The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-07-18
the beginning of August, he arrived at


lage, and after making a few inquiries
found the house,-a little cottage villa
on the outskirts of theNVillage. As he
walked up the shady road leading to the
house, hat in hand, enjoying the refresh
ing breeze-for the heat of the day was
over-his quick eyes perceived the two
ladies in the garden. The old lady, now
convalescent, was seated in a low Ameri.
can chair on the lawn. 1t was five
O'Clock, and they were taking tea, which
was spread on the grass. Angelina SAL
at her aunt's feet. 1t was a long time
since he had seen her with this sans
sOnct air-it reminded him of ten years
ago. She wore a thin, white dress, and
long waving lock of her brown hair
had escaped from the neat cOife in which
she always wore it. Years seemed TO
have been lifted from her shoulders since
he last saw her, but the pretty apple.
blossom in her cheeks, which improved
her so wonderfully, quickly faded when
she recognized their visitor.
After first greetings, he muttered some
thing about being in the neighborhood,
and thinking he might be allowed the
privilege of calling. He then devoted
himself to the aunt, who straightway
fell in love with him, and thinking with
wonderful acuteneSs that he had come
to see Lima, determined that he should
have an opportunity of doing so. She
therefore presently requested Angelina
to take him into the house and give him
some tea; she would prefer remaining
out little longer, if they would kindly
excuse her The opportunity had come.
but it was of no use he begged, he en-
treated, to no avail. She "no longer
loved him." and nothing could induce
her to marry him now
Half in madness, half in anger, and all
IN love, he asked her did she mean to re-
main as she was, with no one to love
her when she grew old, and perhaps had
TO work until she could do so no longer
She smiled a saddish little smile, and
said, "Most likely it would be so, but
that would be better than marrying any
one you did not love, and who only mar
ried you from feeling of pity; and now
she never wished to hear anything more
about marrying. 1t was like her youth
to her thing of the past"
He gaZed at her for a moment-the
brown hair parted evenly over the white
brow, the soft, steady grey eyes, the sweet
sad mouth-and afraid to trust himself a
moment longer, he seized his hat and
rushed like mailman from the house
Indeed, he was just then little better than
mad. Now his hope was really dead at
last he knew it.
For long time people wondered
much what was the matter with Edwin.
SOme-the sentimental, mostly ladies
guessed pretty near the truth; others
the practical, mostly his bosom friends
thought bad investments, or dyspepsia.
The only one who ever really knew the
exact state of the case was the friend OF
whom mention has been made before in
these pages. They met In town, already
deserted, the last week in August. His
friend at once saw that something had
gone wrong, and after some light com
monplaces he gave Edwin a comforting
slap on the sholder and an encouraging
word or so. "Something wrong, old
man? The down-hearted; not much
l hope. Not got into the hands of the
Jews, have you 90
mo, Frank, thanks; not that kind OF
trouble; that isn't my way, as you know.
Something worse than even that. /
shall lose the holiday ON which, as /
told you, had set my heart. am not
going away next month"
Not going to be married just yet after
all? Perhaps you will come, then, TO-
but something stopped him. "HOw self
ish am. You don't mean TO say she
wouldn't have your
hat just IL. NOW uOn say Inere
are as good fish in the sea as ever were
caught; won't do here, Frank. don't
mind telling you-you're a good fellow,
and wont talk about me to any of them
but have loved her all my life, and il
is an awful blow, Goodbye"
Ten years after, when Edwin was bald
and grey, and Angelina's brown hair
itself thickly streaked with silver, they
met again. The first three of those ten
years, she had spent with her aunt. For
the remaining seven she had been the
wife of a Woodworking country doctor.
They met amongst the pictures at Bur-
lingtOn House. She was leading by the
hand bright-haired child of about six
summers. And he was alone. Oh, so
alone!