The Russellville Democrat., 1877-04-05
TERRIBLY DECIDED.

. A4eA0A0AA A 04O8A&SA~s
 "Oh Sara, you are too absurd" And pretty Grace Ashleigh laughs her pleas antest laugh. "The idea of loving two men at once, and not knowing which to choose don't believe you at all"
 Believe or not, Grace, just as you please" is the soft serious voiced answer.
 Those wonderful, deep hazel eyes of Sara Prescott's turn all their subdued richness of color toward her friend whilst she speaks, and every feature of her beautiful face wears an impress of earn est meaning.
 "It is true, Grace" she whispers ; "true. true. true! There are moments when feel confident that Ralph Curtis, with his dark, southern-looking beauty, and his impu!sive, reckless ways, IS by far dearer to me. But visit from blonde paired, blue-eyed Walter Crosbie changes everything. am just tossed about in spirit from one to the other. Each seems to touch, with me, separ- ate chord of congeniality. don't know how it will end. Here they have both been lingering along at the hotel, Grace, paving me daily visits since the first of
 
 last July"
 "Perhaps," suggested Grace, after a little silence while they walked along the twilit paths of the great lawn which compasses the luxurious summer-house where Sara Prescott lives" Perhaps you will end by hating them both, Sara?" "I cannot tell And yet that seems impossible" a, "Very well," answered Grace; "I must ask you to have my carriage or dered around now, Sara, notwithstand- ing I should like to remain and help to counsel you in your troubles; but please remember that have seven miles to drive, and that mamma makes perfect Rachel of herself if stay out after dark"
 So Grace presently takes her depart. ure. and Sara is left to hold converse with her own thoughts, while she begins a second, and this time wholly solitary stroll among the stately shrubberied lawns.
 Very gloomy and miserable those thoughts are. She recalls, with sense of shrinking fear, how intense passion for her has recently grown to spossess both Ralph Curtis and Walter Crosbie --how each has become almost aggres- I sive, of late, in his fierce request for some final answer to his eager hopes, and how the more that either pleads the more absolute and complete has been her | indecision, her doubt, her perplexity. No, she cannot make up her mind. Allow that she is mentally monstrosity of womanhood; allow that nobody has | ever been precisely in her unsettled con dition the fact exists all the same, that she loves two men at Ouce, and has no power to choose between them.
 Suppose they should have some deadly quarrel on her account. Nothing IS more possible. They have grown to hate each other; of that fact Sara feels quite sure. They are living at the same hotel, and are now constantly thrown together. Sara shudders now when she remembers what evidences she has had of fierce temper each possesses. Oh, why cannot she be like other women Why must she suffer so keenly from what seems nothing but her own gross stupidity and silly irresolution.
 Just at this stage of Sara's thoughts,
 the sound of footstep directly behind
 her meets the young girls ear. She
 turns. and in the vague dark, sees Wal
 ter Crosbies tall, commanding figure
 and fair, Saxon face. He begins speak ing with brusque suddenness: "Sara-
 Miss Proscott-I have come to bid you
 good-by."
 She clasps both hands together in ar
 abrupt burst of surprise.
 "You cannot possibly mean it?"
 "I do. I am tired of being played
 fast and loose with. from day to day"
 "You are not going," she answers
 calmly, after little silence, and whilst
 they were walking on. know by
 your tones and your manner that it is
 only ruse. You are not going until
 give you final answer"
 And for Gods sake," Walter blurts
 forth, "when is that final answer comingl
 There are times, Sara Prescott, when feel like believing that no more heartless
 coquette than yourself ever drew breath
 and that you are no more for me than your are for Ralph Curtis"
 "Pardon me, think that l heard my name mentioned"
 ) None other than Ralph Curtis him self who spoke these words. The vague halflights has now yielded to the brightening glimmer of full, su , perb moon, wnose silver globe hangs mid way between horizon and zenith, beauti ! fully pendant in the still, blue, breeze 5 less sky.
 r Ralph Curtis, having just emerged from behind a dark barrier of tall ,heav. t shrubbery round which the road winds 3 stands facing Water Crosbie and Sara 7 his black eyes and olivesbrown counten an % fully visible to lem both. Un - der his dark moustache there plays bitter cynical smile.