The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-08-22

~lStu Uubn GUetk IL lie Sdiu-
=, What can you have been thinking Of!
You have not stirred for half an hour.
Only that your eyes were wide open, /
should have thought you asleep"
Your powers OF imagination are mar
dreaming"
of WHAT"
The world in general, nv world in
particular. II is almost time l returned
there"
She was prepared tor some polite show
Of regret, but not for the CHASTITY chang
in his face.
She shuddered, remembering his aunt's
words.
Going away, Why, Of course, YOU
would be soon" he said, trying to speak
carelessly, while his eyes hungrily de-
voured her face, and his white parched
lips were drawn as il in sharp physical
pain.
Il have been here unree months" she
said, feeling her own heart ache at his
misery.
Yes, yesl You vii: go, certainly.
And you" she said very gently; you
will be in the city, presume. l should
be glad to welcome you to my house.
No." he said harshly; Il will not take
such advantage Of your kindness; / am a
man your friends would tell you to shun,
Miss Cameron-a man who has wasted his
Life till it is too late to take up the threads
again. You do not know, perhaps, that
my aunt keeps me here from charity.
Il know that YOU have offended your
father" she answered.; but you are
man, scarcely 80, and ii is cowardly To
talk Of despair at your age.
Her words cut him like a whip-lash.
The dark blood mounted to his forehead
as he repeated.
Coward! l might fight the whole
world yet, but" and here his tone was
bitter, and yet strangely pathetic, the
battle is scarcely worth winning. What
| would gain? Money? ! do not value
| il, Position? / have thrown it behind
me. have played the fool, and | must
take the FOOLS wages.
Il will not have you say so, she said,
reused by an earnestness she had never
intended to berray. You shall not use
lessly throw away YOUR life.
A hope sprang to his eyes, new there,
| lighting them to dazzling Alliance.
Miss Cameron-Leonie, he cried,
were there a prize to win, were ones
hearts hope conferred upon me, / would
| trample down these demons Of temptation,
would prove myself a man il had any
motive"
There was no mistaking the prayer In
his eyes, the pleading In his voice.
| Only for q moment. close to the low Win
dow, before hand like snowflake fell
upon his shoulder, a voice, low and sweet,
murmured low in his ear:
BE man for my sake"
She was gone before he spoke again and
he wandered on to the woods to muse upon
the possibility Of this new life.
The next day Mrs. TOllman lost her
summer bOarder. Society. languidly con-
templating Miss Cameron for the next
three years, found her eccentric.
She was gay and gave by flashes, fasci-
mating in either mood, but she was mys-
teriously unapprOachable.
The bravest sutton found himself met at
the point where friendly attentions merge
into lovers devotion by a wall Of icy re-
serve that was impossible. She never
fiirted, but she had the reputation of a ilirt,
because she was popular and admired, and
remained single until q. She was known
to be truthful, and she distinctly told
several inquisitive lady friends that she was
not engaged; 50 there was not even the
spice Of romance in the gossip.
s. knew heI not In those three years,
but Mrs. TOllman was the recipient Of
various hampers of city delicacies from
her, and would acknowledge the same by
letter
One Of these, dated three years after the
beautiful Miss Cameron left s., after
deliberately thanking that young lady for
hamper Of dainties, added:
No. nl..ar In an