The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-14

urn neIei anu ~ only WRltlHB tor hOull
one to be sent in his place to give VI
the position. There are very few who
could take that place, but Leon is one o
the few
"He waited for her to speak, but she sa
with her face half ayerted, silent.
~ was panied, Alma, more panied thar
can express, when he told me that Thu
late acceptance Of my offer was caused b!
the rupture Of your engagement. re-
spectcd Leon, and had hoped to call him
my son, and when ! heard that you had
been mistaken in your feeling for him,
sorrowed for my own disappointment Us
well as his. Do not think, my child, that
| wish to force your affection; you are The
best Judge Of what will make you happy
but am sorry you were so hasty, for
fear You have given a deep, lasting wound
to true, noble heart.
Pride and Lowell Here the two were bat.
Ting in Alma's heart, but pride was still
uppermost,
"And he is going to California 2" She
said 1t in steady, even tones, too calm to
be entirely natural. Mere friendly interest
would have given more animation to the
measured words,
"He has gomez
Gomez There was pain then in the
sudden cry.
"Yes, he left for New York this after.
noon, and will take the steamer that sails
tomorrow, Alma, Alma, do not tell me
you mistOOk your own heart when you
sent him away"
mo, no, It Is better for him to Co."
Pride still uppermost though she SILVER
ed as with cold, and was white as Parian
marble.
"Well, my dear, l hope you have judg-
ed correctly Of your own heart. am
only sorry you we're mistaken" and he
kissed her sadly, for he had loved Leon
with the affection no would have given to
a son Of his own, had he ever been blessed
with one. The parting had been very
hard for these two men thrust from each
others hearts'by u wOman's vain caprice,
but each, while hiding his own pain, had
comforted tho other with the hope that
she, at least, would he happier with her
regained freedom,
Released from the library, out Of her
fathers sight, Alma staggered rather than
walked to the staircase, and blindly crop.
ed her way to her own room. Once
within that sanCtum, secure from intru.
sion, pride fell PROSTATE before the great
flood Of love sweeping now unchecked
over her heart.
"LeonlS Leon Oh, forgive me, and come
back p This was the hungry cry oiher
heart through the long, sleepless watches
OF that weary night. The morning found
her pale and sad but she said in her heart /,
"lIe was too good, too noble for me. |
will bear my punishment as patiently as
| can, praying that he may find another
who will have my love and not my faults"
She thought lie had ceased to love her,
had found his error in surprising she
would make him true, loving wife, little
guessing the agony he was carrying with
him in his suddenly undertaken journey.
1t was only one Of the thousand cases Of
hasty words and bleeding hearts, but ii
was none the less bitter for that.
Once settled in San Francisco, Leon
tried to give his whole attention to the
business he had undertaken for Mr., Crofts.
1t was a valuable agency in an important
invention, and was suffering from the in.
efficiency Of the hands in which ii had
been placed. Throwing aside tile thought
Of his own sorrows, Leon gave to the bus.
mess M active personal superintendenCe,
that soon began to be felt. Every letter
from Mr.. Crofts contained words Of thanks
and praise for the stimulus he was giving
to the trade in California, and Leon was
grateful for the thankfully expressed ap.
probation Of his services. But while he
valued this portion Of hla employers
epistlc, there were other words he read
more eagerly, sought for more earnestly.
Mr.. Crofts Ut first avoided all mention
Of his little daughters name, fearing to
touch upon unhealed, tender words; but
once or twice question In Icons letter
touching the health Of the family, had
called forth m answer, till at last he
wrote freely to Alma, half hoping that,
as he wordcd II In. his thoughts, "things
might come right yet And one Of the
letters read In this wise:
"Alma IL well but you would scarcely
believe the change In her unless you
could sec II. All through the spring and
summer she seemed dropping and feeble,
but since the autumn she Is better and
buster than ever before. Not busy In the
old way, with trimming evening dresses
and arranging jewelry and flowers, but
studying, ahd-Would YOU think 1t Of our
little Alma2-parish visiting amongst
the poor Of the congregation. She has
grown SO womanly in the past few months,
so gentle and considerable Of others, that
can scarcely recognize my little butter.
1y. have always thought that II she
would use her mind, she would provo to
have n greater grasp Of intellect than
would appear to u casual observer, but
even am surprised at the facility with
which she now grasps higher fields Of
thought than most women venture upon.
| scarcely know whether to laugh or u
sigh when find her curled III in my great
study chair, with a volume half as big as
she Is open before her, studing diligently,
or meet her in my walks to and from the
Office with q basket full OF wine and jel.
lies, or bundle Of 1annels for some
rheumatic old woman OF an ailing child.
NY little girl Is certainly gone, but In her
place u noble woman Is fast developing"
This was not the only letter in the same
strain. Mr.. Croits loved his child with
fond parents most intense affection, and
second to his love for her was his atIec.
ton for his young friend Leon. What
wonder, then, II he wrote freely Of one 10
the other, talked, too, Of. the absent one to
the one near him. Perhaps the faint
hope still lived in his heart that these two
loved ones might renew their broken en-.
gagGment, but II 80, Alma gave IL no word
or look 10 feed Upon.
The winter months came and sped along
till February came, and the year Of sepa-
ration was almost completed. Leon was
sitting alone in HE office on the afternoon
Of st. Valentines day, thinking sadly Of
the last anniversary Of the day. lie re-
called his visit TO the greenhouse To SO.
lect the flowers for his gift 70 Alma, and the
care with which he had hidden the be.
trothed ring In the center. He wondered
what had become Of his offering. Was IL
still IN the heart Of the withered boquet,
lying upon some dust heap, tossed there
by an angry or Contemptuous little hand,
.or had she found the offering aud kept II
10 return at some future time with sCorn-
fnI wDrds nf rejection, He had drawn the