Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-03-18
A Noble Sacrifice.

They were quite alone by the fOun-
tain.
The strains of Won Weber's last waltz
foated In from the ball room they had
just left.
Ethel Weston knew very well why
Sydney Eliot had brought her in there.
She knew what was coming, and she
dreaded it little, as all sensitive wo-
men dread proposal which must be
answered in the negative.
Sydney did not wait long.
81 love you," he said, looking down
upon the fair, slightly tired face, with
earnest eyes, "and l want you for my
wife,"
Then he went on in eloquent, plead
ing words, to tell her all his hopes, all
his plans, all his ambition; and for the
first time Ethel realized just what she
was to this man.
She dreaded to give him her answer.
Two men passed by the window out
side just then, leaving a trail OF cigar
smoke behind them.
Their voices foated in through the
window.
Chester Abbott has returned, hear,"
one said.
How her thoughts went travelling
back to a summer seven years past,
when she had learned the beautiful les
son of love, and worshipped at the feet
of Chester Abbott.
Heavensl how she did love him; and
he had Tilted her-married Helen Crit
fifth, and gone abroad without even a
farewell word.
She was seventeen then, and now she
was twenty-fOur.
Should he come back and find her sim
gle and free?
Should he have the pleasure of think
ing as he surely would, that she had
never recovered from that old wound
that she found it impossible to love
again?
ANSWER me, Ethel, just one word, /"
Sydney was saying as it yes or MOP"
She laid her hand in his.
at is yes," she whispered.
r"You are pale. Why, you are ill?'
Sydney exclaimed, looking at her color
less face wonderingly.
She put her hand to hel forehead, and
said:
The smoke of that cigar made me feel
faint for moment. Let us go back to
the ballroom"
| Several acquaintance met them as
they passed out, and those versed IN
such matters suspected what had hap
pened.
Something in Sydney's face told the
secret.
There was lull in the dancing, and
at the opposite side of the room Ethel
| O.: :rrIf
Somebody had just arrived, and was
creating quite an excitement.
"WhO is p" she asked.
And, from his superior height, Sydney
Eliot looked over the heads of the peo-
pie and saw the cause of the cOmmo-
tiOn.
"Why, it is Chester Abbottl" he ex-
claimed. 81 did not know he had re-
turned. He is an old friend of mine
you do not remember him, perhaps.
81 will excuse you while you go and
speak to him." Ethel said, disengaging
her arm from his. "The band is playing
another waltz, and Ipromised one to
Charles Evans"
She was. not going to meet Chester
Abbott with wan, pallid cheek.
He came forward as soon as she was
seated, and held out his hand with his
old pleasant smile.
| She rose and greeted him quietly
though her heart was beating against
her breast, and she was inwardly raging
because she felt so agitated at the sight
of the man who was nothing to her.
Il can scarcely believe that almost
seven years have passed since l last saw
you," he said, sitting down by her
"when L look at you. The years have
scarcely made any impression upon your
face. Time passes over without touch
ing"
II suppose you feel obliged out of po-
liteness to say that" Ethel responded
''but am not going to desert the truth
for the sake of compliments. think
you have changed somewhat in the last
seven years"
You think 1 have grown preceptibly
old?"
YES"
"That is frank. Well, l have some
thing to make me feel old and look old
for we usually look as we feel, you
know"
Ethel wondered if her looks were il
accordance with her feelings just then
and prayed silently that they might moi
be.
Il have not had very happy life
Chester went on, "and disappointments
ruined hopes and wearing cares tell OF
the face at last"
Ethel was growing uncomfortable, ant
: knew not what to say.
"Many of our troubles are of our owl
, making" she ventured, and then fel
!; like boxing her own ears for it, lest h'
should put wrong construction upoI
J her words
"Yes," he answered, quietly, "and som'
are of others making. Mine have been.
Somebody came up to claim Ethel
ihand.