Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-30

swung it wide-and Caryl steppe
into the room.
How beautiful the girl looked ths
J night! l know John saw it, althoug
be left the room abruptly when sh
entered. Her eyes were bright q
stars, and her cheeks were redde
than the reddest roses. Only an in
stant she hesitated then she cam
swiftly forward and knelt at my feet
elasping my hands and crying:
ooh Janey! you will not send m
off! Let me stay with you-do lie
me stay, for am SO unhappy
l took the poor child in my arm
and comforted her, and learned al
the painful story-for it was pitiful
Laurie had been false to his vows o
love, and formally engaged himself tt
q captivating young belle in his owr
set and with great expectations.
sympathy was not what she needed
most. 1t was something to do, &c
take her mind off her own troubles
and Mrs. Ernstein having refused
her shelter, even for the night, when
she heard of her secret engagement,
to Laurie) | found it for her at the
earliest opportunity, aud with the
doctors help.
John Dakin proved himself friend
through all our trials. Life to Caryl
was very sad burden for time. -
She had made a hero of Laurie, all
her hopes and aims were conferred in
him, aud it was hard to believe he
had ceased to care for her entirely.
But the atmosphere of our home was
not favorable to cherish bitterness or
unhappiness. John it was who took
her out driving, in the sunny autumn
days, through the beautiful valleys
and winding country roads, lying
just outside the city ; interested her
in visiting bis patients, procured her
plain sewing for her unoccupied time,
and spent his evenings reading aloud
to us as we worked. Caryl demurred
sometimes at leaving me SO much at
home ; but | could not neglect house,
keeping cares, and nothing pleased
me better than to see her snugly
tucked into the doctors gig, going
off by his side.
You may thinA that was placing
temptation in John Dakin's way
Well, | was. All my life | had lived
for Caryl's happiness, and / knew
what true happiness would mean for
her sooner or later. | will confess
that | did not give up all my own
plans for the future without some re-
grets. But l think l understand
what true love is, and l knew that |
loved John Dakin more as brother
than in any other way. And | knew
that his love for Caryl was the one
and only real love he had ever felt. /
was not going to spoil two beautiful
lives through my own selhshuess.
So the autumn days slipped away,
aud winter came. Strange what
change few short months had
wrought in Caryl! Not sign of a
broken heart was in her pretty face,
az che vent singing about the house,
or sat humming softly to herself, as
she sewed in the window recess
while as for the doctor, he carried SO
much sunshine among his patients
that he was successful as never be-
fore. But he never dreamed that he
was not perfectly true in allegiance
TO me. Bless you, no! [ think the
first inkling be had OF how affairs
were tending, was when he brought
in letter for CaryI one day, as we
were in the kitchen together. She
opened it carelessly, still laughing
and making some gay speech at his
expense--but the gay words died on
her lips, and her cheeks paled as she
drew out the contents ofthe envelope.
Only an instant did she change tone
snd color, then she looked up into
johns eyes and held ont the cards
Laurie's wedding cards, which he
actually had the impudence to send
her.
"You don't care to see them ?" she
asked, her eyes still on his face as be
withdrew his hand with a gesture of
scorn, as she proffered them to him.
"Look how / shall serve them"
"She went over to the range and held
them suspended for a moment over
the glowing Goals. then they dropped,
and the greedy flames seized them.
"Poor LAUREL" in tone of much
solemnity. "If he only knew how
every thought of him had burned it,
self ont and left not so much as a
handful of ashes, l doubt whether he
would feel fattered."
What flash kindled in Johns
eyes at her words She tarned her
blushing face quickly away, aud pre-
tended not to see il; but / knew very
we'll why sh commenced trllling
gay little d tty to cover her oonfus-
ion, and why he wen: hastily out OF
the room, and we did not see him
again that day.
Evidently the time bad come for
9 crisis, but how to bring 1t about /
did not know. At the slightest sus
picion of Johns disloyalty toward
me, Caryl would fly off-no one
knew where. | was not much versed
10 such matters, to be sure but nad
the idea that she must somehow be
surprised into knowledge OF the
state OF her o wn heart, and that
must at last take him into my conf
dence. So talked the matter over
IN a friendly fashion one day when
Caryl was away At first be was as
obstinate as ever she had been bat
be could not denv that bis affection
Tor her was unchanged, and then |
persistently refused to marry any
man whose whole heart was not abso-
lutely mine. 1t took long argument
to bring him too see how in earnest I
was, and l almost feared he would
not give me up, so great was his
sense of honor. don't know, in
deed, that be would have relinquished
bis claim on me to this day, had /
not absolutely given him back bis
freedom, and left him no alternative
but to accept it. Then l watched
for denouement, but none came.
They were both childishly Indifferent
70 be 1c al r