The Argosy — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

A Girl's Foily. . 37 It was at the same sunset hour, an evening or two later, that Alison, who was picking up strength daily, strolled away to the churchyard. She wanted to look for a newly-made grave in that corner where so many of the Watkyns lay buried. She could not see it; the same gravestones that were there before were there now ; there was no fresh one. ‘Perhaps they opened the old vault for him,” thought Alison, as she sat down on the bench just inside the gate, for she was too weak to walk back again without a rest. The sun was going down to-night without any loveliness; just a crimson ball, which seemed to give a red light to the atmosphere, and to light up redly the face of a pale tottering man, who was coming up to the gate by help of a stick. He halted when he reached it. Alison turned sick and faint with all manner of emotions as she gazed at him, fright being uppermost. * Alison !” * Thomas !” | He held out his hand ; he came inside; his pale, sad face wore for her its old sweet expression. ‘“Oh Thomas, I thought you were dead,” she burst forth, in a storm of sobs. ‘‘I came here to look for your grave! I thought I had killed you.” “They thought I was dead at first; they thought for a long while that I should die,” he answered, as he sat down beside her, keeping her hand in his. ‘‘ But the skilful medical men have raised me up, under God. I hope in time to be strong and well again.” “Can you ever forgive me?” she wailed; bitter, painful tears falling down her cheeks like rain. ‘‘I shall never forgive myself.” “No? Then you must atone to me, Alison, instead. Be all the more loving to me during our future lives. We must pass them to- gether, my dear.” , “Do you mean it—still?” she gasped. ‘‘ Oh, Thomas! how good and true you are! If I can only be a little bit worthy of you!” They walked home slowly, arm-in-arm. Neither could walk fast yet. Mrs. Reece came to the porch to meet them. God is full of mercy, she thought. “IT did not tell her, Thomas,” she said; ‘she was so dreadfully low when she came out of the fever. I meant to tell her to- night.” | ‘‘T have told her myself; it was best so,” answered Thomas Watkyn. conniclooolkks (C(O) mn