in her tender blue
eyes.

"No!" said he resolutely, and with an audible expression, and quickly
passed on.

How his bosom rose and fell, with a panting motion, as if from some
strong physical effort.

"What an escape! It was the very path of danger!" such were his
thoughts. "To venture into that path again were the folly of a madman.
No, Mary, no! Your love shall draw me back with its strong attraction.
A new light seems breaking all around me. I see as I never saw before.
There is the broad way to destruction, and here winds the narrow but
pleasant path of safety. Ruined hopes, broken hearts, and sad wrecks of
humanity are scattered thickly along the first, but heavenly
confidence, joyful hearts, and man, with the light of celestial truth
upon his upturned face, is to be found in the other. Shall I hesitate
in which to walk? No!"

With a quicker and more elastic step Wilkinson pursued his way, and
reached his store just as a customer from the country, who had been
waiting for him, was leaving.

"Just in time," said the latter. "I've been waiting for you over half
an hour."

"I dined later to-day than usual," returned Wilkinson.

"I wanted to settle my bill, but there were two or three items which
your clerk could not explain. So I concluded to let the matter stand
over until I was in the city again, which will be in the course of a
few weeks. However, as you are here, we will arrange it now."

So the two men walked back to the desk upon which lay Wilkinson's
account books. The customer's bill was referred to, and one or two
slight discrepancies reconciled. The amount of it was nearly two
hundred dollars.

"You will take off five per cent. for cash, I presume?"

"Certainly," replied Wilkinson.

The money was paid down.

"So much for not stopping on the way to business for a glass of brandy."

This thought was spontaneous in the mind of Wilkinson. After his
customer had left, he fell into a musing state, in which many thoughts
were presented, that, from the pain and self-condemnation they
occasioned, he tried to push from his mind. But he was not able to do
this. Much of the history of his daily life for the past few years
presented itself, and, in reviewing it, many things stood out in bold
relief, which were before regarded as of little moment. Not until now
did he clearly see the dangerous position in which he stood.

"So near the brink of ruin!" he sighed. "I knew the path to be a
dangerous one; I