uld come to you and to no one else. To whom did the
Divine Master himself turn for human sympathy in his last hours of grief
and suffering but to his little band of pupils--his disciples? And in
proportion as they had learned of Him and imbibed His spirit, in just
that proportion could they enter into his feelings and minister to his
soul."

Mr. Britton had withdrawn the cards from the envelope and was regarding
them thoughtfully.

"The receipt of those bits of pasteboard," he said, slowly, "unmanned me
more than anything that has occurred in nearly a score of years. They
called up long-forgotten scenes,--little pathetic, heart-rending
memories which I thought buried long ago. I don't mind confessing to
you, my boy, that for a while I was unnerved. It did not seem as though
I could ever bring myself to hear again the music of wedding-bells and
wedding-marches, to listen to the old words of the marriage service. But
for the sake of one who has seemed almost as my own child I throttled
those feelings and started for the mountains, resolved that no
selfishness of mine should cloud her happiness on her wedding day. I
came, to find, what I would never have believed possible, that my old
friend would sacrifice his child's happiness, all that is sweetest and
holiest in her life, to gratify his own ambition. I cannot tell you the
shock it was to me. D. K. Underwood and I have been friends for many
years, but that did not prevent my talking plainly with him--so plainly
that perhaps our friendship may never be the same again. But it was of
no avail, and the worst is, he has persuaded himself that he is acting
for her good, when it is simply for the gratification of his own pride.
I could not stay there; the very atmosphere seemed oppressive; so I came
up here for a day or two, as I told you, to get righted."

"And you came to me to be righted," Darrell said, musingly; "'Can the
blind lead the blind?'"

Mr. Britton was quick to catch the significance of he other's query.

"Yes, John," he answered, covering Darrell's hand with his own; "I came
to you for the very reason that your hurt is far deeper than mine."

Under the magnetism of that tone and touch Darrell calmly and in few
words told his story and Kate's,--the story of their love and brief
happiness, and of the wretchedness which followed.

"For a while I constantly reproached myself for having spoken to her of
love," he said, in conclusion; "for having awakened her lo