The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-02-27
A WOMAN'S SECRET.

A WOMAN'S SECRET.
"Gurney, want to tell you story:
said my friend Mallam to me one day.
"I've been the most COMPOUNDED fool
aad william, without knowing it; and
have injured another even more than my.
self. The sooner get away from here
the better; but I'd like you to hear about
it first. 1t is six years since I parted
from Cecil Langdon. had only known
her fortnight, but l loved her with my
whole heart from the first day We met.
She was like new revelation to me, and
] believed in her. I know am different
from most men. don't believe the gen.
crafty care what woman is in herself
so they are in love With her and she with
them. Passion covers everything with
abeautiful face to back it; but, unluckily
it wasn't so with me. suppose I'm in
sanely jealous by nature. l wanted nv
"AAC W W oAA NY O"A, Will Ao AACulOIlcS
even to come between her heart and
mine. I think if could have chosen
would have had her locked up in glass
case till the moment saw her. There,
laugh if you like. 1t was an ldiotic
craze, and l own it: but the worst of it
was that, not content with having this
ideal in>my mind, applied IT to Cecil,
and believed she came up to it. One
thing I know: that, though everyone was
going wild about her beauty, it didn't
seem to make any Impression on her.
She never showed grain of favor to any
Of her numerous admirers, and one Of
her greatest charms to me was the glad
free-heart Wilderness which she carried
about with her. Even i, who loved her
80 we'll, couldn't tell if she knew it, or
cared for me. Sometimes thought she
did-a little; bue I think great love
makes ono humble, and oftener feared
I was mistaken. have never known
how it was in reality.
"The day before was going to ask
her the question we were in the public
drawing-room at the Rashlelgh Hotel.
She and her friends were staying there,
and we all came in together from the
Bodleain. We were talking of portrait
OF Mary, Queen Of Scots, there-you
know it--and she said something about
not sympathizing much with the sorrows
Of a woman of many loves. It was like
my ideal of her, and said so, observ-
ing:
III don't thing you would change east.
ly if you cared for anyone. And she an
sWered:
emo, once ought to be enough for
any real woman. Not she added that I
can speak from experience
"'Of changing I said, or caring2'
II was looking into her eyes, and was
glad to see them soften and lovely blush
come into her face; yet she tried to keep
her careless look and answered:
"'People cannot change if they have
never cared
"'But they might care" l said. Her
friends were leaving the room to put their
things away. I saw she wanted to fol-
low them, and had only time to add
May l come again to- morrow? want to
ask you-'
"She was gone before I said what; but,
though she hurried upstairs, there was no
denial in her eyes, and she had not
snatched her hand from me. | think I
should have held her by it and asked nv
, question then, but a waiter passed the
door al the moment and glanced in at us.
and let her go lest should expose her
j. to some remark. was careful enough of
her name. If only others hau been as
much so!
There was an unused door at one side
of the room. A table covered with books
stood against i, and was leaning over
1t trying to find something in Bradshaw
when l beard talking going on on the
other side OF the door. supposed there
was pantry there, for they were wait.
ers' voices, so paid no attention till I
heard a name, aud it flashed on me that
they were speaking of Cecil.
"Ah, we'll, she's a beautiful girl. is a
Hundred. and-seven,' said one. we don't
often get stunningcr.' And then there
came grunt in answer. I
SAY, an carryin' on as them stun.
ming ones does. It's one O. young col
slege gents now, see; but she was ERE
two years ago with her pa, an then it
were an officer. ALI, remembers them !
He were Cap'en Lucas. Same name as
my wife afore I married her.
"Gurney, I can't repeat the words a. 7
heard them. The gist of them was this :
That while staying at hotel she had
tclegraphed for this Capt. Lucas to ioin
her, and affected great surprise when he
walked up to her and her father in the
cofiee-room; that their mutual affection
and whispered condolences were natent
even to the waters, as was also the old
gentleman's dislike to him: that the t,yo
men quarreled violently. on the second
evening, and that on the following dav
TINS servant met her creeping down
stairs In the. early morning before any,
one was up, to bid Capt. Lucas good
by. and looking into the coffee-room n
minute or two later saw him holding her
IN his arms and kissing her. did not
wait to hear any more. l should never
nave stood there so long onlv l seemed
struck stupid. The momentI woke m
TO sense OF what was hearing. hnr,
RED away. Quincy, I do believe went
nall mad. l can remember nacin,. ~,
ana down my room all night. and 4he
next day kept out Of every ones s;oht
and wandered about in fever of m;sery
and 1rresolution. Sometimes l felt ~ +
would rather never see her aos;n .
sometimes that must speak, to her and
tell her what had heard, if only fiat
she might deny it. IT she had ordered
me out Of her sight at the same time. I
shouldn't have minded it. To have known
that it was lie, that it was not she 'who
had met this ccniounded Captain Lucas.
would & have been worth morc
than my whole life to me Just then,
And yet how even to. speak to her on