The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-30

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lously drawn brows.
what? why, here's a letter." he ex-
claimed. Then, examining it, he reaa
the word ''Private'' beneath his own
name, and flushing holly. he slipped it
into his breast pocket. "Froln Sallie, !"
he said, quietly. 1.. 5g5 .'.5. so. .s5,#.s
''What ever does the child mcan?"
cried Auntie Trib. Amt she up? Je.
rushy, go right up and get her ss
"She said as how she'd been layin'
awake" said Jerusha, ''and she went to
to rest spell.
"Well, you go along and tell her to-
come" said Mrs Hill.
But Jack called out: "Don't disturb.
her if she's asleep" ISL
| Jerusha went up, and presently came
gathering down, again. ''She's asleep"
she said as she entered.
Poor Sallie had indeed dropped into q
troubled slun,ber, and Jack would not
| admit for an instant,the idea Of rOusing
her.
"It would be cruel" said the soft
hearted fellow, "Faee and I will run
| down here very soon again I. es
He was disappointed and doleful, but
he hoped the letter would explain mat
ters.. The ring had been daopped into
the folss of the paper, and its shape
could not be distinguished through the
| thick envelope. Poor Jack, wondered
vaguely what the hard substance within
could be, but the real state Of tho case
never dawned upon him. .a@s%
AS he and young Hill were walking
together to the railway station he took
the note from his pocket and tore it open.
1t was brief, mysterious, decisive.
"Queer enough" said Free, for Sallie
to give us the slip in this way. Just like
| you not to wake her. She'll be mad
enough to- Bless me, Jack, what's the
matter?' .."' .lt" f5@as
For Jack had stopped short, with a
violent exclamation. His face was pur-
pie, his eyes blazing with wrath and pain.
He held up the ring before Frees aston
ished gaze. 49,. - -.
"What in the name Of began Free.
But he was unheard; Jack turned swiftly
and ran like mailman back to the Hill
cottage.
Sallie was walking the porch in an
agony of daubt and trouble. Her brief
rest had cleared her perceptions, but it
had not yet freed her from the state of
mingled perplexity and stubborn de-
cislon into which she had worked her
self. She was not yielding, but she was
wretched aud regretful. . ..
Suddenly Jack appeared before her,
flushed and glazing, his excitable temper
ament reused to It's highest pitch. ..
care you insane?" he cried, Selling her
roughly by the arm. "Do you want to
drive me to perdition with your wicked
cruelty? In Heavens name, explain
yourself" And he fairly painted for
| breath.
"Let me go!" she uttered, sternly; II
will not have you to touch me. Address
me as if you were at least gentleman
Jack was goaded to frenzy, and an
swered Unexpectedly; SO the miserable
quarrel ragged high. No explanation was
given; mutual recriminations passed back
and forth. At last Sallie tainted him
with his filtration with Laura Beamis
$50 it is for petty jealousy that you
treat me SOP" he cried.
mo, she answered. st is because
know you to be dishonorable.'
! At the word Jacks heated face turned
pale as death. The two foolish people
were now at white heat.
sit Is lie," said he, in voice of omi-
nous calm. And she, as sternly and
quietly, sent him from her, with orders
never to return. So he turned upon his
| heel and left her there, and their bond
was broken.
After this the days went on quietly
| N16rh ~
morseless regularity. No one knew what
Sallie Hill suffered: no one knew what
she would have given to recall her bitter
words. She had cast Jack away without
counting the cost; she had learned at
last that she could not afford it; she was
a bankrupt in happiness. Gradually the
slim, naughty figure grew slghter and
less erect; the proud little mouth soft
ened, and let fall words of piety with
greater readiness than Of old. she was
growing meek through pain. One month
changed her as a year might have done.
Talking one day with Laura Beamis,
who was growing stronger and more
cheerful, she looked down at her ring
less finger with deep detection, and
Laura, following her eyes said, sudden
! lY:
"Sallie, hoped you would have mar
ried Jack Arnold. I knew him in l.;
he is such a good fellow! He and l
once had little innocent filtration, be-
for-before-well, when 1 first left
Rockdale, and l have always since
thought of him as friend. You're not
engaged to him?" -
NO" replied sallie, in a tone which
forbade inquiry.
$50 that was all!' she thought. 81
believe l have lost all for nothing for
nothing! But it is too late.' Still her
pride never dreamed of bending.
But further revelations were to come.
At last 'Pinafore" company visited
Rockdalc, and Sallie, seated by rustic
swain, who basked in the cold light of
her rare smiles, heard with languid pleas
urc the inimitable opera. Suddenly, like
the jest of hooking fend, there broke
upon her ears the fatal words which had
helped to destroy her peace, the familiar
"What! never?" "Hardly ever" Strange
words to be associated with heartache and
misery Yet, absurd as it may seem, they
were to Sallie's ears freigited with a
drearier spell than the ancient cabalistic
mutterings of which our wizard. or the