Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1879-10-16

leave the room; but EIoise, with gentle
force and many tender kisses, made her
sit down again
'Auntie. she said, coaxingly, 'you
have asked me good many questions,
and ! have answered them truly; now ]
am going to AJAX you some, and know
you will be fair with me about them. -
FIRST, were you ever in love
Half smiling and half sighing, Miss
Ethel sat, thinking over the bold ques-
tion. At length she answered, slowly,
and with great deal of pethos in her
voice, Yes, Eloise; / once loved es do
not think you have the power to love-
II is twenty-five years ago.
viii you tell me about it?'
1 cannot. Yes-f will try; perhaps
1t may show you what waste Of life it
is. Wait here a few moments.
She then left the room, but soon re.
turned with little tortoiee-shell box in
her haud. 1t opened with spring. and
showed few yellow letters, bunch of
withered violets and the half of plain
gold ring. She lifted the latter, and
said.
This ia part of his dead mothers
wedding ring; we broke it in two. and
swore solemnly over it to be faithful to
the promises we had made each other.
| Then he sailed away from me, and 1
never heard from him again. For two
years l suffered all the agonies of hope
deferred and sighted love, and at
length had fever that left me the
colorless little ghost l have been ever
since.
Perhaps he was dead.
No.
Then bo was a miserable creature,
and should have put him ont of my
heart and memory
Yes; l think you would, Eloise. l
think, too, that it is likely you would
have let some other man make O fool of
you second time. ! have a different
nature. l did not cease to suffer for
james Early for five years; but having
conquered that weakness, | never per
mitted myself to care for any other
man.
Are you still in love with this Mr..
Early's memory p
No, / am not. If should meet him
to-day, l do not think l should care to
speak to him
Is he alive p
4 suppose SO. l heard of his mar
rage ten years ago.
Poor auntie +
Don't pity me, child. am to be
congratulated. If it had not been for
my dear fathers opposition | should
have married for love, given my fortune
and my life into the keeping of a selfish,
hekle MARIN fact made just such
little TOOL of myself as you are about To
make
Aunt, do you really think that Harry
months9' 004' VI
'Of course he would
i will try bim.
You will act very wisely to do so
;Et.'oise, am glad l have told YOU nv sad
little story; 1t may make YOU at Ieae,
look before you leap Where ,
Harry generally leave Won p 49,
On the little bridge o. ''0 'A0
Place.
Do not say Farewcv vat"r J,9ie eo,,ar M1peas ,seos
,, VINO par, ,,; oyer tnnEy nEyery lawful chance, d %
Yon may bri~s him into the park to- I
t.ght {
so f.G hours afterward there was a
serv utter parting under the oaks in
R. uce park. Eioise was almost shocked
When it was over. In her heart she had
My intended to frighten Harry; but her
over had taken the proposal too serious
y, and things had been said that she
'ould not unsay. At first, indeed, Harry
lad laughed at Miss Ethel's doubts of
llm, and his laughter had provoked
2 oise. She did not like the thing
reated as joke. 1t was very serious
natter, and she did not see how Harry ]
ould laugh at the idea of not seeing her j
or eleven months 4
The next mornings paper announced I
he sudden departure of Mr.. Henry
rouens for New York on business of {
Importance likely to detain him some
nontl s, and Eloise was angry enough
lt the information. She had hoped
Harry would try again to convince her
of tho folly of parting, and she was de
termiued at this interview to be con-
vinced.
For some weeks Miss Ethel did not
have very happy time. E,oise wander
Ell in the park, or about the big, silent
house, and was not at all cheerful COM
pany. At first Harry's letters were so
long and frequent that great deal OF
her time was satisfactorily employed in |
answering them. But by degrees they |
grew both shorter and less frequent, |
and toward the beginning OF winter they |
stopped altogether
The two women looked sadly in each
others face at the empty post-box every
morning, and Miss Ethel had her will
made during these days, and left her
niece all she had, as some compensation.
But yet often, when she saw the sad face
that had once been so bright and pretty,
she had reproached herself, and won
dered whether, where ignorance is bliss,
if it be not folly to be wise.
One day towerd spring-a bright.
warm day for the season-Eloise, who
had now long ceased even hoping for a
letter, was walking slowly up and down
the great hall dividing the large draw
ipp-room and the late Mr.. Bruce,s IL
trary from the rest OF the mousse AnesS
rooms were very seldom opened, ano
still more seldom used. Eloise only re-
membered two or three grand occasions
on which they had been used for great
entertainments, the last being that which
introduced her into society two years
previously. :,
A sudden fancy seized her; she would
throw back the closed blinds and let the
spring sunshine into the dark rooms
Besides, there were all kinds of curious
ornaments there and great many books
to examine them would pleasantly pass
few hours. Miss Ethel readily agreed
She was glad to see her niece Interest
herself in anything that could beguil'
thought from the one sad, mortlfylnt
, subject of her desertion.
/ Toward noon she went to seek Eloise