Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-27

town young man to degree that's made
her poor, broken-hearted consump-
| tive"
"Dear me!' exclaimed Free. 'sHeart
and lungs gone at one fell swoop! That
| is going into the dying business whole
sale"
This irreverent comment was rcceeivd
| by Auntie Trlb with much reproachful
indignation; but Sallie sat mute, with a
wildly-beating heart. Gossip had carried
to her ears the tale that Laura Beamis
| had claimed a former acquaintanceship
with Jack Arnold. The unfortunate girl
had gone to live with her Aunt in L.,
and had returned in serious ill-health, the
result, it was said, Of disappointment
in love. Frees look was peculiar. Could
! it be-
''My grief! it's an awful thing" CON
tinued Auntie Trib. "She was engaged
to him, I think, and he went off some
where's and came back engaged to some
other girl. My! the poor thing looks as
! if she had one foot in the grave already.
It's really dreadful, amt it ?'-with
a sudden appeal to the silent listener.
"Very-very, indeed said Arnold.
IL knew her."
"You did? Well, I want to know?"
said Auntie Trib. "Whv didn't you say
so before? Wasn't she pretty, poor thing,
before she gots low. splrited!"
"Who was the man?" asked Sallie sud
denly.
every pretty, Think" said Jack an
swering Mrs. Hills question. He did
not mean to ignore Sallie's, but Free
broke in with a torrent of lively nonsense,
and the conversation drifted away from
Laura Beamis snd her troubles. Sallie
was slightly uncomfortable, but she had
confidence in her lover, and did not allow
herself to indulge, as yet, in causeless
suspicion. Auntie Trib, however, re-
cured to the former subject, which had
distressed her simple, sentimental old
heart, She exclaimed, meditatively:
my! amt 1t dishonorable for a man to
behave sO''
eff knew him." said Sallie, looking
like a youthful prophecies, in her sweet
austerlty, II would never touch his hand
again--no, not if he had been my best
friend.'
''What. SC severe!" asked Jack, with
| half-amused remonstrance. 'v
"Whew! Look out, Jack" cried Free.
"You never did anything dishonorable.
did you?" 49,
"Never," answered Jack, readily and
| quietly enough.
This was irresistible.
"'What! never?'" asked Free, with in
tense significance.
"Wcll, Hardly ever,'" returned Jack,
| ncrvously rubbing his chin, apparently
the very embodiment of guilty confusion.
Then they both uttered cold little evasive
laughs, and Free changed the subject.
The truth was, they had both heard
the joke so often that it could no longer
raise hearty laugh, and they did not
reflect that the quotation was entirely
new to their hearers. They talked on,
ignorant Of the overwhelming effect
which their words had produced. For
Auntie Trib was seriously alarmed, and
] began to think that she ought to have in
quired more closely into the young mans
antecedents. She resolved to question
Free at the earliest opportunity; but how
could this be accomplished, since the
two friends intended to leave Rock
dale at. an early hour on the following
morning? She decided to write a most
urgent letter, and sift the matter to
the bottom. But how was 1t with Sallie?
| The little incident was, to her narl ow and
innocent mind, a 'conhrmation strong as
proof Of holy writ Jack was evidently
ashamed OF something in the past; he
had been confused and silent when La ura
| BEAMS was discussed; the events tailed ::
yes, the circumstantial evidence was
strong. Free had said, ssYou had a firt
-"-''a filtration with her." he had in
tended to continue, when his mother in
terrupted him. But what if Jack were
innocent in the case of Laura and her
broken heart? At least he had openly
contradicted his first denial of having
committed q dishonorable action. s;Hard-
ly cver," indeed! Did he think She
she-Would marrya man who had ever
committed the taintest shadow Of dis
honorable action? Never. not though
her own heart broke, like Laura's.
ALI night long poor Sallie Law tossing
on her bed, working her foolish little
brain into state borderning upon FRENZY.
She revolved the matter in her mind un-
til she lost all power Of correct and tran
quill Judgement. The more violently she
excited herself, the more conclusive, to
her thinking, became the proofs of Jacks
baseness. At length she could lie there
no longer; she rose, and by the faint
light OF the winter dawn she wrote a
brief but decisive letter to Jack, slipped
her engagement ring into the same in
closure, sealed tho envelope, and wrote
his name upon it. Faint and weary with
her long conflict, she was about to lie
down again, when she remembered
that it was near the early break
1ats hour appointed for the two
young men, and that she had promised
to assist Jerusha in her preparations, SO
she dressed hastily, with trembling fng-
ers, and crept down to the kitchen. Had
she obtained an hours sleep she would
have awakened with clearer sense of
things, and the unfortunate note would
probably have been destroyed. But now
her "earied and overstimulated brain
continued to ponder upon the cause of
her distress, and magnify it to gigantic
proportions.
For the lands sake, child" ex-
claimed Jerusha, 'sycu do look powerful
badr'
81 couldn't Sleep said sallie, shortly.
"There, Jerusha, the tables set, and
there's plenty Of time for me to 90 and
rest while now" And quietly laying
the note beside Jacks plate, she hurried
back to her room.
Her lover glanced around with restless
eyes when he met Free and Auntie Trib
at the breakfast table. He had not be-
ieved that Sallie would elude him this
morning. He seated himself, with anx-
iously drawn brows.
"What? why, here's lettern he ex-