The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-10
lucia'S Folly.

LuVld UllJ'
"There goes the most provoking man in
the whole county !" said Lucia Dare, as
she stood at the window and watched Pro-
fessor Lee 60 down the path-"really the
most provoking. Sometimes I'm sure he's
in love with me, and going to tell me so,
and then, again, I'm sure I'm mistaken,
and that it's Dora he's in love with, if
he's in love with anybody. He's 50 BASH
full when he's with woman that he doesn'
dare say his souls his own anyway. I'm
sure don't see why he should be afraid
of mel like him, and if he could see
two inches ahead of his nose, he could see
it,"
Lucia heaved little sigh, and sat down
at the piano, where half an 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 accompaniment to her
thoughts. "It can't be that he is in love
with Dora, for he must know she's engag-
ed. 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 engag ged, he's prob
ably forgotten it. wonder what he wrote
to her? 1t must be something that he
considers quite important, 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.
81 wish knew what was in it," she
said, holding it up to the light. "He
looked as if he might be proposing mar
riage. If thought it pas propo-
sal"
Lucia's s face colored little at the
thought which 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 drop,
ped it behind an old carved cabinet which
stood in one corner of the parlor.
"It's mean thing to do" she said tc
herself, as she went back to the piano, "but
I've done it. If it ,cas proposal, it:
just as well as it is, for Dora would never
marry him; if it aOasn't proposal it won'
matter very much, probably"
Two weeks after that Dora came home
from visit to a friend, with the news
that Professor Lee had resigned his posi-.
tion as teacher of languages in the acade.
my at Wilbraham, and accepted an ofel
from new college at the West.
care you sure it's SOP" asked Lucia,
with an effort to hide all trace Of agita-
ton.
"Quite sure" answered Dora. "Helen
Tempeton told me, and she had her news
from Professor Lee himself"
"When is he going?" Lucia tried hare
to act unconcernedly, but her voice sound
ed unsteady.
every soon," answered Dora. "Thi
week, think"
And it was only two or three days afte
that that Dora came home with the an
nouncement that the professor had gone.
"Gone !" Lucia's face was pale as sh
repeated the word. At that moment I
tender hope died in her heart.
eyes," answered Dora, she went thi
morning. think he might have come tt
tell us good-by."
Lucia got up without another word ant
went to her room.
"Poor Lucia % Dora said. "She d'
care for him, after all"
Upstairs Lucia knelt down by her win
dow and had real woman's cry. She dit
not know till then how much she hai
cared for Professor Lee. She had alway
liked him, and had hoped that some da.
she might call him by a dearer name thar
; that of professor. Now she knew that sh
, loved him.
: "But it was all on one side," she sob
bed. SIT must have been, or he nevel
would have left me in this way, without
so much as word But did think h'
cared for me little"
1t was two years after that when Luci,
came across the letter that Professor Le
} had written that Summer afternoon 70
| Dora-that letter which he had left will
her to give her sister, but which she ha,
taken care her sister should not get.
| She was moving the oak cohinat m,