Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-01-06
Where all the sweetness goes"

She went away to Italy with solltalre
diamond blazing on her wasted finger
my gift and given with a proviso
"Irene, if you come back and have
not forgotten, let this ring tell the
story. Send it to me or wear it when l
come to you. Then shall know if you
are mine still. 1 shall be faithful
through all things, Renie, but hold
you to no promise. Let your heart
follow its own dictates, but whenever
you come back you will find me wait
ing"
"And living or dying, 1 will come
back to you. Frank. replied the child.
The long months in which I waited
for one line to tell me she had reached
her destination passed away as pass the
''long, sad hours that bring us all things
ILL.," Not a sign, not token came to
tell me if the young soul that had
crossed my own so suddenly and glori-
ously still kept its frail tenure on life.
Why need speak of my anguish during
those months of suspense?
ave bear the blows that sever
We cannot weep forever"
/ was ordered to a distant station
with my regiment, and in the gay life
of young army officer, tried to forget /;
and months passed, bringing years
two years, three years-and no word
came from her who still held my heart
to the exclusion of all others. Irene
had broken faith-''living or dying"
had not come back to me. Ordered
home again, ! sat thinking of her not
so very long ago sat in the same chair
where her fairy form had rested on the
night of my sisters birthnight ball
not thinking of her harshly or coldly,
but with a sad grieving tenderness.
The enchantment of her presence seemed
all around me, and memory bells rang
dirges in nv heart. She had been true.
felt intuitively. Her nature was all
innocence, purity and truth. Whatever
had happened to part us, whatever had
imposed such strange silence between
us / could never blame my little Irene.
What did 1 know of her fate ? She
might have faded and died like the frail
flower that she was /; but then she had
promised to come to me living or dead.
/ could not solve the strange problem
try as might. so 1 gave up thinking,
and signing YEARLY closed my eyes,
leaning my head back against the velvet
cushion my darlings cheek had pressed.
"But whose violet velvet lining, with the lampligb
gloaiing Ger,
!SiG shall press. ah, nevermorer
1 thought saw face like hers that
night as Constance and 1 sat at the
opera listening to the divine Nilsson in
the second act of the Huguenots. Up
in one of the private boxes sat an
elderly gentleman of fine figure and
patrician bearing. Beside him in the
pride of her stately beauty girl of
perhaps nineteen years sat gazing with
quiet eyes over the crowded house. 1
should have said a statue rather, for
the calm, moveless poise of the graceful
head, the soft sweep of her white silk
robe even the pale gold curls lightly
crowned with ivy leaves suggested the
idea but still in that refined loveliness
that rounded perfection of beautiful
health and strength fingered an indie
Unable resemblance to my fragile Irene;
and with a sensation, half pleasure,
half pain, 1 continued to gaze at her
until the blue eyes in their istless
wandering dawned on my face.
/ knew her then. Irene Mine,