With a little cry of joy, she threw out her hands and sprang towards
him. Her forgotten skirt tripped her, and she would have fallen, but
the quick arms of Barton were about her, and for an exquisite moment
she abandoned herself fully to him.
"Oh, Arthur, you have come to me!"
Their lips found each other, the great mass of dark brown hair almost
overflowed the light brown curls, and their glad tears mingled.
"Julia! I am alive--awake! and you are in my arms! Your kiss has been
on my lips! You love me!"
"With my whole heart and soul!"
"Oh, how blessed to die at this moment!" murmured Bart.
"Would it not be more blessed to live, love?" she whispered.
"And you have always loved me?"
"Always--there--there!" with a touch of her lips at each word.
"I thought--"
"I know you did. You shall never, never think again--there!"
She withdrew from his arms, and adjusted her skirt, and stood by him
in her wondrous beauty, radiant with the great happiness that filled
her heart.
Barton was still confused, and looked with eyes wide open with
amazement, partly at seeing her at all, partly at her marvellous
beauty, which to him was seraphic, and more and most of all, at the
revelation of her great love.
"Oh Julia! How was this? how is this--this coming of Heaven to me;
this marvel of your love?"
"Did you really think, Arthur, that I had no eyes; that I had no ears;
that I had no woman's heart? How could you think so meanly of me, and
so meanly of yourself?"
"But you so scorned me.
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