The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-30

leave the room, but Eloise, with gent.
force and many tender kisses, made hel
sit down again.
Auntie." she said, ceaxingly, "yor
have asked me q good many questions
and have answered them truly; now
am going to ask you some, and L know
you will be fair with me about them.
First, were you ever in loveP"
Half smiling and half signing, Miss
Ethel sat thinking over the bold ques.
tion. At length she answered slowly,
and with a great deal of pathos in her
voice: ..Yes. Eloise; once loved as
do not think you have the power to
love. 1t is twenty-five years ago."
| "Will you tell me about it?"
| 81 cannot Yes-l will try; perhaps
it may show You what waste OF life it
is. Wait here few moments"
She then left the room, but soon re-
turned with little tortoise-shell box
in her hand. 1t opened with a spring,
and showed few yellow letters, a
bunch of withered violets. and the half
of a plain gold ring. She lifted the lat
ter, and said:
t.'This is part of his dead mothers s
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 !
never heard from him again. For two
years suffered all the agonies of hope
deferred and slghted love, and at
length / had fever that left me the
colorless little ghost ! have been ever
SINCE"
Perhaps he was dead"
q. ho hla ox,,r
and L should have put him out of my
heart and memory"
Yes, think you would, Eloise.
think, too, that it is likely you would
have let some other man make fool
of you q second time. I have a differ
ent nature. 1 did not cease to suffer for
James Early for five years, but having
conquered that weakness, 1 never per-
mitted myself to care for any other
man." t
"But you were rich and handsome.
Did no one else care for youP''
Miss Ethel smiled queerly, and after
slight hesitation said, Yes"
"Who was it, auntiep'
"Colonel Powell"
80, aunt! So you wanted me to do
thing you would not do yourself"
"Yes, dear. You wanted to marry;
l did not. When was twenty years of
age, if had wanted to marry at all,
should have married for wealth and
position. Colonel Powell can give his
wife these advantages"
"Are You still in love with this Mr..
Early's memoryT'
"No, /, am not. If 1 should meet
him to-day, do not think should care
to speak to him"
Is he alive?"
suppose SO. heard of his mar
riage ten years ago."
"Poor auntiei"
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 for
tune and my life into the keeping of a
selfish, tickle man-in fact, made just
such a little fool of myself as you are
about to make"
Aunt, do you really think that Har-
" would forget me in a few weeks or
monthsP"
"Of course he would
81 will try him."
You will act very wisely to do so,
Eloise, 1 am glad l have told you my
sad little story; it may make you at
least look before you leap Where
does Harry generally leave youg'
"On the little bridge outside the
Place"
do not say Farewell there. Low
ers who part over running water never
meet again. Give him every lawful
chance. You may bring him into the
park tonight"
So few hours afterward there was
a very bitter parting under the oaks in
Bruce Park. Eloise was almost shocked
when it was over. In her heart she had
only intended to frighten Harry, but
her lover had taken the proposal too
seriously, and things had been said that
she could not unsay. At first, indeed,
Harry had laughed at Miss Ethers
doubts of him, and his laughter had
provoked Eloise. She did not like the
thing treated as a joke. Z" 1t was a
very serious matter, and she did not
see how Harry could laugh at the idea
of not seeing her for eleven months"
For eleven months was the time she
had fixed upon as the limit of her low
er's probation. In eleven months she
would be of age, and could claim her
small fortune. If Harry were true to
her, she would then be willing to begin
life with him on four thousand dollars.
Besides, she had q shrewd idea that if
she humored her aunt thus far, Miss
Ethel would not withdraw her favor.
Harry was indignant at all such pru-
Dental considerations. He spoke very
disrespectfully of Bruce Park, and de-
clared he would not say Thank you
for every acre in it, and the old wooden
mansion thrown IN, and that eleven
months was an eternity; they might
just as well say goodbye forever.
Then Eloise argued that =" it was very
well for him to talk of living on two
thousand dollars year and each
others love. Men could get society,
and have people speak decently to
them, even if they could only afford
woman's friends depended on the con-
dition of her wardrobe. and she won-
dered if even Harry's love could stand
shabby old-fashioned dress and one
button kid gloves"
Harry !" was sure she would make
any dress look elegant;" and Eloise
said angrily, He was very absurd"
and thought so too. So the end of all
5th of the following June, and that
viii many tears anu pIotestationS tney
finally began their self-imposed trial Of
each others fidelity.
The next mornings paper announced
the sudden departure :" of Mr.. Henry
Torpens for New York ON business of
importance likely to ;detain him some
MONTHS" and Eioise was angry enough
at the information. She had hoped
Harry would try again to convince her
Of "the folly of parting" and she was
determined at this interview to be con-
vinced.
For some weeks Miss Ethel did not
have a very happy time. Eloise wan
dered in the park, or about the big 81
lent house, and was not at all cheerful
company. At first Harry's letters were
so long and frequent that great deal
| of her time was satisfactorily employed