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

fulflled tho condition J win keep "a II |
yO1 wish but n has showed me very /
plainly that / do not love you. Ike |
and respect you heartily, but that is
ALL" - - u a. "a
The yohng mans dtss we're holding
hers With a ateady gaze. They we're
foil Of tenderness, and II IN heir depths
lprked sparkle Of triumph be was try
ing 10 conceal II. 4 I. ". III b
May" he said, and the word was a
caressg al accept your consent, for Z
/ believe you love me though you WiIln1t
own Il 70 youtBef Btli j will nevef /
hold you to your promise n you really I
! wishto be released, and by and By II ]
see l am mistaken, or any time you
/ choose 10 ask Il, win set you free. But
for little while, at least, will just call
you my own,Y .....,.. ....
May felt a sudden outgoing Of her
heart towards him that required 10 be
instantly suppressed. He was taking
entirely too much for grBnted. The
shock sent the tears 10 her eyes, and
threw a wonderfully pathetic expression
into her face. F.1 ' JOB
" You are. very good, - she murmured
softly, as she unlocked from her watch
chain the ring he had sent her and held
It up TO him. He slipped it on her fin
ger, and bending over kissed herlightiy
on her forehead. May now sank into
chair and resumed her usual manner, AZ
II relieved that the high tragedy was
over.
g Now Arthur,r she said, bringing
out his name with a most Charming dif-
fdence, "you shall tell me how you
I haI hat IL L. L..
1t was awfully bright Of YOU. / can't
imagine how you ever happened TO think
of it.pt lttFFhtB EFEE tFFAh
at was very easily dSne,n he an
wercds teA friend Of mine had IL drilled
for me 10 his mahufadtory. The mo-
meut heard your offer that night /
guessed that the needle had no eye, and
il at once occurred TO me that another
might be made. All is fair in love-
you know, and since you would never
give me definite answer by fair means
l was compelled to resort to strategy"
The engagement was the topic Of
conversation among their set for a week
after. 1t caused no great surprise, for
Huntington's devotion was well known,
and every one said he was a splendid
fellow and Just the one for her. The
affair Of the needle was generally dis
cussed, but no one dared question Hunt
ingtsn, and Mays frank declarations
were taken for the open deceit of a
practiced joker. When she said, "Oh
yes, of course he threaded it, that's how
we came to be engaged" nobody be-
lieved her. bod. -..'- Hin, ~,rrS .g.
Roderic McRae sulked like a spoiled
child. He followed May more closely
than ever, but with such an aggrieved
and injured air that every body was
laughing at him. The chains of her en-
gagement hung lightly on Miss Martin.
Huntington's devotion was perfect and
unobtrusive he was always on hand
when wanted but never in the way, ex-
acted nothing, did not bore her with
llove-nnaking when she was not in the
E mood for it, and made himself constant
ly more essential to her happiness. If
it had not been for Roderic McRae
she would have been quite happy. But
McRae' 's 1eproacbful face haunted her.
She was growing thoroughly uneasy
and almost unhappy when Miss La
: ROGUE came up in the spring for an
; other visit. Though May was more reti-
cent than before, and responded briefly
10 her friends persistent questions,
Alice's observation was close and her
penetration quick enough to guess in
some measure at the truth.
"It's a shame to treat that poor Nc
Rae so," she said. "He's desperately
in love with you, and he has grown so
melancholy; l never saw any thing so
depressing except when he tries to be
cheerful, and that is more heart-rending
1 N,
ment at once; the longer you put it off
; the harder it will be-"
"No Alice" May responded, "Mr
Huntington has been every thing that
was lovely and considerate and owe it
to him to try while longer"
"You can't compel yourself to love
any body" said Alice profoundly, sand
! the more you try the more you will care
for Eric McRea. You might just as
: well be engaged to both of them at
once. think you owe some duty to a
. man who loves you as hopslessly and
unselfishly as Eric does"
: May made no response.
= "You are afraid of Huntington al
ready, can see that, her friend went
! on, "and if it would be any relief to
? you / will go to him and tell him just
how it stands"
"Oh no, Alice, darling" interrupted
May, earnestly, "you are too kind, but
l couldn't have you. l appreciate your
l lovely interest and don't undervalue
: your advice. 1 don't know what 1
should do without your sympathy, but 1
must manage it all myself. l deserve
|. to suffer for my folly"
! "May," said Alice, facing her judi
a cially, "don't you care more for Eric
> McRae now than you did before you
were engagedP"
eyes," assented May reluctantly,
a "it seems as if did, but then it is
! different; besides wasn't in love with
!, him before"
Alice said no more, but she resolved
p 10 act She watched for an opportuni-
= ty to speak to Huntington, but it really
!, seemed as if he had taken alarm and
avoided her, and when the day of her
= departure came she was almost in de-
spair. A retinue of students were at
the train to see her off, and she drew
Huntington aside for an instant.
1 ~" When the train comes along I'll
!, challenge yOu playfully to go as far as
q the next station with me. Can you
a take me upp want few moments to
/. talk with you"
I He assented, and shortly after, when
they were alone together in the COM
s partment of drawing-room car, she
began;
You know I'm the most intimate
o friend May has, and l feel it is my duty