Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-07-14
LETTY'S S PROMISES.

dear Lefty" he said, land I'm halt
afraid you may think it selfish thing to
ask, indeed, l know it is, but yet with
tho renowned selGshness OF man, not
only ask, beg it,"
/ What on earth can it be ?" said Let
ty, smiling. "Do you want me to go to
a nunnery till you return, or to travel to
Calcutta to marry you? Or do you want
me to give the cold shoulder TO Tom
Longworthy, and promise never to say
SO much as How do ye do p to him %
For Che gossips had said their say in Van
Everen's ear, whom he returned from his
last voyage, to the effect that Longworthy
had taken advantage oihj- absence to bo
sweet ON Lefty, and shat Lefty wac by no
means averse to sweets, supplemented by
the assurance, However, Tom isn't Il
marrying man, and il Lefty hadn't been
promised, he wouId have paid herno
heed Tom always goes in for a safe
thing" But this philosophy by no
means satisfied Van Evcrea.
No, Lefty, it is none Of these triaos, -
he answered at is something much
more important to my happiness"
" You know l will do anything to
please you
"You viii? Then promise me This
thing solemnly promise That if amy
thing should happen to me, if | should
never return, if | should die-promiso
that you will remain mine forcyer-that
you will never, never marry another.-
Can you promise this, dmIiag?"
Certainly. But you win come back
you must Why, ! should die myself
II you failed. There is no need Of such a
promise, but will give it all the same.
promise solemny lnat you die | viii
never marry"
Thanks" #" said Van Evcron, kissing
her checl, with nm air Of having conferred
a favor "I have exactly five minute.
!oa in which TO say good-by. There isl
great deal called love in this world which
is only propir'qaity but one mustn't call
( it flowing, SO the poet tells us,
'unlo.a yoa can love. as tho anrels way,
With the broath OF heaven belNiNt u.s.
And you think you can, Lefty ?"
- know it. Perhaps you moan tC
commit suicide in order to test me-"
: Aud then followed a few minutes o
tender nonsense, and Van Eyeren tore
/ himself away, leaving Lefty in tears. r
/ What a long, long time it was to lool
/ forward to How many storms woulC
4 beat along the coast, how many sun
would shine, mornings dawn, and even
ings gather to their close, before the,
met again In the mean time here wa
her trousseau to finish and she used t
sit at it hour by hour, with Der thought
away on some distant reach Of the lndai
seas. except when Tom Longworthy lott
cred in to Kill timo. One morning h
brought her a letter. which a sailor wh
had spoken the f2ying Scnd, two month
out, had intrustcd to him, and he looked
out the window while she read it, whist
ling The long, long weary day. softly
Tom WAS really comfort to her, in spit
Of Van Eycrcn's unreasonable jealousy
! He could tell her all abou. the long In
dian voyage, Of cyclones, Gains, ano
trade-winds--al about the great foregr
cities to which her lover was bound, viii
their sunburned natives, their strang,
customs, thoir fantastic -tult- and curious
architectura-tl she felt as if she war,
there herself. It was some months late
that Tom Longworthy came in with 3
cloud on hi. face.
You are i'll ?' said Lefty, regaidinl
him.
mot at all, thank you; only i'll a
ease"
Then yoa have some bad news"
Yes, have some bad news"
Nothing about Lawrence ?' sh'
ga-peI.
~ hope not"
You hope not ! For Heavens sake
don't you know? What is il? Dom
think you are sparing my feelings. Yoc
are only cruelty"
"Tho Flgjag Scud-"
Is lost p
elias foundered Bat there's no Ger
tainty with regard to Lawrence hc may
be among the saved. Lefty Lefty
don't look at me as if had brought il
about. / would exchange places will
him gladly for your sake; would in
deed !" he cried.
She left her needle where the i'll new
found it, and folded away all the wcldinl
gmment-. And month followed month
ofonXious foroboding and one or two
old seamen struggled home 10 their eami
lies, battered and destitute, after many
hard-hips, but they knew nothing Of Var
Eycren; be had not taken to the sam,
boat; some bad been swept away by 8
wave before the ship was abandoned
and SO by sud degrees hope and Lau
renee Eyeren were given up. Bu
though the object chat made existence
preciou. has been rudely torn from as
! yet we 60 forward with the drama per
force we must dine, read letters, receive
confidence, discuss crepe and bombazine
as if the world had not suddenly grown
empty and for.orn. And SO it was will
Lefty. Daily Tie was too exacting; SIN
could not sit down and hug her grief, an(
look at il IN every light, and discuss it il
all It's bearings she was obliged to dr.
her tears and earn her bread. The rail
road stock in which her small FORTUNE
was invested had suddenly declared
against dividends, Sno could not per