Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-04-04
Was 1t Best to Go?
BY T. Il. CADA.

BY T. r. CADA.
cdr. Horton, you appear rather alb
sent minded this morning." said pretty
Pansy Addison, and well might the lit
tie beauty pout her sweet lips ard
quicker her fair brow with frowns, for
had she not been using all her little
girlish wiles to be fascinating while the
lord of her heart remained wilfully un-
mindful, though ever before it had
been his lot to sue for notice, and man
fully had he labored at times to receive
it. They had grown up from child
hood together, and the "Dr. Horton I"
instead of Frank" quickly aroused
him.
"What is it Pansy beg your par
don. 1 fear my abstraction has verged
upon rudeness."
oh no, you have not been quite
rude but you must have met your fate
while at the city, for surely none but q
person sunk into the very last stages
of that dire disease known as love
would ever sit with such pensive look
in his eyes. It must be a desperate
case" said Pansy, assuming careless
gayety she did not feel. for never until
this moment, when truth compelled her
to admit that DR.. Horton was not in
honor bonnd to dance attendance upon
her girlish within, had il occurred to
her that she could have rival in the
affections of the deservedly popular
young physician. Poor Pansy loved
him, she never knew how much, until
now, and she was too natural and frank
not to show that even the thought Of his
loving another gave her pain.
swell, Pansy, to confess the truth,
! am in love-" Pansy's heart gave a
great bound, and throb of agony shot
through it then they were both silent |;
and the silence grew so oppressive that
the room became suffocating the gas
seemed to be giving out horrid daz-
Fling glare instead Of the soft light of
q moment before /; and at last she felt
the four walls gradually coming toward
her, ready to crush out her very life,
and that, il she did not speak, she must
die.
Do I know the lady Of your
choice?'
"Yes, Pansy," said he, taking her lit
tie trembling hand, :" I think you
know her, but you are not well enough
acquainted with her yet to understand
how cruelty exacting she can be, nor
how sternly she lays hard obligations
npon her followers. With her all
kinds of sacrifices are acceptable, and
oh, Pansy, she has this day demanded
of me sacrifice which was very hard. :"
His tones were 90 earnest that Pansy
was awed into respect for him that she
had never felt before.
:" Frank, you are SO unlike your
self"
"I am glad to hear you say so. for I
am afraid have been sadly careless
and selfish, but I hope, in a measure,
to atone for my past neglect, if the Lord
prolongs my life to any reasonable
length"
FRANK. you talk SO strangely for
you"
More's the pity this strange talk
should be familiar talk. These are
strange times, Pansy. The East, de-
vastated by famine. pestilence, and war,
and our own fair land bowling beneath
q sc0urge. Oh, when think OF those
beautiful cities laid waste, and the want
and suffering abroad in the sunny
South, and Of that grim monster, yell
low fever, stalking abroad through the
mansions of the proud and the novels
OF the poor, my very heart biseds for
my suffering fellows"
The moment he uttered the words
yellow fever, Pansy felt Q chill creeping
up and congealing the very life-blood
at her heart. A presentiment OF evil q
shadow lowering above the head of her
idol-but why should she care. had he
mot said he loved another? Pansy was
deep in the first real trouble Of her life.
:" Yes, il is pitiful to think of the suf-
fering SO near us that We cannot help. I"
/" But Pansy We can help, and we
must helpi'
81" Oh, yes. / know, we can help them
in measure. Papa said this morning
that this city was doing nobly. Why,
just think, Frank, the young ladies' of
Madam Lenoir's Academy made MP
over twelve hundred dollars, and"
Ouss hncys ~ - not money alone
that is needed. 1t is help-bodiiy help.
In those stricken districts the nurses
are ell worn ont. and many have fol-
lowed swiftly in the footsteps OF those
they sought in vain to save"
But it would be worse than suicide
for person to go from here" returned
Pansy, the chill at her heart growing
colder and wrapping all she held dear
Ia its folds.
!" Yet, Pansy dear, some one must
dare to 20. The sick must have succor,
the dead, burial. More physicians are
needed"
|" oh, Frank! don't tell me that you
think Of GQjbg. You. my own brave
EEadk. e..hers 60 but if anything
should hapl rsso you could nos live.
I-could not n sw she said. bitterly
sobbing ~ he drew her tenderly 10 his
heart.
" / told you'll dearest, that I was in
love, aud 80 / am, with the dear one now
clssped TO my heart. Words can never