The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1870-03-10
g sWhy notp | asked.

maps, ike better, he replied.
"'We had another ball, certainly |
said, 'but we never intended going to it.
Edith was mistaken
! "Is Miss Gresham great friend of
yoursl was his next question. l said
les, the greatest friend have;' and then,
with smile, he remarked shat he was
glad she was not there that evening-that
he sometimes felt very much inclined to
be jealous of her,"-ond so on.
"Ah, Helen, my child, these are pleas
ant nOthings when poured into ones ears
by a voice one loves, and sat and listen
ed, nothing 10th, as the saying is, until
crowds, entering the conservatory after
the dance, made it pleasanter for us to
move also, but not before he had told me
he was going to call the following day. He
wanted my mothers opinion on some en-
erables he had brought from Peru. Was
he likely to find us alone
"That night, as we drove home, my
mother laughingy observed that l and my
friend seemed to have great deal to say
to each other-what was it all about, un-
less it was a secret ; The emerads form
ed good answer and explanation; but
until | said he was coming to show them
to her the next day, l fancied she was a
little disappointed, But the day came,
and the day passed, and Colonel Gerard
never brought the emeralds, Helen.
SIN the evening Edith Gresham came to
talk over the balls of the previous evening.
She asked if had met Colonel Gerard at
mine, and on my saying 'Yes,' she said
that he had come on afterwards to hers,
'and actually danced with me she ex-
claimed. Imogine my surprises for new
er were two people so antagonistc as he
and L.
"'But whyP | inquired.
"'Because he knows do not like him.
she replied shat do not approve him
know all his antecedents, Hester, and
he knows do
"I am sure,' exclaimed, Indignantly
that there can be nothing in Colonel Ge.
rard's antecedents of which he has reason
to be ashamed
"It depends said my friend, 'how fal
, any man is likely to be ashamed of hi
own conquests. You are not the first cir
Hester, who has been fascinated by him
Oh, If | could but tell you all, you woult
> soon be disenchanted. assure you tn,
l way he is going on with you makes me mis-
erable. | have seen the very same gam,
r played over and over again by him, ant
e when he has gone as far as he safely can
' he withdraws quietly
: 81 did not believe it. | was furious a
b the accusation, but Edith was firm.
L "'I am much older than you are,' sh
continued, 'and, as | often tell you, IN,
e happiness is bound up in yours. Now
answer me one question Did he not 81
o out with you last nightP
"'Yes.'
t "'And did he not devote himself t.
It your
"'Yes,' again.
: "'And he said he was to come and Sc,
2 you to-dayF Did he cOmel'
: "What could answer but 'NoP
g "'I1e never meant to come, said Edith
|; '0h, Hester, be warned in time DON
: let him have the satisfaction of addin
4 you to his list of conquests think
t could tell you something of him whic
would startle you; only will not, if yo
f will only promise me one thing. PrOmis
: not to accept him--that is, if he ever pre-
f poses,' she added in q marked tone
i 'promise to let me know instantly, an
f don't accept till have seen you. Hester
y will you promise 2
II have told you, Helen, what Edit
n Gresham's influence over me was. Yo
i will hardly be surprised when | tell yo
e that, though | held ont as long as coulc
/ and though the struggle was great, and tn
: promise was extorted from me with tn
$ greatest difficulty, still it was extortec
i ard few creatures were ever more misera
BILE than was that night when l laid m,
aching head on my pillow.
!. "The next morning "a letter came to m
j, mother from my sister. She put it int
: my hand without a word, and left me
|, read it alone. 1t ran thus:
e "'What is Hester doing about Colone
: Gerard? By this time something definit
ought to have happened. No man wa
: ever more struck than he was here. Tor
n ly hope and trust that she is not coquet
ting as she will never have such a chanc
e again
e Sand | had promised not to accept hir
without Edith Gresham's knowledge
| Edith, who was then--if he proposed
tell me something she knew against him.
u "0h, those wretched days! What
$ suffered l need not say and the SUFFERING
was all the greater, because it was born
o in secret. | would not have had my moth
: er know how very near he had often bee
to PROPOSAL, for the world. In her oper
l. honest was, she would have said, 'The
/ why did he not complete itl What deter
y him But the hour was coming.
J "We we're going one afternoon to tn
u Exhibition of the Royal Academy Jus
IL as we entered the carriage Colonel Gerar
came to the door, heard where we wer