The Osceola times., 1880-09-18
COL. LAKES REVENGE.

Dttu loolioh pue 49,
wicked. in my innocent coquetry with
Leigh Lake. l say innocent, because
had imagined it sport for him as well as
myself. He had the reputation of being
not only the handsomest man in his
regiment, but the greatest fiirt. and !
laughed when he had been presented to
me, and said, to myself, ut shall in this
case be diamond cut diamond"
Somehow my eyes had fallen under
his first admiring glance, but fortified
myself with the thought:
$50 he always looks. 1t is the first
move IN his attack"
met glance with glance, smile with
smile, and pretty speech with saucy re-
tort, or sentimental repartee, according.
ly as one or the other could be delivered
with more telling effect.
"Are YOU sincere?" he questioned, one
evening. ANSWER me, frankly. lfyou
are not tell me so now"
"In other words" answered, throw
down my weapons, acknowledge my un-
armed condition, and smilingly invite
you to advance to victory"
mo" he said. "At your hands | pre-
fer defeat. You acknowledge, however,
that you hold weapons-in other words,
| that you wear n mask.
NO" replied, 81 wear no mask. /
carry no weapon. BE merciful, Col.
Lake."
He grew pale, and opened his lips as
If to speak, then, hastily rising, and
making brief adieu, he left me.
For the first time was little fright
ened; little in doubt as to its being
wholly matter of amusement to him
a little dubious as to how Roger would
regard my conduct in the matter, for
Roger played very important part in
my life even then, since-although five
hundred miles away-he had my prom
ise that on his return / would become
his wife, and determined or the colo
nel's next visit would turn the conver-
sation into other channels.
But had no opportunity to carry my
good intentions into effect. His first
act, as he entered the room, the next
evening where sat alone, was to cross
directly in front of me, then to stoop
and take both my hands in his.
"You asked me last night to be merci-
full" he began. GOD help me if you
did not mean those words. They have
been ringing in my ears ever since.
Child, do you know-do you dream
how | love you? You have raised in me
the first passion of my life, though | am
to-day thirty-five years of age. What q
little, frail thing you are, and yet you
hold in these little hands a strong mans
destiny. Speak to me, love! Tell me
that my wife is here before mer'
In that moment my coquetry took
wings and fled away, and in its stead
came dull realization of what / hao
done.
strove to draw my hands from his
As we'll might have tried to dislodge {
stone imbedded for centuries in tn,
mountain side. My self-possession for
sock me. In my fright l blundered ou
the worst possible thing / could hav'
said:
81 cannot do that. l cannot be th'
wife of two men! l thought you knew
was engaged"
A look of steely, icy contempt fashe,
into his eyes. He wrung my fingers al
instant until cried out with pain, thel
threw them from him and folded hi
arms across his breast.
"You dare tell me this" he said, il
low, concentrated tones. "Answer m
one question. What mean, pitinl mo
|
81 did not know you were in earnest,
l replied, remembering, as spoke, hov
hard had tried to make him so-thougl
never, in my innermost thoughts, to thi
extent-never, as the Great Father j
my Judge, to blast his future, or to brin
about his mouth .he white lines of agon,
now drawn there.
81 thought a moment ago." he an
| ,.1N hat ,,,
life had no other prayer to make I
heaven. l make one vow, and that i:
that may live to see you suffer throug
your love as you have dealt suffering +
me in mine."
His words sounded like a curse. The,
filed the room, and oppressed my YER
soul with a nameless dread and haun,
ing presence of the future.
/ Shivering, buried my face in IN
hands. When lifted it | was alone
Col. Lake had left me.
"When Roger comes home / will tel
him all about it," / whispered to my
self
/ But somhow, when three months late
I Roger came, had so much else to thin
of, in the busy preparations for my mar
/ riage, and my sky was so blue, that
) could not bear to risk upon us singl
/ cloud.
The colonel's words seemed very idl
, now. As though any misery could gro,
|, out of the deep heart-love Roger and
felt for each other! How small, hoy
unworthy of him and of myself, ha
, been my idle coquetries of the past
, Never mind. had all my future t.
atone.
Then came my wedding-day; when tn
outer world gave me its smiling benson
in bright sunshine and balmy breezes
was Rogers now-his very own
and could have deiied the universe, il
my exquisite happiness.
Six months later my husband entered
; our little sitting room, one morning
bearing in his hand letter stampe,
with an Official seal.
"Be," said he-my name was Beatrice
but was too unidentified for Its posses
sion, and 50 they shortened it TO Be
and his voice tremblcd a little-"it is
very soon, darling, to remind you that
you are soldiers wife; but | am or
dered to report at once to Fort -, un.
der Col. Lakes command. They antici.
pate trouble with the Indians. God
knows how | hate to leave you, my
precious little wife, but there is no al
tentative. l must start within twenty
fOr hours"
Leave mep" l cried, starting to my,
feet, and throwing myself sobbingly on
his breast. "You shall not leave me.
Take me with you, Roger. or you will