And Guy did think again, and his thoughts went across the sea after the

beautiful Daisy, and he tried to picture to himself what she must be,

now that education and culture had set their seal upon her. But always

in the picture there was a dark background, where cousin Tom stood

sentinel with his bags of gold, and so, with a half-unconscious sigh for

what "might have been," Guy dug still deeper the grave where years

before he had buried his love for Daisy, and to make the burial sure

this time, so that there should be no future resurrection, he put over

the grave a head-stone on which were written a new hope and a new love,

both of which centered in Julia Hamilton. And so they were engaged, and

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after that there was no wavering on his part--no looking back to a past

which seemed like a happy dream from which there had been a horrible

awaking.

He loved Julia at first quietly and sensibly, and loved her more and

more as the winter and spring went by and brought the day when he stood

again at the altar and for the second time took upon him the marriage

vow. It was a very quiet wedding, with only a few friends present, and

Miss Frances was the bridesmaid, in a gown of silver gray; but Julia's

face was bright with the certainty of a happiness long desired; and if

in Guy's heart there lingered the odor of other bridal flowers, withered

now and dead, and the memory of other marriage bells than those which

sent their music on the air that summer morning, and if a pair of sunny

blue eyes looked into his instead of Julia's darker ones, he made no

sign, and his face wore an expression of perfect content as he took his

second bride for better or worse, just as he once had taken little

Daisy. In her case it had proved all for the worse, but now there was a

suitableness in the union which boded future happiness, and many a

hearty wish for good was sent after the newly married pair, whose

destination was New York.

It was nearly dark when they reached the hotel and quite dark before

dinner was over. Then Julia suddenly remembered that an old friend of

hers was boarding in the house, and suggested going to her room.

"I'd send my card," she said blushingly, "only she would not know me by

the new name, so if you do not mind my leaving you a moment I'll go and

find her myself."

Guy did not mind, and Julia went out and left him alone. Scarcely was

she gone when he called to mind a letter which had been forwarded to him

from Cuylerville, and which he had found awaiting him on his return from

the church. Not thinking it of much consequence he had thrust it in his

pocket and in the excitement forgotten it till now. He had dressed for

dinner and worn his wedding coat, and he took the letter out and looked

at it a moment, and wondered whom it was from, as people ofttimes do

wait and wonder, when breaking the seal would settle the wonder so soon.

It was postmarked in New York, and felt heavy in his hand, and he opened

it at last and found that the outer envelope inclosed another one on

which his name and address were written in a handwriting once so

familiar to him, and the sight of which made him start and breathe

heavily for a moment as if the air had suddenly grown thick and

burdensome.




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