my brother, and though his love has been amine of wealth to my yearning soul, yet | have longed for the love of some one older. Ah, I feared when you came here to-day that you had forgotten me.’’ ‘Forgotten you?” iterated Walter, who was com- pletely rapt and puzzled by the girl’s manner. There was something inexpressibly soft and sweet in the notes that dropped from her pe Se but the lan- guage seemed mystical. “T thought yOu had forgotten me, because you did not speak to me,”’ she answered. “‘I felt unhappy.” ‘‘Ah, Helen, you misunderstood me. The warmest peptament of affection is sometimes spoken in si- lence.’ “To you, Walter, it may be, but not to me. All silence is to me but dead, meaningless chaos. I know that sometimes my face declares the feelings of my heart, for I can feel the warm blood rush up there; and then, too, I feel that sorrow can speak ' in silence from my features; and I can smile when Iam happy, just as I feel that I am smiling now; and JI know that others can read all this, but itisa language shut out from me.”’ Walter Nixon gazed into the radiant features of Helen Ryan, and for some time he forgot that she was blind, for he smiled upon her as though he would make her feel happier for his smiles. ‘“T know you can be grateful, Helen,’’ he said at length; ‘‘and I know of no higher joy that I could ask than that you should always owe me your grati- ye DE Oe % 7 ree. ae fs aD as! Se Mee ae) DS ¥ s? f Jas »> . - “ P a . > " “* - & 2 /Rne comicbooks.