The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-11

| A4tNANs Iu9 AAAN kAAH kAAlAk kIHNNNA
a q Joke. ut was &'very serious matter
and she did not see how Harry cOulC
laugh at the idea Of not seeing her io
eleven months" .
.. For eleven months was the time SHIT
had fixed upon ~ the limit Of her loveIl
probation. In eleven months she would
be Of age, aud could claim her small Tor
I tune. II Harry were true 10 her, Bht
would then be willing to begin life with
him on four thousand dollars. Besides
she had q shrewd idea that II she humored
her aunt thus far, Miss Ethel would mo-
Withdraw her favor.
Harry was indignant Of all such pruden,
tlal considerations. He spoke very dlsTe
specially oil Bruce Park, and declared he
would not say Thank you" for every
acre Of II, and the old wooden mansion
thrown In, and that eleven months was
an eternity: they might jaSt as well say
go0d.by forever
Then EloIse argued that at was very
well for him 10 talk Of living on two thOus.
and dollars a year and each others love,
Men could get society, and have people
speak decently 10 them, even u they
could only afford one new suit In twelve
months; but woman's friends depend on
the condition Of her wardrobe, and she
wondered II even Harry love could stand
q shabby old.iashioned dress and one but.
ton kid gloves"
Harry twas sure she would make any
dress look elegant" and Eloise said,
angrily, "fle was very absurd" and
thOght 80 too. So the end OF all was that
Harry babe her Farewell till the 9th Of
the following June, and that with many
tears and protCstations they finally began
their selt'imposed trial Of each others
fidelity.
Tho next mornings paper announced
the sudden departure Of Mr.. Henry Tor.
rens Tor New York on business OF import
Ance likely to detain him some month"
and ElOise was angry enough at the In.
formation. She had hoped Harry would
try again to convince her Of "the folly OF
parting, and she was determined al this
interview TO DO convinced.
For some weeks Miss Ethel did not have
avery happy time. Eloise wandered In
tho park, or about the big silent 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 In answeringthem
But by degrees they grew both shorIer aud
less frequent, and toward the beginning
oil winter they stopped altogether.
The two women looked sadly in each
others face at the empty pOstbox 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 50 bright and pretty, she
half reproached herself, and wondered
whether, where ignorance is bliss, II it be
not folly to DO wise.
One day toward spring-a bright, warm
day for the sCason-Eloise, who had now
long ceased even hoping for letter, was
walking slowly up and down the great hall
dividing the large drawing.FU0m and the
late Mr.. Bruce's library from the rest Of
the house. These rooms were very seldom
opened, and still more seldom used. ElOise
only remembered two or three grand oc-
casions on which they bad 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. be.
sides, there we're all kinds OF curious Orna-
ments there, and great many books; to
examine them would pleasantly pass aiew
hourS. Miss Ethel readily agreed. She
was glad tosee her niece interest herself
In anything that could beguile thought
from the onesad, notifying subject Of her
desertion.
Toward noon she went to seek Eloise.
Her iirst glance showed her the girl sitting
thoughtlully upon the hearth.rug with
her lap full OF letters, and queer furnished
HindOo iewelry. She spranE up to meet
her aunt, and with strangely solemn ex.
citement cried out:
"Oh, auntie, they arc yours; all yours!
was looking at that queer cabinet, and
my dress turned 1t over, and a piece fell
out oil the bottom, and those things were
scattered about" Then she ran out Of
the room, shutting the door carefully be-
hind her.
Poor Miss Ethel needed her privacy.
Here was her lovers vindication; here
were all the sweet words for which she
had nearly died. He had suffered all she
had suffered; he had poured out his agony
and his despair In letters which had never
until now reached her. The poor lady
took them 10 her room, and never appear
ed again that day. But she had no hard
words for the hand that had wronged her.
Dear father; he meant 1t for q kindness"
was all that she said.
Still she grew very restless, and contin.
uRlly declared that she was sure something
was going to happen. But coming events
often cast long shadows before, and Il was
full two months Riterward ere Miss Ethel's
presentiment came true. Then she got a
letter one day which threw her into wild,
ieyerish excitement. "El0ise," she cried,
almost sObbing with Joy, "he Is come; he
Is at the village; he will be here In an
hour. How am to bear IT."
Women seek each others sympathy in
hours like this, and Eloise-perhaps with
Just little pang for her own sorrow-
gladly gave II. But when she Joined the
lOng.parted lovers at dusk, and saw her
aunt lingering with tender care by the
handsome dark stranger at the Preside,
she knew that never again would Aunt
want sympathy; 1t was easy to see her
lover was still her lover, and that they
thoroughly understood the past.
Perhaps the sight Of their happiness was
a little irritating sometimes TO Eloise. She
could not help blaming her amt in some
measure for the loss Of Harry, and she
wondered II she ever remembered now
any Of her old opinions about the folly oil
marrying for love. Many wemen would
have reminded her Of them, but Eloise
was not ill.natured; and when she saw
tho old lovers wandering about the gar.
dens so happily together, she only hoped
that her own blighted youth might have
some such recompense given Il; for such
Joy 1t would almost be worth waiting, q
little while, but not twenty-five years;
that was too strong test Of fidelity.
1t was not asked OF her. On the morn
ing Of the 9th Of June, when the dew was
yet on the grass, there was messenger TO
sec her. He had with him an exquisite
basket OF white roses, and In their midst
was letter which made Elose Bruce the
happlest girl In America. And Aunt
Ethel was Just as delighted. "He must
come here at once, " she said; "they would
wait breakfast for him-and he must never
90 away again.
Then the ladies discovered that Harry
and James Early were already friends.
They had met at hotel In New York, and
both having their hearts In the same little
Southern town, they had speedily become
CONFIDENTIAL and Harry was not long In
getting his pardon, though his excuse
might well have been considered by less
loving mistress as an aggravRtion o. his
offense."
"You see, darling" he explained be.
tween his kisses, lyon wanted 10 test my
heart, and so l thought It only fair to Let
you test your own also. Do you think
you would remember me Il you never
saw or heard from me for twenty years, n.
Aunt Ethel did that lover OF hersfn
"Harryl | should remember you for.
ever. 1neyel, never would have married
| any npa aIsn n go, I'll .G.fI .,.,.,, ~.