The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1876-09-29


they were as completely separated as if al
ocean rolled between them
This night, as Etheredge sat watching
Annie, and thinking Of all this he noticed,
with thrill Of pain, that she was a little
paler, little more quiet than usual. He
remembered that she had met Richardson
at the picture gallery that day.
Some magnetic influence in the gaze Of
Etheredge made Annie lookup. She flush
ed under the serene luster Of those dark
gray eyes, and her fingers forgot their cum
ming, and dropped the ball Of zephyr she
was unwinding. 1t rolled toward the fire
there was a genuine old fashioned wood
fire upon the hearth-and in STOPPING to
recover it, her light sleeve dipped into the
blaze. The flames leaped uP-Mllton
sprang forward, caught her i'll his arms,
and crushed cut the fire.
She was frightened, weak and dizzy
with remembering what she had escaped,
and for moment she stood clrcled onhis
arm, her head on his shoulder, her sof-
hair resting against his cheek. The touch
thrilled him with startling power. He was
hardly himself All the love he had so
long kept under foot rose up like an unit
bound tyrant. He pressed his lips pas
sionateIy to hers-he would have told her
then how dear she was to him, but some
thing seemed to hold him back. He would
wait little until the excitement of her re-
cent peril would be over-would wait, and
think it over calmly. All that night he
sat up, thinking of his course. He loved
her with all his soul; he should never care
for another woman. But he was not quite
sure Of the condition Of her heart. Wha
if she had still lingering tenderness for
Richardson? He feared she might have
He had seen her kiss a picture which he
felt morally sure was his. Would he like
his wife to kiss Leigh Richardson's picture? !?
\ Would he like to think she had ever kissed
lit? Then he remembered how she blush
ed sometimes when he looked at her, and
took courage. 1t might be that the old
dream could be forgotten in the new. At
any rate he would know before he slept,
he said, with sudden resolution, and after
breakfast he went downtown for a walk.
He knew few Of the fellows belonging to
the Franklin Club, and for the wa t OF
something better to do, he sauntered into
4 their room.
There were only two OF three present,
smoking their cigars and idling over the
papers Their business hours not com
menced yet As he entered, he caught
the nameof Annie Huntley. Fred Orme,
a reckless young daredevil, was telling a
story. Etheredge reddened on hearing
her name from Orme's lips, and was about
striding forward and calling him to ac-
count for it, when Orme's next words ar
rested him and forced him to listen.
you see Leigh Richardson was dead
in love with her. Never saw fellow take
it any harder. Well, she is a charming
girl-dresses exquisitely. Never saw q
better fitting glove and boot than she gets
on Leigh is smart but never liked him
since he won that silver cup at the boat
race. / meant to have had that myself
Too confounded bad I didn't get itt"
$50 it Was" drawled Ed Harrison; chow
YOU sweat, didn't you, Fred 2"
1T was hotter than the tropics, and
Leigh is one Of the cool-blooded ones. |
said that | meant to be even with him, and
| have kept my word. Don't mind telling
you the story, fellows, siace it is such an
old affair. Pass the lemonade, Etheredge
you'll be interested in it, because I've
heard it said that you're rather sweet in
that quarter. Matters were going on swim
lningIy, two years ago, between Leigh and
Annie. They'd have been married before
now, if nobody had interfered. But Den.
mis- and I(-you know Dennis ?-tiptop fel-
low got up a little plan between Is, and
/ II N0Thcd SplEudidlJs O1diA I ~ eASS
the deuce? | gained possession OF some
Of Leigh's handwriting, and practiced
writing like it. [ am an expert at that
business, fatter myself; and in few
days | could fairly beat Richardson wish
his own weapons. So wrote letter to
an imaginary chum Of his-giving q des-
cription Of Miss Annie-calling her solt
little thing, telling him how she adofed
the subscriber, and how the subscriber
cared nothing at all for her, but was enjoy
ing glorious Irritation. Of course the
subscriber was Leigh Richardson. This
note-which was a most insulting thing to
any woman-we -contriyed to have drop
ed where Miss Annie would find it, and
the result was even more jolly than | had
anticipated. She mittened Richardson the
next day, and refused to listen to any ex-
planation he could make. Ha hal a good
Joke, wasn't 1T? Paid him for getting that
cup. Always intended to pay him oifsome
way. He felt dreadfully about i'll Ny SIS