The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-30

very softly, and my eyes were turned
toward the other room. The young
minister and Miss Linda stood in the
center of the apartment, and he was
speaking passionately, but softly. Then
he strove to clasp her hand in his. but
she drew it away and stood further
from him, nearer tothe doorway. Then
heard his voice, husky, it was, and
tremulous.
LINDA, dear Lindar' he said, '.you
can never tell how much l love you.
You do wrong to doubt me. My exist
ence is worthless without your affec-
ton. Do not deny me all hope; let me
think, at least, that in time my deep
love may win your own; that, when
you see how constant and devoted my
heart is to you, you will think well of
me for that constancy at least. Many
a better and greater may WOO you.
Linda, but none can love more truly"
could see great tears in her eyes as
she answered him.
"Do not misunderstood me. Mr.. Al
wyn. I do think well of you. AS a
sister l may even say that love you;
but other love than that of a sister
Linda Harrington can never give to
living man. II have loved once, and
he to whom was betrothed sleeps be-
meath the waves, or is wanderer upon
the face of the earth. Living or dead,
he is lost to me forever; but woman
gives her love but once, and mine is
his still, Mr.. Alwyn. Leave me, be-
seech you! Time can never change my
feelings. and am glad it cannot"
He took her hand and pressed it to
his lips, and in another moment he was
gone. Miss Linda sunk upon the seat
from which she had arisen; the tears
were trlckling down her cheeks, and
her bosom rose and fell convulsively.
Over her dress, over the floor, fell
shadow, creeping slowly along up the
white-washed wall of the school-house.
and while 1 watched it the tall man
with the black beard stood on the
threshold stood there, with both
arms stretched toward her, until she
turned, and, looking on him, cried,
William! oh, my Williamp' and fell
upon his bosom.
AT first l had imagined that the
black-bearded gentleman was about to
devour Miss Linda, or carry her away
to his enchanted castle; but when she
called him William, the truth dawned
upon my mind, and I listened quietly,
when, some moments afterward, he
knelt beside her and spoke thus:
81 have been near you many weeks,
darling-I have watched you to and
from the school; and, though never
dreamed you could still love me, have
loved you every moment since we
parted. When I left you I hoped to
return to you soon, happy and prosper
Gus, but, baffled and disappointed, I
could not bear to bring my poverty
and grief for you to share, and bat
tied with the world, weary and broken
hearted, until I began to doubt all truth
and goodness, and believed that no
woman could welcome back a toil-worn,
beggared man, as she would one who
was glad and prosperous.
saw her arm steal about his neck,
and her lips touch his cheek, and he
went on again:
"Better days dawned upon me, and l
came back again, loving you still, to
WOO and to win you, if you could for
give my long and shameful silence.
The first news I heard, darling. was
that you were betrothed to another, and
though it almost broke my keart, I
vowed that if this were true would
not mar your new-found happiness by
bringing back the memory of the past.
Had you loved him, Linda, you never
should have known that Will Brace
dwelt among living men, although he
would have prayed for your happiness
while he had heart to pray with, and
blessed you until his lips were dumb for
ever"
There was another pause, and I could
hear her sob.
To-day, Linda, 1 followed my rival,
as thought him, to this door; l heard
the words he spoke, and l also heard
your answer. I learned, my angel, that
you had forgiven me, that you were
still true to the wanderer whose only
merit was that he loved you fondly, and
no words can tell you the ecstacy of that
moment, the balm that knowledge
poured upon my wounded heart. VIII
you be my wife still, Linda? Will you
share the little that l have of wealth,
and let me have right to the great
treasure of your woman's hearth"
She did not speak, but her head sunk
lower still, and her white arms twined
themselves tenderly about the bronzed
neck of the man with the black beard.
A week later the village paper report
ed the marriage of Miss Linda Harring-
ton and Mr.. William Brace, and our
school was without a m;stress.-N Y.
Sunday Times.
How Bob Burdette Writes.
Rr-nr>n.rr, loo. tho Of hic ,1,,.if-