The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-04-30

siOnate declaration OF love. lhau never
| Doasted OF my conquests. why snould
she flout me with them? i had told her
that she was the only woman had ever
loved or ever should love. She had bid.
den me "bring my wife to see her' next
| time came.
There is very little to be said some-
times about one's most powerful feel
ings. / suffered terribly. was at once
I grieyed and angry, astonlshed anu
| dismayed. Ny manner was altereo.
hardly knew my own face in the glass.
| Il did not feel like myself. IL was as
| though some other soul was in my BODY.
| After while that longing for change
of scene which some temperaments al
ways experience after great trouble
possessed me and an opportunity soon
offered itself. The tirm with Wnicn 1
was connected needed a business man
| in Paris. l applied for the position and
obtained it.
Hopeless love is thing to mock at, 1
believe. Noone respects or even pltles
one who suffers from it. Why, then,
should I tell of the long, weary years
through which I lived, doing my daily
| work, gaining a reputation as a Dust-
/ ness man-eating, drinking, and Sleep
| ing like any one else, yet always with
that heavy burden at my heart!
Icould not forget her. had strlven
in vain. l knew that all my life must
crush this silent sorrow in my breast
and hide it as might, that in old age l
must sit solitary beside my hearth, be-
cause no other woman could MI lhe
| Mace | had destined for Edwina.
How many years were theyP Enough
TO cure most men Of any PASSION; knew
I il and l wondered at my own consist
ency. How could l love girl whose re-
snonse to loVe-letter from one 10 whom
she had tacitly promised her heart was
a note like that growing yellow III my
desk?
Mystery OF mysteries is love. Who
shall understand ltI
| But one day-I knew it was my BIRTH
day, and that l was thirty years old
mad crossed the barrier between youth
and middle age, and how had youth been
wasted? In vain regrets, IN bitIer re-
pinings, in loneliness and miserable
dreams.
/ said to myself:
"Mau, you are an idiot; forget the
feeting JOY Of your youth, take your Lille
In your hands. Marry. Have home,
vile, children, like other men. or boy
hoods Jolly are born such raptures as
these YOU feel for Edwina; they 60, and
revisit the heart no more. Tue toys oil
childhood please you no more; its sweets
GLOW upon your taste. No more can you
be a boy than child. cast of this old
delusion, trample it under foot. 1t has
worked you evil enough already"
| arose and looked at myself in the
glass, and saw big fellow with long,
i Iight-brown beard. Those were not the
womanish cheeks OF Romeo. That was
no pensive youth to die OF love and long
ing.
Il will 90 to Monsieur Durand's and
nropose TOR the hand OF Mademoiselle
Rosalie, his daughter" said. ''She is
a good young woman, and pretty one.
There Will be no love-making required,
and l shall do my duty as husband.
| A bachelor old age is hideOus."
| / dressed myself as becomingly as pos
sjble and went forth. 1t was fine day j,
and the streets were full Of people. Gay
dresses, gay faces, certain magnetic
thrill of merriment impossible In any
other city, made its impression on me.
| / had not felt so happy Tor years.
"Mongshure," said some one at my
side; ''mongshure, r-place-no,
haug itl-seaI VOC play-oh, dearl Roo
de WHATS his nameY Polly Woo En-
glishW
1t was an Englishman trying to ask
mis- way in French, for as l faced him l
| knew Ralph Hay, whom had not seen
or heard OF for eight good years.
| He was stouter, redder, better dressed,
evidently richer, than he used to be; but
had no doubt OF his identity.
"Ralphv / cried, "dort you know
mep
is. though-Jonn SmithV
We shook hands.
| q
eigner, and l was trying TO talk youl
"You are pretty fellow, aren't you'll
Are you marriedW
mo, How is Mrs. Hayw
"Spiendid," said Raipn-"blooming,
: Young as her daughter, and Gussie Is
seventeen now. say, look here-I sup.
pose we can talk anywhere about here
without being understoodH
"In EnglIsh, yes" said.
"John Smith, ,"sald he, "Pve some thing
on my mind. l always was a bungllns
fellow, and-weIi, l don't know how t(
get at it. I've made money, you know
and can afford to treat WHEY and Gus.
, sic to trip-lf 1t is treat-matter o!
taste that; but came to Paris partly
to hunt YOU up. IL felt ought to.
saw, you know the day you went away
from our house-no, l mean the day
came to your place of business ant
brought you letter from EdWina W
!, 81 do," l said.
"Was there anything wrong about tina
letterw he asked.
, "a little," 1 said.
+ "Tell me what," he whispered.
y 'It reused me-" l said. ~ had of
. fered myself to Edwina Earle"
"Look here" said Ralph, "you know
your name is John Smlth%
GAY" said /.
, $50 is his" said Ralph.
"WhoseW
"The rector's, )" said Ralph. ellis wife
came over in a violent passion with Ed
wilma, and said she'd written love let
:. ter to him. EdWina felt dreadful
7 thought the woman was crazy. You see
he's written to her to offer her school
and that morning she gave me two lei
ters, enc TO pos5, pother to take.
think, maybe, posted the wrong one
j. and took PoLher. ~ haven't told 'em a
a home about it. You see, the clergy
mans wife tore his up. But you didn'
, lcome back. Edwina has MT married
.. land, you see, don't Think Edwlna dit
, refuse yOu."l
n L made him no answer.
"A k,., Il. 4