The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-10-23
aMIzRAH.v
From The Portlana Teleerau
By ErHELrsD RAY.

From the Portland Telegram.
Chloe Hathaway sat in the freight
one cool, autumn evening, her head rest.
ing on her hand, and her dark eyes fixed
thoughtfully, almost sadly, on the dying
embers.
1t her twentieth birthday, and her
thoughts involuntarily wandered back
oyer the year that had just passed.
What . long, dreary, hopeless year it
had been, she thought, and little bro
ken sigh huttered from her lips.
These last two years had been like q
great barren desert, with no oasis-no
bright sun showers to refresh them. And
yet no one suspected that Chloe had a
''skellaton in her cupboard" She was
always, when in company, gay, light
hearted and cheerful-always ready to
laugh at, and make light Of trouble OF
all kinds; and though she counted her
lovers by the score, she kept them all at
q safe distance, and solemnly declared
she would never marry
"But Chloe, her uncle-with whom
she lived, and who was her only rela-
tive-would sometimes say to her, styou
will surely marry some tlme-for am
old and can not live always, and what
would you do without me, dear2"
I'm sure Idon't know, Uncle, Chloe
would answer wearily. 81 only know
that have horror of marriage, and
never even give it second thought ex-
cept when you compel me to. Please let
me stay with you, always, Uncle-I am
perfectly contented to drift on in this
way forever.
But there had been time when Chloe
val IS, when life was not the dreary,
aimless thing to her that 1t was now;
when her heart beat lightly and joyously,
and existence itself seemed pleasure.
She thought of it now, and sighed; it
seemed so long ago-so many bitter
changes had come since those halcyon
days.
When Chloe was only eighteen, she
had met VIII Boone-handsowe noble,
intelligent such man as women
fall in love with in spite of themselves,
and almost unconsciously she had given
him her heart.
And he, handsome, polished man of
the world, though he was, learned in a
few, short months, to love this little,
pure, wild flower tenderly, and truly
with all the ardor of his strong, passion
ate nature.
GQk OnC 0AkOxb b0uALAAcI bl0y 1lA0 uL1AtCu
on in perfect happiness, forgetting every
thing and everybody but themselves and
their golden dreams-living only in the
present, forgetting the past, and caring
not for the future. Ali methinks such
days have dawned for all of us-and
were they not brighter, purer, better
than any we have known since then?
"Ahi for the golden daysw But autumn
came, and VIII was compelled to return
to the city. But before he left, he told
Chloe that he loved her, and slipped q
flashing opal on her finger.
IF you love me, darling" he said,
swear it till Christmas, when will re-
turn-I can say no more till then"
And then he had kissed her and left
her, and Chloe had worn his ring be-
cause she loved and trusted him. In
side the ring was engraved the quaint,
old-fashioned motto, 'Mizpah," signify
me while We are absent one from the
othsz."
He had promised to write her, but not
one line came from him; yet she waited
patiently, trustingly, feeling snre that
IN the end it would all be right.
The weeks passed away, and Decem-
ber came, and the days dragged slowly
by. Christmas morning dawned clear
and cold, and Chloe entered the break
fast room and took her place, with hei
heart in hutter Of feverish hope. He
would come to-day, she told herself con
fidently.
Then the mail was brought in-two OF
three letters for her father and one fol
herself, and as she glanced at the post
mark her heart gave joyful bound, fol
it was from New York.
She opened the envelope and two
cream colored cards fell into her hand
one bore the name, Miss Lizzie Combs
and the other Mr.. and Mrs. w. l.
Boone. And poor Chloe, without one
word. slipped down, white and sense
Ia stle floor.
,~dreat GodP' cried her father, 81
have killed my child-my little Chloer
And when, an hour later, Chloe came
back to consciousness and life, she found
herself an orphaA-her father had fallen
dead rs he uttered that anguished cry,
"0reat God; have killed my childi'
He had always been subject to heart dis
ease, and the sudden shock had ''loosed
the silver cord" and poor Chloe was
fatherless as well as motherless.
Her uncle Immediately came, and after
the funeral, carried her away TO his own
elegant luxurious home in the city-the
same city where Will lived with his
beautiful bride, who had taught him 50
soon to forget poor little, dark eyed,
faithful Chloe.
But she learned that Will had gone to
Europe, and would hot return for two OF
three yesrs; and so with dreary hope
less despair settling over her heart, she
"took up the burden of life again." and
none Of her fashionable friends or ad-
mirers dreamed she had q deep, deep
grave in her heart, in which she had
buried her first and only love; for un-
like men, woman can never forget the
man she has once loved.
And as she sat in the freight, this
evening, thinking of the bitter past, and
still more bitter future, the door opened
softly, and her uncle entered and seated
himself beside her.
"Chloe, my DEAR" he said, gently
drawing her head down on his shoulder,
and softly caressing the dark, waving
hair, 81 want to talk to you awhile.
Have you given Mr.. Hampton his an
swer yet 2"
''Not yet, UNCLE" replied Chloe,
weAFily "he is coming this evening"
And may I ask, dear, what your an
swer will be p
''I intend to reject him." said Chloe,
hesitatingly, ''for I do not love him."
"My dear child" said Mr.. Hathaway,
81 beg you to pause ere you reject Guy
Hampton. He is the noblest man
know, and very wealthy besides. You
understand my wealth viii pass to my
sister when die, and you will be COM
PEELED to earn your own living. / can
not be satisfied until see you provided
for. o Chloe if you would only marry
GuyI Nothing you could do would
make me 80 happy as this, and am sure
you would care for him in time"
1t was the first favor he had ever asked
of her. and Chloe felt that abe could not