The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-09

kindness she had shown for hie audacity,
and would she not write to him direct?
An answer arrived, and q regular cores
pondence was soon estaplished between
Harry's partner and Kitty's sister.
Hilton wondered himself at the interest
he took in writing to and hearing from
woman whom he had never seen, and prob
ably never would see. but there was subtle
charm in the girls letters for this man who
hated women. s4tts13 s4tk s-,-
There was purity Of thought. q tender
womanliress in them that struck a chord in
the young mans heart, that was not yet
deadened to the approach of good. His life
| had been q hard one: long struggle against
poverty, and a false friend and q faithless
originally teemiDg with good Impulses and
noble aspirations.
Now he caught himself at times thinking
of a snug little house, OF q garden and OF
merry little children playing about it, of q
face tightening as he came home at night,
! and cheering him on to a nobler, happier
future than his past had been, and to day he
laughed bitterly at the picture his imagina-
| ton had conjured up; but it would come
back again, and it made him look carefully
| in the cracked mirror, and wonder If he had
grown ld-looking, vicious and altogether
unattractive.
| The reflection be found there was of q
grave, almost stern, face, with few wrink-
les and gray hairs about the temples, and he
thought of that same face as it looked when
| he left home years ago-ruddy, fresh, and
| beaming with hope and courage. The re-
memberance brought sad smile, and he
sighed as he turned away.
| What had such as he to do with women?
and yet he was allowing himself to think
often of one he had never seen, and was
almost trusting in her, too.
"Bahl'' he said, sit is too ridiculous. am
4 ri iplu i'm dntaUafi and ha turned
leave the room.
A letter-the only pure white spot on his
untidy table-caught his eye, and he stopped
and looked at it. Its surroundings were a
halfempty bottle, rusty PAIR of pistols, a
cloudy brandy. stained tumbler, cigar
| stumps and ashes and worn out pack or
cards.
He lifted the letter, tipped up the table,
and sent his valuable COLLECTION tumbling to
the floor, then wiped with an old vest the
cracked, notched, ink-stained surface, and
replaced the letter.
Still he stood staring at it, and seemed 10
struggle with himself to decide some weighty
matter At last his face cleared, his knitted
! brow relaxed, and smile played about the
firm, tightly closed lips.
"Tll be hanged!'' he burst out, IF dom
go and see the glrl And if she is a delusion
sure enough"
About this time lucky venture in mine
that ''panned OUT we'll seemed to aid Hill
toms resolution, and, after some hasty pre-
parations and much animadversions at his
own fooIishness he at last started.
at New York he tried to delay again.
hoping to get over what he called his '.at
tacks of idiocy," but finding his desire to
see the girl for whom he entertained such q
strange interest, he resolved to start without
a moments longer hesitation.
It was bright, sunshlny day as he reached
hoe v,I 18Th &c v,slr nd chrfr,o az
which he was prepared to bow was low,
rambling farm house tucked away under
hill.
1t was vine clad and picturesque, and the
air was heavy with the fragrance of flowers
The door stood invitingly open, and Hilton
felt tempted even then to flee ANONYMOUSLY,
when tall, pleasant-looking girl came for
ward and babe him enter.
She bore strong resemblance to the pic
| ture Hilton knew so well of Miss Mamie,
and still he was sorely disappointed, and
scarcely knew why. The girl was common
place, and SO little pleased was he that he
simply introduced himself as an acquain
| lance of Mr.. and Mrs Trent, who in passine
/ through the neighbour cd had stopped to
give news and greetings from them. After
short chat, on commonplace subjects, he
arose and said, 'Good day." and, bowling
| left the house.
As he walked down the garden path Hill
ton realized for the first time how his greai
| expectations of the interview had been, from
| the keenness of his disappointment. He
tried to whistle and walk briskly as he mads
his way to the station, but there was rea'
| pain at his heart under his cheerful exterior
Perhaps when he was back in the routi.is
of his bachelor life, the nonsense wonit
leave his head, he thought. To while ava,
the time before the steamer started-for M
railway then took the traveller across tn
continent in seven days, Hilton went to
little seaside resort, and buried himself IL
, gloomy reflections.
One day an unusually heavy surf wa
, beating him and his fellow-bathers about ii
an unmerciful way. They chung to a rop
, that was fastened to the shore, and let tn
breakers dash and sport about them in wAa
seemed a dangerous fashion. qe
, The pretty girls were 30 disguised by thei
: hideous suits, that one could not proncunc
{ on their various charms, and men who wer
80 exquisite on the promenade few hour
later, were now limp, shapeless guys.
Hilton noticed one woman near him VIII
! had lost her footing, and who was strugglin
{ and choking as the salt water overwhelme
. her. 4es-.sssrasz.-ss-
He seized her with one arm, helped her t
recover her upright position, and then o
fered to conduct her to the shore, for she wa
t frightened and trembling.
l AS they climbed together the sandy beacl
he noticed for the first time that his CON
Q panion was plump and fair to look upon, AN
g then, as she turned her face full upon hlI
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