The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-12-17
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cause be was dressed with good taste. Now
as looked. grew ashamed of myself. Ny
collar was neg igens, my neck tie Jisar
ranged, my whole appearance careless and
untidy. scanned my ftatures-tbere /
was triumphant. felt that there was a
superiority in my face over many other men;
knew ] was what was style noble look-
ling fellow-that my countenaace was of
that Intellectual cast vastly superior 20 mere
beauty of feature. Ny mind was made up.
| drew my figure to its height, Strengthened
collar and tie, and went TO The piano, plant
| ing myself upon the other side of f lice.
will you not play something for me 2"
I asked. She looked up as if she notie'ei
the peculiar emphasis in my tone. fam
cied her eyes fingered on my face. I
thought she blushed.
Certainly | will. with the greatest pleas
are. What would you like ?''
THAT u / said, placing sheet of mu-
sic before her. She looked at it moment,
ran over prelude and air, and sang it with
great sweetness. II was lOve-soDg; no
matter what. The man opposite kept his
keen eyes upon me. and every time looked
up, our chances met. Mine said, ''you shall
not have her," His said, ''who in the dick
ems are you ga
''Who is that man ?' said, when he
had gone.
"Only friend guardy knew him at
Milton
"Oniy friend - why should she use
that precaution in speaking of him Did
she suspect the turn my thong hts had ia
ken? I hoped not. would have guarded
the secret until was certain that her heart
was free. My pride was as strong, ay, and
as fierce as my love.
He is very fine looking;" I said, care
lessly.
81 have seen handsome men," she re-
piled.
How I studied her, after that. Every
word, motion, look, were noticed by me.
She caught me at itsometimes, and blushed.
She seemed, thought, to show a decided
preference for me over all the gentlemen
who visited her-or else unwittingly dis
played a vehemence in my love. l think
she must have suspected at that early period
how l felt towards her.
Let me hurry on with my narrative. Ev-
cry day I grew more hopelessly enamored.
She became shy and sensitive, and gave me
by her manner occasional glimpses of hope.
I surprised her sometimes singing over
softly the songs loved. saw her read
the books 1 praised. Sometimes I looked
into them and found such passages marked
as made my heart beat more rapidly.
Not long after my symptoms had become
thus violent, I received letter from a
younger brother whom had not seen for
ten years. and then he was boy. I re-
membered his extreme beauty, and nv soul
grew sick. Impending evil like horrible
| 40
He wrote me that he had become prosper
Gus merchant; that he was coming to see
me. 1t was a warm. glowing, impulsive
letter, but strange to say, l crumbled II in
my hand, and threw it in the fire.
It was a singular coincidence, but the day
he came-as in the case of Aice-I was
the sound of manly voice. Hate entered
and received a welcome IN my heart.
went into the parlor my brother sprang
up. his handsome face all glow, to gree
me, and then returned to his seat by the
side Of alice. He must have noticed nv
GOODNESS, my constrained demeanor, my alb
straction, from which was called by Al
ices musical voice:
why, guardy, why didn't you tel! me
you had younger brother %
81 thought you would meet him soon,
and the pleasure would be all the greater"
I answered, bitterly. 1t stung me to mad
ness to behold him sitting so near her /; to
hear them talk together like old and conf
dental friends. All manner of demon
thoughts crowded to my brain. Among
them came murder. felt that my coun-
tenance must be awful. and kept myself
busily turned away. Still they chaLted,
they laughed-O, how nobly beautiful they
looked together That evening we were all
together in the MUSHROOM, Alice at the pi
ano; I walking, filled with horrible
thoughts; Fred, my brother, leaning over
Alice. How free she seemed with him
Much too free, it seemed to my jealous eyes.
What business had she to sing my songs
for him ? o, if they had seen me look at
them To be sure she always prefaced her
music with ''this is guardy's favorite,' or
81 often sing this for your brother" but
what sort of balm was that to such heart
as mine? At last said ''good- might"
abruptly. Alice came to me all anxiety
she asked me timidly if I was not well. I
could have howled, ''no hypocrite - but
said, with as calm manner as I could as
sumo. Il have business to attend to-"
"For moment I noted that she looked
perplexed. unhappy-bul was still blinded
by jealousy.
Look here! Harry, don't go to bed so
early again it deprives me of good socie-
ty; both that of yours and your charming
ward. She did not stay ten minutes after
you had gone. You ahould not leave the
young folks alone, especially when one of
them is as shy as Kitten" said my broth
ler, the next day.
.'Did Alice leave you then ?'' asked,
suddenly relieved of great weight.
''Of course she did. What modest young
girl could sit with stranger alone; am
surprised at you for leaving us. By the