Nebraska advertiser., 1878-08-08
LUCIA'S FOLLY.

There goes the most provoking man
in the whole oountry!' said Lucia
Dare, as she stood at the window and
watched Professor Lee go down the
path-'really the most provoking.
Sometimes Pm sure he's in love with
me, and going to tell me so, and then,
again, I'm sure Pm mistaken, and
that it's Dora he's In love with, if he's
in love with anybody. He's SO BASH
ful when he's with woman, that he
doesn't dare say his SOULS his own,
anyway. I'm sure don't see why he
should be afraid of me d! l like him,
and If he could see two inches ahead
of his nose, he coald see it,
Lucia heaved little sigh, and sat
down at the piano, where haitian hour
before she had been singing Annie
Laurie for the professor.
Il wonder what he wanted to see
Dora for?' she thought, as she
thrummed the keys in low accom-
paniment to her thoughts. 1t can't
be that he Is in love with Dora, for he
must know she's engaged. And yet
he's such an odd creature that it
wouldn't be at all strange If he was.
If he ever heard she was engaged, he's
probably forgotten it. Iwonder what
he wrote to her? 1t must be some
thing that. he considers quite impor-
tant, for he wanted me to be sure and
give her the letter as soon as she got
home, and it took him half an hour to
write it,
She got up, went to the table, and
took up the letter Professor Lee had
written to her sister.
Il wish knew what was In It, she
said holding it up to the light. He
looked as If be might be proposing
marriage. If thought 1t t0GS a pro-
posal-'
Lucia's face colored little at the
thought that. came into her mind.
She laid the letter down and walked
to the window, and stood there for
some time. By-and-by she turned,
came back to the table, and took up
the letter-a guilty look on her face,
as she did it-and dropped it behind
an old carved cabinet which stood In
one corner of the parlor.
m Y,oaon fhinr fo do aho cold
to herself, as she went back to the pi-
ano, but I've done 1t. II it aDds a
proposal, it's just as well as it is, for
Dora would never marry him; If it
a0asn't proposal it won't matter very
much, probably
Two weeks after that Dora came
home from visit to friend, with the
news that Professor Lee had resigned
his position as teacher of language in
the academy at Wilbraham, and ac-
cepted an offer from new college at
the West.
Are you sure it's sop asked Lucia,
with an effort to hide all traces of ag-
itation.
Quite sure, answered Dora. Helen
Templeton told me, and she had her
news from Prof. Lee himself
When is he going?' Lucia tried
hard to act unconcernedly, but her
voice sounded unsteady.
Very soon, answered Dora. This
week, 1 think
And 1t was only two or three days
after that that Dora came home with
the announcement that the professor
had gone.
Gone y Lucia's face was pale as she
repeated the word. At that moment
a tender hope died in her heart.
Yes answered Dora, he went this
morning. think he might have
come to tell US good-by.'
Lucia got up without another word
and went to her room.
Poor Lucia = Dora said. She did
care for him, after ALL
upstairs Lucia kne!t down by her
window and had real woman's cry.
She did not know till then how much
she had cared for Professor Lee. She
had always liked him, and had hoped
that some day she might call him by
a dearer name than that of professor.
Now she knew that she loved him.
But it was all on one side, she Sob
bed. 1T must have been, or he never
would have left me In this way, with
out so much as a word. But 1 did
think he cared for me little.'
IL was two years after that when