Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-05-07

kind interest in my affairs. J believe
we are approaching the station, 20
viii say good morning.
He lifted bis hat, and was gone.
Hateful creature" murmured Miss
Larocque, eomplacently, 1--WE are not
anywhere near Il. Anyway, gave him
2 good parting shot; It hit him, as I
meant u should. / suppose May will
be furious, at first, but she viii thank
me yet. never saw such a weak little
goose IL would be Just like her now 10
suddenly discover she IL In love with
Huntington. IN that case they both
ought 10 thank me-" And Miss La
rocque was soon absorbed in her
novel.
That evening May received the fol-
lowing letter:
DEAR MISS MARTIN: I learned this
morning from yOur friend Miss LarOouue
that you wished TO be released from your
engagement. II would have been much less
painful 10 me b. have learned Il from your
self, but you have right 10 choose your own
mode OF communication, and j therefore
wish 10 release you formally and fully. IL
will perhaps be pleasanter FOR both Of us N
We do not meet again, and have decided 20
make the proposed journey 70 Europe and
! have loved you sincerely; and In this mis-
take made ] erred in judgment and have
never been deliberately careless Of your
happiness. / beg you viii forgive me any
pain may have caused you, and always be-
lieye me your sincere friend,
ARTHUR HUNTINGTON.
"The amazing impertinence Of that
girl!" was Mays first exclamation.
How dared she intermeddlep When
she hasn't love affair Of her own on
hand she wants to be managing some
one else's."
She turned 10 the letter again, and q
sudden chill struck her at lis final tone.
, She had hardly noticed that in her first
impulse Of rage against Alice LarOcque.
The expression "I have loved YOU -
alarmed her, She began 10 see that his
departure shut out that explanation and
reconciliation she had at first assumed A..
"What shall | doP'' was her frightened
query, as the thought of a final separa-
] ton grew upon her. can't let him
90, she cried "I'n write him. III
waylay him on the railroad as that girl
did in the Parlor Car " She had
acted in it only a few weeks before with
4 Arthur himself. But pride held her
back and she began to despair. "Oh
Alice Larocque, you've spoiled my life, -
she mused, mournfully, her eyes filling
with tears.
/ She paused suddenly in her walk
across the room and stood for a moment
uncousciously retaining the attitude Of
her arrested motion.
'fIt is perfectly ridiculous" she said,
decidedly. "Mr. Huntington loves me,
unquestionably, and I-well, he's worth
q dozen Eric McReas. How absurd
and wicked for me TO let him go like
this and make us both wretched when
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 Of
I good friendship, and then-he isn't
an idiot, and if he is too stupid to see
the truth / shan't have it on my con.
science"
Her spirits rose as she sat down 10
write her note, her imagination rapidly
sketching the coming interview.
After il was dispatched she began to
have little of that revulsion Of feeling
that comes when one has hastily taken
an irrevocable step, and by the practi
cal daylight of the next morning hel
confident spirits ebbed away. A horror
came upon her lest Mr.. Huntington
should not come after all, anC
her concession have been made in vain
and her pride taunted her with having
made the request. When he was at las
announced she was more agitated thai
reassured, and as she slowly went dow
to meet him she was frightened to finC
her carefully arranged plan slipping
away from her in her confusion. WheI
she entered the parlor il was not at al
as she expected. Mr.. Huntington ros,
with formal salutation and his proud
repellant manner froze the words upoI
her lips. An agony of embarrassment
overcame her for an instant, and theI
her spirit seemed to die within her, anC
she went forward with hesitating step
holding out both hands to him as shl
had done before, her lips quivering anC
her blue eyes swimming in tears. L
would have been very stupid man whC
failed to understand that eloquen
silence, and Arthur Huntington haC
more than average intelligence.
"NOw Arthur p she said, half an hou
after, when peace was restored, "yol
shall not be so hard on Alice. She i
the best-hearted girl in the world anC
fancied she was doing us real kindness
for have talked great deal of fearfu
nonsense to her, though l never, neve
said cared for Eric McRae."
"By the way" said Huntington smil
ing, 81 think I'll tell you now. McRal
has been engaged ever since some TIM
in his junior year to young lady il
Philadelphia. -
May looked the picture of amazemen
Just touched with dismay.
"Well, 1 am astonished. - she cried
perfectly thunderstruck!" And thel
she added gleefully, But shan't en-
joy writing it to Alice Larocque ?''-
katherine CdTTington, in Good Company