The Lincoln County herald., 1870-11-24

battling IN Alma's heart, but pridc was
still uppermost.
"And he is going to California;" She
said it in steady, even tones, too calm to
be entirely natural. Mere friendly inter.
est woald have given more animation to
the measured words.
"He has gone"
"Gone ?" There was q pain then in
the sudden cry.
"Yes, be left New York this afternoon,
and will take the steamer to. morrow.
Alma, Alma, do not tell me you mistook
your own heart when you sent him away"
mo, no, it is better for him to go. I"
Pride still uppermost, though she shiv
cred as if with cold, and was white as
Parian marble.
"Woll, my dear, I hope you have
judged correctly of your own heart. |
am sorry you were Mistaken" and he
kissed her sadly for he had loved Leon
with the affection he would have given to
son of his own, had he ever been blessed
with one. The parting had been very
hard for those two men, thrust from each
othor's hearts by women's caprice, but
each while hiding his own pain had com.
forted the other with the hope that she,
at least, would be happier with her re-
gain d freedom.
Released from the library, out of her
fathers sight. Alma staggered rather
than walked to the staircase, aud blindly
groped her way to her room. Once
within that sanctum, secure from the in =
trusion. pride fell PROSTATE before the
great food Of love sweeping now un-
checked over her heart.
"Leon Leon! Oh, forgive me, and
come back y This was the hungry cry
Of her heart through the long sleepess
watches Of that weary night.
She thought he had ceased to love her,
had found his own error in supposing
she would make him a true loving wife,
little guessing the agony he was carrying
with him in his suddenly undertaken
voyage. 1t was only one of the thou
sand cases of hasty words and bleeding
hearts, but it was none the less bitter for
that.
Once settled in San Francisco, Leon
tried to give his whole attention to the
business be had undertaken for Mr.
Crofts. 1t was a valuable agency in an
important invention, and was suffering
from the incfiicicucy Of tho hands in
which it had been placed. Throwing
aside the thought Of his own sorrows,
Leon gave TO the business an active per
sonal superintendence, that soon began to
be felt, EysEy oLtterr gpm Mr.. Crofts
the stimulus he was giving to the trade
in California, and Leon was gratiied for
tie frankly expressed appreciation Of his
services. But while he valued this por.
ton Of his employers epistIe, there were
other words he read more eagerly, sought
for more earnestly.
Mr. Crofts at first avoided all mention
Of his little daughters name, fearing to
touch upon unhealed, tender wounds
but once or twice a question in Icons
letter, touching the health Of the family
had called forth an answer, till at last he
wrote freely of Alma, half hoping that
as no worded it in his thoughts, ahines
might come right yeti And one of the
letters read in this wise:
"Alma is we'll, but YOU would scarcely
believe in the change in her unless you
could see it, All through the spring anc
summer she seemed dropping and feeble
but since the autumn she is better and
buster than ever before. Not busy ia
the old way, with trimming evening
dresses aud arranging jewelry and flow
ers, but she is studying, and would you
think it Ct our little Alma visiting
amongst the poor of the congregation
She has grown SO womanly in the pas
few months, so gentl. aud cousiderate o
others, that | can scarcely recognize my
little butterfly. l have always though
that if she would use her mind she wou {
prove to have q greater grasp intellec
than would appear to a casual observer
but even i am surprised at the facilit!
with which she now grasps highe
fields Of thought than most womel
venture upon l scarcely know whethe
to laugh or to sigh when 6od her ourle,
up in my great study chair, with vol
ums half rs big as she is open befor
her, studying diligently, or meet her il
my walks to and from the Office with
basket full Of jollies, or bundle 0
aanuels for some rheumsticold woms
or an aling child. My little gay CIR!
certainly gone, but in her place . nobl
woman is fast developing"
, This was not the only letter in th
ssmo strain. Mr.. Crofts loved bis chill
/. with fond parents mo.t intense afee
. tion, and second to his love for her wa
his affection for his young friond LeoI
! What wonder, then, il he wrote freel
: of the one to the other, talked. too. {
the absent one to the one near hin
/. Perhaps the faint hope still lived 10 b
D heart that these two loved ones migt
o renew their broken engagement, but
so. Alma gave no word or look to fec
d upon.
Q The winter months came and spe
along till February came, aud the ye'
e ats .sk LAT