The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1881-12-29

moment to his fAce, then turning Oh
hides them upon her fathers shouldel
As the old hermit parts from hi
guest he holds his hand and looks eal
nestly into his face
"When feel my last hour approach
ing l will send for you. Until the
-farewell!"
| As Elvie accompanies him down tn
steep path which leads from the col
tage, Guy says To her:
"Elvie, when the time comes tha
1 your father Is taken away from you
(which I hope may be long distant
| for your sake will take you to dea
| aunt-my mothers sister. She love
me, and is childless, aud will do any
thing to please me. Remember, 1
anything happens, send ilnmediatel,
for me. You have my address"
He pauses. and looks hesitatingll
into her face. Surely, she is such /,
child one kiss would be no harm. Sh,
lifts her innocent eyes to his face and
holds out one tiny brown hand, and
as she takes ii, warm and trembling
in his broad palm, he realizes for thu
first time that this girl, with her pc
c,liar. winsome beauty, is more to hin
than woman has ever been to him be
fore
He raises the little fingers to his lips
AMI goes. not trusting to stay longer.
II would he a SIM" he thinks tC
himself, as he strides along, to dis
turb her sweet innocence; but some
day, perhaps"
The time is not long until the sum.
mons comes, and as hastily a. he trav.
els there Is one that travels faster. He
finds group of rough but kindly
fishermen I'm the store cottage, trying
to soOthe the daughter, who has flung
herselfupOn her dead refusing comfort
But useless are those sObs, those ca
resscs the stern lips which had ever
been SO tender to her will never again
unciOse to address her.
The quiet funeral is over, and Guy
ErceldOune is glad that he did not
speak what was in his mind that
morning, as he notes how to no one
else does the bereaved girl turn for
comfort as she does to him, and like q
brother he cares for her.
AS they leave the rude cottage where
all her life has been spent, with no
coinpanionship but her books and the
father just laid beneath the sod, Elvie
gives one long look backward; then
she leaves her old home forever.
Mrs. Trevor clasps her kind arms
about the young stranger. and in q
voice whose sweetness is like q strain
of unfamiliar music in the mOtherless
girls ears, she bids her welcome.
Two years pass. Elvie is still with
Guys aunt, cultivating her great tai
ent for painting and fitting herself to
teach. When she speaks Of obtaining
Il position to Guy he always smiles to
himself. HeweIi knows what position
he hopes she will occupy; but he does
not speak what is in his thoughts.
She is young, only eighteen, and he
must not take advantage of her mex
perience. If, when she sees more OF
the world, she comes to him, then will
his happiness be all the greater for
waiting. His business does not lie
near his aunt's home, 80 it is seldom
he can he there.
One day Mrs. Trevor holds out To
Elvie II miniature which she has taken
from drawer.
Have you ever seen the picture of
the young lady who is to be my nePh-
ew's wife,"
flvie takes it i'm her hand mechan-
ically. Her nephew's wife! Why
does her heart throb SO wildly? With
an effort she looks up ut the pictures
face which smiles up at her, so differ
ent from her own, with its sweet,
tiniid expression, fair hair and blue
eyes.
Z" did not know he was engaged"
"Oh, yes" placidly replied Mrs.
Trevor, laying it back into its case
again, a." they are to be married before
q great while"
It's evening; i'm the cleaning Elvie
and fro she PAGES, her scarlet shawl
slipping from her shoulders and trail
ing like a serpent or flame down her
flowing black dress.
She pushes the masses of dark hair
away from her forehead. InsuppOrt-
able thoughts crowd upon her; her
head throbs with pain.
- Fool that I am! p" she thinks, to
have delu,ied myself that it was love
that looked out nj me from his dear
eyes, when il was only friendship!
Oh ~ she raises her bare arms to her
head, "how il aches. All, ii is not
safe for me to stay where ] may meet
him any day! must 80 or | shall
surely betrap myself!
Mrs. Trevor wonders much at the
earncstness of Elvie's good
night embrace: but il comes back To
her. and she understands when, the
next morning, she finds the dainty
nest empty and that the bird has
flown
4 brief note on Elvie's toilet stand
says that she is tired of being depend
ent and has gone 10 carve "A future for
herself. Ii begins bravery enough,
but the tear blotted signature your
sorrnwful Elvie shows the lady that
there il something beside the wish for
She sits down and
thinks over all that has happened the
last few days, and suddenly u light
lawns upon her. Taking her writing
she pens letter to Guy.
He comes, and they confer together.
AT last he says:
Auntie, you may be right. The
little proud darling, how well she hid
her lOve-if she does love me. Would
that had spoken and told her what
she was to me but ] feared to stake
my all until l was sure, and now,
though waiting, have lost herr"
& Nay. Guy, surely she can not he
lost. | feel that what has happened
was my fault. Let us search for her
Five years have passed. Elvie left
no clue, and though Guy and his aunt
have searched unwearingly they have
never found even a trace of her they
both love SO well. Her disappearance
is a mystery which their united efforts
have not solved, and now Guy has
given up all hope. He bears his grief
but his aunt sees how he
suffers.
One day letter comes to him from
his brother in his Southern home.
You have never seen my wife, save
m a picture" he writes. "Come and
how much the reality
exceeds the artists ideal"
Guy accepts the invitation, and his
,r,ther presents to him with pride his
AIR mignonne-faced wife.
Time passes swiftly amid varied
pleasures.
One evening they were invited to
attend an artists reception. Gny &c
his brother and his wife,
mi together they walk through the
ong rooms. Before one picture the
.rowd Is somewhat dense. Guy edges
his way i'm and gains good position.
This is what he sees A stretch Of
'ock-bound shore, against which great
waves rear their white-crested heads;