The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-04-06
LOVE, OR PRIDE?


Great purple shadows swept across thu
b ,neids. The distant landscape was be
runlins indistinct and the moon was slowly
rising in the heavens, After awhile the twi
light deepened into as much of darkness al
there would be in the summer night, anG
silt nee fell upon the earth. Then a girl stolG
noisslessly across a small garden, and stooe
beside a gate that led into the adjoining
cnurchyard. A yew tree spread its dark
ranches above her but the silver tints thai
we're slant,ng down upon the tall grave
stones, and that were bringing out the deli
cat lines of the old church-spires, touched
also her white face, making it whittier thar
usual. Size did not start as q tall figure ap
preached from the further side Of the church
yard. She had evidently been expecting
some one and when she heard the words,
You are out late, Miss Jervis,' Shit
quietly answered:
i was waiting for you. WANTED TO soy
Goodbye = to you before you went away
Il thought you had done that already
replied the young man, with some bitter
ness.
Not quite" returned the girl, YEARLY,
You were too .-gry for me to say 1t as ]
wished"
Had 1 not a right to be SOP" be asked
Ever since l have bsen at Shelford you
have been deceIving me. l believed you &c
be as earnest rs l WINS myself; and now
tie paused.
And now2" Her voice had a SHARP
ring in it, as she repeated his words, as
though she would give denial to what he
hat said but her face looked like stone, in
the moonlight-white and lmmovable-and
she continued: ~ did not understand thai
you could really be In earnest otherwise ]
might have told you before what l have told
you today"
You did not believe in me. You looked
upon me as heartless-as q deceiver. VOC
90 not believe nae now"
II do"
.'what do you believe p ho asked, i'm.
petuously. Nothing good, or you would
not have given me the answer you have
given me-"
Everything good, except tho knowing
what is good for yourself. I want you now
10 say 'Good-byeP to me without any anger
in your heart. The day will come when
you will perhaps bless me for whit l have
had courage to do to-day" And she held
out her hand.
The young man hesitated.
is there no hopper"
None! !"
Her voice rang low and clear through the
summer air. Again he hesitated; then, sud,
denly taking both her hands in his, he bent
down and kissed her for the first time. She
gave a faint cry, and disengaged herself.
I'VE part in peace" With these words
she turned and hed-not looking back, OF
perhaps she might have repented her de-
cision. Once in the house, she sat down In
the empty sitting-room, made light as day
by the ~moonbeams. The old dog rose as she,
came in, and when she threw herself into q
chair he laid his head in her lap. There
came a sound of Gathering plates IN the
kitchen, ON the opposite side of the narrow
passage, and her mothers voice sounded
sharply, giving her directions about supper.
Presently she entered.
Where have you been, Ally2 How III
you lookl And you're all shivefing. Conc
into the kitchen, child. Annie's gone on to
bed, and there's n bit of fro in the gratc.
1t might be winter instead of midsummer, TO
feel your hands,
Alice arose mechanically. She walked
dreamily into the kitchen, where her mother
drew a chair to the Are for her. Presently q
rudy, ~good-humored looking youth entered.
ayIng =
Let me have my supper here, mother.
The fro looks pleasant, though iii hummer
time"
When she went to her own room, instead Of
undressing, she opened the window and gazed
out toward the yew tree under which she had
parted from MIR. Scropo and then suddenly
untwisting her long hair, she turned TO tho
looking -gLss, not with any feeling of vanity,
but in order to hnd out what had attracted
him.
1t was more than q handsome face that an
swered back her gaze. one which showed an
amount of earnestness and intelligence not
often met with. OF this she was no Judge
herself, neither OF the continual change Of ex-
PRECISION which Mr.. ScroPe had begun by
curiously observing and ended by being thor
oughly interested in. He was passing the
longvRcation at Shelford, reading and fishing.
He had made the acquaintance of William
Jeryis on the banks of the river, and through
whom it was q condescensiou on the part of
Mr.. Scrope To notice-ot Alice herself.
Alice perhaps understood the footing on
which they stood better than her brother;
ndt he innate pride in her nature caused her
to accept II with reservations. She felt the
gulf between them, and measured il by the
worlds standard. Therefore, when Mr..
Scrope made his somewhat startling offer,
she, in spite of her surprise, was not unpre-
pared with an nswe Aud now that she had
given it, she asked herself if she had lone
tight.
Mr.. Scrope was en- only son. A brilliant
future was before him. 4 world of which
she knew nothing, was familiar to him.
Could she, who was accustomed to the little
ness incident TO circumstances somewhat
above actual poverty, move with propriety in
circles accustomed to every luxury ? Would
his relatives, so far above her, accepthsr and
her belongings? She answered No" Mr..
Scrope had arguedwhat matter, since i. rested
with him to give her place and positionin the
world as bis wife. But that, she knew, would
be a separation for him from ali former asso-
Citations and her own unftncss to move In
her lovers sphere would make heTa clog upon
the life of him TO whom, before she knew it.
she had given her heart. Such Ind been the
train of argument she had pursued. She had
struggled free from the prospect open TO her
not without pain-Rnd had dismissed il asa
dream Of beauty that had naught to do with
waking hours. And now-But it was over.
The morning rose and she went about her
tasks as usual-perhaps even more energet-
ically, since she needed anoutlet for her pent-
up feelings. Mingled with pain there came a
sense of happiness in the knowledge of Mr..
Scrope's love. To have possessed it-nayl
perhaps to possess it still-carried her into
another world, in which, however, she must
always be alone, since all that had passed
must forever remain her own especial secret.
CHATTER II.
Mr. Scrope went abroad, and after a time
he returned home to begin his career.
Alice Jervis pursued her homely and mon
otonous life. She grew quieter and Rrayer
and worked more diligently. She believed
that she had decided rightly as regarded Mr.
6cropes~ happiness aud the sacrifice abe had