e lawn. At the gate I stood, puffing away and looking up in
this direction, wondering if my sweet wife that is to be had obeyed my
parting injunctions and gone to sleep, when presently a carriage came
tearing along, going in the very direction of my own thoughts. A man
sat within; I cannot say that I exactly recognized that man in the
moonlight, but I saw him move quickly back when he saw me, and that
aroused my suspicions. I followed; I could not help following.
Something told me my happiness was menaced, my love in danger. I was
determined to know the truth, Mell. I listened."

"And you do not hate me?"

"Hate you, Mell? Dearer to me than ever you are at this moment! I
know how you have been tempted; I realize all you have overcome. Never
could I doubt such love! Comforted by it, I can bear up even under
so heavy a misfortune as the treachery of a friend. But the hour is
late; we must not talk longer; you must snatch a little rest.
Good-night once more, dear love. To-morrow, Mellville, you will be
mine--to-morrow!"

"Aye, Rube! To-morrow, yours! Upon every day and every morrow of my
life, always yours!"

THE END.

* * * * *

Transcriber's Note:

Authors' archaic and variable spelling and hyphenation is mostly
preserved.

Authors' punctuation styles are preserved.

Passages in italics indicated by _underscores_.

Passages in bold indicated by =equal signs=.

Typographical problems have been changed and are listed below, as
are changes made to standardise some hyphenation.

Transcriber's Changes:

Page 169: Was 'territores' (nullify the results of the war by
converting the Southern States into conquered =territories=,
in order that party supremacy)

Page 169: Was 'acquiesence' (The hint was taken, the contest of 1868
was fought under a seeming =acquiescence= in the views of
Stevens and Morton;)

Page 194: Was 'imperturable' ("No, indeed! I have pledged my word to
_her_ never to touch a drop!" protested Andy, with
=imperturbable= good nature.)

Page 221: Was 'anymore' ("W.," she said, "you don't know =any more=
about it than Horace Greeley did.")

Page 225: Was 'contemptously' (Mrs. W. spoke of them
=contemptuously= as "nasty black worms.")

Page 245: Was 'in' (which is much better, and come to the reader =in