Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-01-06
heart when it sees its idol fading day

heart when it sees its idol fading day
by day before loves helpless eyes
With one of those passionate, uncon-
querable impulses that comes to STRONG
manhood in its hours of love and grief,
1 threw myself on my knees by the side
OF the chair and lifted one of her snowy
little hands to my lips.
81 can't help it, Irene" I said, look
ing up into the soft, surprised eyes,
bent on mine. ''My darling, when /
see you fading thus before my eyes it
takes all my manhood from mel Do
you always get tired SO easily, Irene !?
Are you often languid and istless like
this?"
81 languid? I hstless ?" the soft
surprise deepening in her eyes, a con-
fused glimmer of color staining the
satin-smooth cheek. Captain Ford
ham, what makes you talk so. am
not i'll 1 am only worn out by too hard
study; next month my uncle means to
take me to Italy. He says 1 shall get
well there, and come back in two yeals
with perfect health and never
get tired and languid and pale
any more. All, mel" she sighed be-
hind her glittering fan, show I shall
think of this happy evening in those
long days of absence"
Sand me ?" Ihazarded, still cIasping
the slim, white hand, SO childishly
small and dimpled 'Irene, will you
give one thought to me?"
The small head shifted restlessly on
its velvet cushion, and turning little
one side, left me only view of her pale
clear-cut profile, but 1 saw the soft,
plumel fan that nestled against her
breast futter slightly as if with the
quick throbs of her heart. Leaning
again over the back of her chair, /
looked down at the sweet face she was
striving to hide from my sight.
''Irene," / persisted, unable to keep
the peace, '-if you are going away for
two years, even perhaps if you were
not, it may be useless for me to tell you
what is trembling on my lips, but I
think it cannot do you any harm to
know it. If it gives you no pleasure, it
can at least give you no pain forgive
me, even if you cannot think kindly of
me for having dared to love you in your
pure child loveliness.
Then almost hated myself for having
said so much, for she flushed deeply,
wildly, from her fair throat to her
brow. She bent forward, hiding that
lovely rosefush in both hands and
trembling slightly but perceptibly.
'Irene." l whispered.
One little hand stole away from her
face and reached up to me as / bent
over her. As l clasped it close in mine,
l whispered entreatingly
''Speak to me, Irene-tell me if you
do, or if you ever will learn to love me?"
''Oh Frank" came in the lowest,
sweetest whisper that ever blessed a
lovers ears, 81 am so young scarcely
understand my own heart, but I have
felt so differently since knew you that
1 think, yes, am sure that love you. F"
''And, Renie, if you come back from
Italy well, or if you come at all, then if
you love me still, may hsve you-may
for my own"-my lip trembled over
the passionate sweetness of the name
"my own peerless wife?"
eff God so Wills" she softly made
answer.
l touched my lips to her childish
brow, and taking the white rose from
her hair put it in my bosom as a SOU
venir. 1t was fading and dropping,
even as she was, poor little girl. but its
fragrance was more penetrating and in
tense than when it bloomed on its parent
stem. Why is it that all things grow
sweetest when fading from us, and
ness of our lives garnered up? We
cannot believe it wholly perishable-
but only