The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-10-01
With some hesitation he went on

With some hesitation he went on
"Well, just as everything seemed
at its best, it-it-cverything broke
down
How sad don't like the story
Tell me something that's pretty and
nice"
This was the most cruel blow of all.
He at once froze up. She was a sbal,
low, heartless thing, unworthy of bis
love, and be fell to thinking how he
had been deceived.
She sat the while in calm silence,
toying with her feather duster, and
inwardly harrassed by storm Of con-
Gicting emotions. Love, doubt, sor.
row, and great happiness struggled
for expression. She glanced slyly at
him. He seemed crushed by great
sorrow. His fingers were nervous,
and the lids sha ling his eyes moved
quickly, as if to keep something back.
A dreadful pain shot through her
heart. and she pressed her hand on
her breast to deaden it.
In constrained voice she said:
as that all?"
He started abruptly and said:
Ges- no"
"lf no, tell me more"
He frightened up and said: There
is no more. 1t is story about a
friend of mine, and | want to know
what you think he ought to do He
cannot propose, because it is not chiv-
alrous to ask her to wait And yet
he ought not to leave her without an
explanation. An explanation would
be an avowal--a proposal. Now
W hat should he do?"
With feminine perversity, she avoid
ed the question by asking another.
docs she love him ~
81 do not know"
With a sudden impulse she said:
HAS he told her? ?"
He was quite disconnected By the
bold thrust, aud was silent. She held
her hand on her mouth to keep her
face smooth. Tears and a great joy
struggled to reach the surface.
How can | tell-yet-"
Here he looked her full in the face.
Their eyes met, and he said slowly:
IL think he has"
She rose abruptly. aud began to
dust the books ON the table. The
fight in her cart waxed hot. Love
and maidenly reserve struggled for
the mastery. He, with a curious
blindness, mistook it all, and thinking
her the most mercenary and heartless
girl he had ever met, rose, took his
hat, and said he must 20. She turn
ed upon him quickly.
"Gol Go where ,'
Excuse me- Did you know that
| intended to go Westy'
mo. How should /, Do you
return soon ~
mo. Perhaps not for years.
Indeed Oh. I think / under
stand. saw in the papers that your
employers had failed. A hard exper-
fence for them. suppose you go
West in search Of business
She did not know how she said it,
for her heart seemed quite dead with
in her.
He stiffiy held out his hand as if to
bid her formal good-by. She took
it timidly, and said:
''is it good morning or good-by ?"
lie besitated
1T is good
Before he could finish, she said,
with her face turned away; II wish
| knew if that story was true or not. ~
ut is true story"
Somehow her fingers frightened
round his, and she drew near to him.
She pressed back her hair from behind
her ears with her free hand, and said
merrily:
Not chivalrous to ask her to wait"
Love and modesty had fought
hard, silent Then she came to him,
and, putting a hand on each shoulder,
looked into his eyes and said:
"Not chivalrous to ask her to watt
Not word more. He looked down
upon her fair face. Tears were lurk-
ing in her eyes, and her lips quivered.
Love victorious.
Within year they were married.
They were engaged in all his power.
ty. She was true woman, and he
won the good fight of his life through
her engagement Had she disdained
his poverty, be would have been a
failure.
Love is ever victorious.