The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-01-17
REPAID.
BY MAY KEsTLER DALLAS.

mo Elson, don't think you are act
ing quite the gentleman in regard to An
ME Gray She is but child, and as in
nocent as q baby in the art of flirting. If
yon wish to try your powers in that line,
why don't you take up arms against some
of the gay heartless coquettes with which
this place is swarmed. There's Kate Les
lie, Maud Fulton, Mary Dubois, and a
number of others, all willing to have a
lark with the rich and handsome artist. !"
Now, Dick, old boy, don't be too hard
on a fellow. Those gay butterflies tire
me. / want something new. Annie is
| such pretty little thing and her sim
! plicity amuses me. She is only my SIS
ter's servant, and of course she don't ex-
peet that l mean anything serious. She
is pleased with my attentions, and just
like all the women always ready to fall
in love with every nice looking chap
| they chance to meet. / should not be
surprised if she would meet me tonight
with frown and cold how do you do?
And tomorrow smile lovingly on you"
] Frank Elson, you have no more heart
than mummy. Can't you see that the
child is passionately in love with you?
! One look into her eyes will tell the story.
! Poor child, she might as we'll have
| thrown her affection away on a marble
image as to bestow it on one like you At
| least be man enough to undeeeiye her be-
1 fore the knowledge that you are only tri-
| fling with her gives her too much pain"
| Good Lord! man, to hear you talk
one would suppose that / had been guilty
of some dreadful crime, the greatest vii
| lain in the States, just because I've been
4.
| There was a ring of scorn in his tones
which aroused the blood in Richard
| Swords veins, and he replied hotly:
''And SO you are villain, if you play
with the affections of that innocent
| child"
There was an angry flush on his face,
which boded no good, and Frank Elson,
not wishing to provoke the anger and
| thereby lose the friendship of the young
| lawyer said laughingly while he knocked
the ashes off the end of his cigar:
well, Dick, since You take this matter
SO much to heart, will let Miss Annie
understand, in the most delicate manner
possible, that our friendship must end
Do You know Dick, although treated
the subject so lightly that / do really
care for the ehildE and if it was not for
my family, almost think l would be
tempted to marry her. No woman ever
inspired me with the same feeling she
does. What great pity 1t is that she is
nothing more than servant"
"She is a thousand times better than
any of the painted dolls we have here,
and more perfect lady than any of them.
/ am much mistaken, or Annie Grey has
been reared to be waited upon, rather
than to be the servant of others Did
you notice how very small and white her
hands are?"
Eyes, Dick; and my sister also re-
| marked it. By George, wouldn't be
surprised if she had run away from
| home. My sister knows nothing about
her. She employed her two weeks ago,
through the recommendation of one of
her lady friends. When I come to
think of it, no poor girl could have OBJ
tained the education she possesses. My
suspicious have been aroused, and am
! determined to find ont something about
her. When first saw this young girl,
/ she was reading letter written in
French, for one of the servants.
promised Captain Justian that we would
! ride with him this evening. Will You
1 come 2"
''Yes; want to see the Captain about
/ the Ifescot estate.
The young men rose and entered the
hotel parlor, just as a slender, white
robed, girlish figure glided swiftly out
! of one of the Summer house, and sink
| ing into one of the low seats, she drew u
long, shuddering breath.
She was apparently about sixteen. The
round, sweet face was very white, and
the scarlet lips were tightly compressed.
Nbara 1on cyla 4I,o
/ blue eyes, as she muttered under her
breath:
"Only a servant! The contemplate
fiatterer; will repay him for this or die
in the attempt"
A few minutes after she passed out,
and met Frank Elson and Richard
Sword on their way to Captain Jnstian's.
Annie met the young artist with
bright laughing eyes and sweet smiles
She returned Dicks deep bow with
slight inclination of the head, but the
lawyer saw look in her eyes that puz-
zled him for a long time after
She tripped along towards the house:
and the young men continued their walk
in the direction of the Captains cottage
When Frank Elson returned to the hotel
late that evening, his sister flew to him
with the intelligence that Annie GRAY,
her children's S nurse, had left that even
ng.
"Oh! Frank, what shall do? Annie
was q perfect treasure. I'll never get
another one like her"
Probably she might be induced to re-
turn. Did she leave her address 2"
Frank asked the question quietly,
but there was queer feeling at his
heart.
''No; she didn't tell me where she was
going. even offered her higher wages,
but nothing would induce her to re-
main.
, Mrs. Hoffman ran out to meet her hus-
band, and Frank was alone His sweet
little wild rose had flown. He would
miss her; for the feeling at his heart told
him that he loved her.
: Six months later Frank Elson was
seated in Dicks town office, talking over
the fortunate young lady, who, by the
; death of her grandfather, became heir to
his vast estate.
81 am going to call on her this even
ing, to give her the account of the estate
Will you come ?"
. well, don't care if do. Is she
handsome?" asked the artist, stroking his
, yellow mustache.
] never saw the lady myself, but rum
/ or says she is quite young and very pref
) ty. You can judge for yourself this eve
! ing, replied the lawyer.
The town clock had just pealed forth
the hour ofeight, rs our two friends were
, shown into the brilliantly-lig parlor
} of the Treseot Mansion, while their cards
, were conveyed to Miss Treseot
/ The artist was as handsome as ever,
] but his gay, careless manner was gone.
He had searched everywhere for Annie
Gray but his efforts were In vain. He
found no trace of her. II grieyed him
, much. for he discovered that he loved
/ her fondly, and would marry her at any
: cost. His proud family and her position
, in life were forgotten. Her pure love
i was all he longed for.
= There was the rustic of silken robes as
, as the door opened to admit Miss Tres.
cot.
Q Both young men rose instantly, but as
} their glance rested upon the young lady
! they stood still. Frank came forward
with outstretched hand, saying eagerly
/ while his eyes hit up with wild JOY
90 Anna GRAY Ie IL possihIa AZ 10 "a