Smyrna times., 1880-09-29
Retty Hopes Love Affair.

for him to leave i.
| He had been only Summer boarder at
Grandfather Hopes farm house, and he
had fallen in love with his niece, and had
won her heart. She wore his ring, and in
| a year they were to be married. But, alas,
that year was to be spent apart. Harry
was going to China, in the interest of the
firm of which he was at present only an
employee. On his return he would be
made junior partner, and would be able
to marry comfortably.
| In her secret heart Hetty wished that,
poor as he WIS, Harly would ask her to
marry him then and there, and 90 on the
voyage with him. But girl must keep
her thoughts to herself. And now she had
driven with him to the depot, to see him
off; and the train had come and he stood
beside the light wagon holding her hand,
and whispering these words:
"It's so hard that cannot kiss you at
the last. Good-by, darling good-by"
Hetty was trying not to cry, there at the
depot, before all those strangers. She
almost wished she had not driven down to
see Harry off, though if she had not come
she would never have forgiven herself.
"Good-by," she whispered family.
Then Harry jumped upon the train, not
an instant too soon, and in moment more
Hetty only saw a handkerchief futterihg
from the window as the engine puffed its
way out off the depot, and flew around the
curve Of the road.
"Drive home, Peter" she said to the boy
who held the reins; and happily she had
power to keep the tears from her lashes
until the people who had stared at her at
the depot could stare no more.
On the platform shade hats and sunbon-
nets were gathered in a group discussing
the fact that Hetty Hope had been down
to see her beau off, and that there was no
longer any doubt that they were engaged !;
but Hetty did not know or care for that.
She was crying softly in the back of the
little light wagon, while Peter drove on,
whistlng the Star Spangled Banner all out
of tune, and now and then stopping to
break off a branch full of wild cherries. 1t
seemed SO hard that Harry should be
going away for year-a whole, long year.
; 1t was almost as dreadful as though he
were dead, for what might happen in q
year? No one could ever tell; and the
tears fell again.
The only comfort Hetty could think of
was her first letter, and it would be three
f days before that could come.
However it came. Grandpa brought it
in his pocket, and gave it to her with a
slow nod and slower laugh, and Aunt
; Maria inquired with her usual downright
ness whether that "was from her beau r.
and Cousin lilly, by and by, in the privacy
: of their own room, asked if she would let
her see it, and was offended that she did
not. These relatives of hers were not
always delightful to poor Hetty, but her
father was q busy man, who travelled the
world over, making fortune for the daugh-
ter he scarcely saw twice a year, Id her
mother died in her babyhood, and Hetty
had no other home than "Grandfathers." ;"
They were very good to her, that old man
and his widowed daughter, Aunt Maria.
And Cousin lilly was soft and pretty, and
silly as little white kitten. 1t might
, have been very much worse, yet who can
! blame Hetty for looking forward to the
time when she should have home of her
own-a home that suited her Papa sent
her plenty of money now. She could dc
what she pleased with it, and she bought
smart caps for Aunt Maria, and gay ribbons
" for Tilly, and slippers for grandpa-but the
t home was not under her control. The
= prim parlor was not to be touched by hel
Q hand. The blue shades, and the red anG
}. green carpet, the wax fruit under glass
and the portrait of Washington over the
mantel-piece, remained as she had frs
seen them, when as a child she regarded
% that front parlor as a sort of sacred place
$ not to be played in. She filled her owl
tiny sleeping.room with what Aunt MariI
denominated jim.cracks; but the famil.
r. disapproved of vines about the house, snC
r. there was not tree within the small, prin
e garden pailings, and good as they all were
W the people who lived in the house wer
exactly like it. They had no sense of tn
10 beautiful and no yearning for it.
a. So Hetty dwelled inwardly alone ant
4 built her air.castles, and lived on one lette
a until she had another, and the time of he
lovers absence wore on wearily until si,
months were gone, and then came lette
u which made Hetty hold her breath Will
+" she read it, and burst into tears as soon a
she had finished it.
70 "Dear Hetty," it said, ian unforseel
u thing has happened. My employers de
sire me to remain in China for some years
ID If do SO they will make me partner, ant
TO shall be able to live we'll and comfortably
IN and to grow rich in time: but will you b
lr willing to live here with me?
si- "Will you come out to me under saf
protection and spend years of your youn
-. life in this strange land? Think It ovel
es darling. The case stands just thus: If yo
N refuse will return, but shall then hav
"a no prospects; no means whatever. A per
ia niless man who must take any position
ar that offers will be your betrothed HUSBAND
in that case. The choice is in your hands
or, perhaps it would be honorable in m
80 to set you free. The thought almost break
10 my heart. Dear Hetty what shall say
40 think could make you happy even here
70 70 If you are willing to come write to me.
lik votY dasiro that shon1d rattfrn and saal