Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-12-24


better the value of the offering; tenn
pered my refusal with more of tn
I gratitude that became me. 7 recalle,
with shame the enviOus rivalry of thes
later weeks. Tt smote me with a pam
that Alice Saye deserved his FRIENDSHIP
far better than l. Why was I no
willing to resign it to her?
I viii go, was my decision after SOM
Inward strife. Here am superduoui
and unamiable. At home I can com
pose myself to receive Wedding-cards
| if it comes to that.
Julia heerd the announcement will
1 friendly opposition, but bore it down
Erastus said nothing. Did I suppose
| he would?
/ When we were alone he condescended
a remark. "There viii be one less al
our gatherings"
ffHoW hatteringIi' ITesponded, with
| assumed playfulness and secret acri-
mony. "fOne less = -
"YOu expected me to say, instead
how much we should miss you ?"
mot at all. I don't wish any saeri-
fees of truth to compliment"
The fact is, continued Erastus,
l meditatiVely, "that Miss Save has rath-
er taken the wind out of your sails
with JUlia-or did at first. think the
| early enthusiasm is cooling down,
though. and you might as well re-
main." What an allusiOn for him to
makei Miss Saye-With Julia!
"Ihanz yOu,n was my hasty answer.
81 have no desire to await the sober
Il secOnd-thOug1f Of ana ones regard. -
If you did not wish Erastus to take
up remark it was better not to make
it. He understood and replied to this
at once.
''What would you have ?'' he inquir-
ed you rejected the best I could Of
fer you"
This was coming to the heart of the
matter at once. I was covered with
conlusion-yet perhaps there was a Sc
cret relief at the outspoken question.
what would have 231 I stammered. |.
''I would have a little" and here I
was about to enter my complaint. But
no, this would never do. It was not
my part to lead him to an explanation.
Idon't want anything" was the con-
clusion of the sentence.
Your wishes have been pretty well
met then, all along.p
Such rUdeness was unbearable; he
might have shown little interest, a
little consideration. turned to leave
the room.
pray don't co." he said. "Now
Helen, be reasonable. You rejected
my regard, but you don't seem willing
that another should accept it. Is that
fair is that hOnorable?''
tIt isn't that-but to be SO entirely
put aside-to be made nothing when
thought we were such friends"
ooh, then it is not my attachment to
Miss Saye that you complain of, but
only my undue neglect, as you take it,
of yourself. But you ought to look at
the other side. How, under such cir
cumstances, would Miss Saye be likely
to regard attentions to another lady
an earlier flame and all that ?''
This was more than I expected. I
had thought all the time that if it ever
"a ma fO an oman 6icazaseiOT7 7 T1aierht
find there was some mistake-and now
he avowed it. Very we'll.
''I must go, really" I said. "BIy
opinion is of no consequence"
"Perhaps not. You are very fickie.'
ct tickle I" was my indignant ex-
clamation. 81 do not think it is you
who should make the charge"
better right ?" I was silent. ''Of all
men," he said, f'I am the most con-
stant. Proof: have never wavered a
moment in the attachment formed two
years ago, and announced to you few
weeks since"
I started and looked at him in as
constituent.
''And you, Helen," he continued,
taking my hand, ''are you equally re-
liable Or, may hope that you are
termined than you were the other
day p
began to comprehend both him and
myself Was this what had wanted
all the time? Did I really care for his
IoUe2 Could be so inconsistent? I
feared it, indeed, for thrill of happi--
ness went through my heart to which
it had long been a stranger.
mo answer for me 2'' he asked.
81 am not fickle," I said, pulling to
pieces JuIia's finest geranium blossom
which stood unfortunately near; EEbut
a RID FE tn oh noSvs
minds upon reflection"
And then, the past faded away; its
sad ghost no longer haunted me, for
bidding joy. The present shone on me
with a strange, peaceful brightness
The warm hand that clasped my own
had led me forth from shadow into sun.
Julia came in she saw the wreck of
the geranium.
"That must have been your work,
destructive one,' she said, and scoIded
me with laughing eyes.
A great charity toward Alice Saye
came over me. What a sweet girl
But might she not have misunderstood
the meaning of these weeks?
"Erastus," 1 said, trying to be Sc
we're, "you were very bad to both Of
us. What could induce such cOnduct2"
He smiled.
81 am not much of lady's man
not we'll versed in the tactics that con-
quer fair woman's heart. But is it
not one of the first principles that jeal-
ousy is powerful ally?"
"Ohn I exclaimed, reproachfully,
"were you not above employing
stratagem so stale ?''
mot more than you were above be-
ing subdued by it."
HBut are you sure, asked anxious
ly, ''that Alice did not mistake your
meaning ?''
eyes, if she understands the use of
language I told her of my regard for
you the second time we met it was
the unfailing theme of discourse when
ever we were together"
"And I thought you Indifferent,
ready to forget ~
"You had so little faith You
really supposed I could relingnish my
prize at the first word of discourage
ment Oh, Helen {"
It was the last time I could complain
of coldness. What love henceforth
surrounded me, what home was oursi
How softly the golden years lapsed
by, how summer shone perpetual in
our hearts
-Easaga B. Ripley.