The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-15


"Oh no, Alice, darling" interrupted
May, earnestly, "you are too kind, but
| couldn't have you. appreciate your |
lovely interest and 1 don't undervalue
your advice. 1 don't know what
should do without your sympathy, but
must manage it all myself. 1 deserve
to suffer for my folly"
"May," said Alice, facing her Judi
cially, "don't you care more for Eric
McRae now than you did before you
were engagedP"
eyes," assented May reluctantly,
" it seems as if did, but then it is
different; besides 1 wasn't in love with
him before"
Alice said no more, but she resolved
to act. She watched for an opportuni-
ty to speak to Huntington, but it really
seemed as if he had taken alarm and
avoided her, and when the day of her
came she was almost in de-
spair. A retinue of students were at
the train to see her off, and she drew
Huntington aside for an instant.
"When the train comes along I'll
challenge you playfully to go as far as
the next station with me. Can YOU
take me up? want few moments to
talk with you.''
He assented, and shortly after, when
they were alone together in the COM.
partment of a drawing car, she
began:
You know I'm the most intimate
friend May has, and feel it is my duty
to speak to you about her engagement.
She has told me all about it, of course,
and can see that it is wearing on her
dreadfully and makes her very unhappy.
You must see how fearfully thin and
pale she has grown; and she cries
about it and says you are SO good and
kind and have given up going to Europe
and all that, and it is her duty to keep
her promise; but l know it would be
the greatest relief to her if she were
free. And am sure you would
never"
"Do you say this to me at Miss
Martins request and with her full
sanction?" he interrupted, with tone
and manner that exasperated Miss La
ROGUE to give him final stab
she might otherwise have withheld:
81 told May would say this to you,
but she wept and said she would say it
herself, for she alone should suffer for
her folly. And she confessed to me, :"
she added, "that she loved Eric
McRae."
Huntington rose to his feet.
81 am much obliged to Miss La
ROGUE" he said, Ffor her faithful
friendship to Miss Martin, and for her
kind interest in my affairs. 1 believe
we are approaching the station, so 1
will say good morning."
He lifted his hat, and was gone.
Hateful creature" murmured Miss
Larocque, complacently, "we are not
anywhere near it. Anyway, gave him
a good parting shot; it hit him, as
meant it should. suppose May will
be furious, at first, but she will thank
me yet. never saw such a weak little
goose; it would be just like her now to
suddenly discover she is in love with
Huntington. In that case they both
ought to thank me.'' And Miss La.
ROGUE was soon absorbed in hel
novel.
That evening May received the fol
lowing letter:
DEAR MISS MARTIN: I learned this
morning from YOUR friend Miss Larocqut
that you wished to be released from YOU
| engagement. 1t would have been much less
painful to me to have learned it from your.
! self, but you have right to choose your own
mode of communication, and | therefore
wish to release you formally and fully. II
will perhaps be pleasanter for both of us il
| we do not meet again, and have decided tC
make the proposed journey to Europe and
| oh Iaaun n 111n hot
l have loved you sincerely; and in this mis-
| take l made [ erred in judgment and have
never been deliberately careless of youl
happiness. l beg you will forgive me any
! pain may have caused you, and always be-
lieve me your sincere friend,
ARTHUR HUNTINGTON.
"The amazing impertinence of that
girl!'' was Mays first exclamation
q How dared she intermediate When
she hasn't love affair of her own or
hand she wants to be managing some
one else's."
She turned to the letter again, and q
sudden chill struck her at its final tone
She had hardly noticed that in her first
impulse of rage against Alice Larocque
The expression 81 have loved you
alarmed her. She began to see that his
departure shut out that explanation ano
reconciliation she had at first assumed
"What shall dop" was her frightened
query, as the thought of final separa
ton grew upon her. &C can't let hin
co. she cried. "I'll write him. IL
waylay him on the railroad as that cir
did in the 'Parlor Car " She hae
acted in it only few weeks before will
Arthur himself. But pride held he
back and she began to despair. "Ol
Alice Larocque, you've spoiled my life, ;
she unused, mournfully, her eyes filling
with tears.
She paused suddenly in her wall
across the room and stood for moment
uncousciously retaining the attitude o
her arrested motion.
alt is perfectly ridiculous" she said
decidedly. "Mr. Huntington loves Inc
unquestionably, and well, he's wortl
dozen Eric McReas. How absurd
and wicked for me to let him go like
this and make us both wretched wher
one word from me would set it right
If there's any humiliation about it
Just deserve it. I'll send him a gay lit
tie note asking him to come and say
good-by before he goes, in token o.
good friendship, and then-he ism
an idiot, and if he is too stupid to see
the truth l shan't have it on my con
| scienCen