Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-03-09
DaltOn'S Sweetheart.

Dalton's Sweetheart.
"Have you named it?" she asked
hat.
"Yes," he answered, gazing at her as
she leaned back against the old gnarled
tree, with daisy in her pretty hand:
A sunbeam peeped through the
branches over their heads, and kissed
little golden curl that had strayed from
the keeping of the picturesque rough
hat kissed the sweet brown eyes max
ing them laugh and dance; kissed
merry little mouth, and at last rested on
the fair daisy, the child of the unbeams.
II wonder who you have named it,
Nj. Dalton? Will you tell me after
ward?"
eff the daisy is wise and has the num-
Der of petals I wish" he said, with
look which made Ethel Clifford drop
her eyes quickly as one by one she threw
the snowy petals into her lap, whisper
ing softly, Friendship, love, indiffer-
ence, hate"
One by one he picked up the little tell
tale things, picked them up with such a
lingering touch, and held them in his
Arm hand for was not the daisy his
dear little type of whose name it bore.
Meanwhile the sunbeam peeped at
him and lighted manly, honest, ear
nest face, that only half revealed the
chivalrous spirit and concentration of
thought and aim that made Edward
Dalton the true man that he was.
"Oh, Mr.. Dalton, l know you'll be
pleased, it's friendship!" said Ethel,
with frank smile.
A shadow passed over his face.
"But am not, Miss Ethel"
"Not," she cried, growing earnest
sob, why not? Don't you feel that
friendship means lifelong trust?"
s "Your words make me feel deeply
that / am not satisfied with the flowers
decree, for 1 named the daisy Ethel"
"A deep sigh heaved from the SYM
pathetic heart through the quivering
little lips.
~, tttOh, Mr.. Dalton, l am so sorry"
~-,tt4fWhy, Ethel ?" he sadly asked.
W "Because-beca1se I am so fond of
you love so much to be with you, and
T SO long that we should be as the daisy
ysA7friends."
5sttBut don't you feel, deep down in
your heart, that even your beautiful pic
sture of friendship is cold? Add to it the
zdooding sunlight of love, and you know
what give you and what L ask for in
lreturn."
80 But the answer was almost sob.
: s@"Oh, Mr.. Dalton, am so sorry.'
t'Think of it prayerfully one little mo-
ment, dear heart. God grant you, do
you know yourself?"
The little head fell for a moment on
the clasped hands. Then she raised her
true, brown eyes with beseeching
glance, and simply, gentle said, "Only
friendship"
:. The manly, brave face was turned
away, but Edward Dalton folded little
hand in one of his, while he whispered ::
.,"God bless you, child. Good bye !"
The to-days quickly turned into yes
terdays, and Ethel Clifford's life was
happy-altogethe happy.
She felt that she had been true to her
own heart that June morning when Ed
ward Dalton had said "Good- bye!" for
surely it was not love that she had felt
for him, not the deep, burning love that
she had dreamed of in her woman's
fancies, so she put him away with a
sigh for his sorrow, and lived on her
happy, busy little life. But, as the
happy heart; she knew not what it
meant, and plunged deeper into the
pleasures and duties of her life, but the
shadow grew into craving, as shadows
often will.
One sunny June day, as she was RAM
bling in the fields, she came uneXpect-
eddy to the spot where year before Ed
ward Dalton had told her the story of
his love. She had ever avoided the spot
htuce then. She did not know why
But there she was and so she fingered
She looked down on the fresh, green
grass and started, but she only saw a
daisy near an old gnarled tree, looking
UP at her with its innocent little face
She stopped and picked it, and tear
shone on it as she put t in her breast,
for it had shone her that the shadow or
her heart was love, the great craving
was for what she had put from her a
year ago.
A few nights after Ethel Clifford stood
before the mirror, restlessiy putting the
finishing touches to ravishing toilette
smiling at her pretty self as she careless
tY tucked bunch of daisies in her belt
She looked down at them a moment,
hesitated, selected one from the bunch
counted the petals, and poutingly reject
ed it then another, till, smiling, she
kissed one, and nestled it under the
bow at her neck. Oh. rare little schem
or was Ethel Clifford!
An excited, expectant look made her
fair face more bewitching than its wont.
Edward Dalton was to be among the
guests at the lawn party. He had re-
turned from his foreign journeyings,
and Ethel had not seen him since-since
that long-ago time.
She greeted him with quiet, cordial
dignity, but there was only time for
greeting.
The evening wore on and he did not
come to her. Had the old love died in
his heart, and must hers ache on
through life of time? Such thoughts
made the sweet face sad, as Ethel rest
ed moment in shadowy corner of the
deserted conservatory. Sad only for
moment; for the voice she loved said
gently:
at seems like the sunshine to see you
again, Ethel"
"And I am heartily glad to see you
again." she said softly.
Surely, her tell-tale voice had told him
all! But no, he only bowed courteous
ly, and said
''Thank you," very simply.
"And you will be centented now to
stay at home, Mr.. Dalton, will you not ?"
she timidly asked.
A shadow came over his face.
II had hoped so, he said sadly, "but
, du HoL brave; must nee again
bunch of field daisies has unnamed
me and he gazed wistfully at the bunch
in her belt.
If he were not brave now, it was her
place to be so. So her true hand trem-
blingly pulled the little daisy from her
throat, the true voice waveringly said
~ pnt this there for you; read it,"
"Friendship, love, indifference, hate"