Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-25
The heart of his little friend had ,ono been

| II. The heart of his little friend had long been
10 MN an open book. ard very easy reading.
Net that Persis was by any means forward aud
1 uamadenly; but she had not yet learned the
| woinan's lesson OF concealng her emotions
Perhaps if there had been q trihe more of the
blindness OF love athwart the young mans Wis
ION 9 ne eoliia not Fave seen to read so clearly.
HE sincerely admired Persis: he Thought lie
loved her, or that he should love her if he
| dared. But then that terrible crutchl IT swung
| over his head like the sword OF Damcc!es To-
nieht ne seemed for the first time to forget it,
! she looked SO unusually beautiful she had
sucf sincere affection for him: how could he
resist the attraction?
| Persis, said he. in low. thrilling tones.
words cannot say how dear you are to Inc. May
hope" etc. etc.
A commonplace love scene. Another was
gong on under the same roof that very evening,
ana not pms choice between the two; but YOU
may may De sure it was all as fresh and glorious to
Lersls as II the world had just been created. and
siie ana Stanley were alone in it. The little
hand which lay in his was not withdrawn. nor
was tnere the fantest Sign Of indifference in the
eyes bent tinidly on the floor. 1t all ended in
.he most orthodox manner; they left the party
AS Persis passed Ep,raim on the stairway. he
ialtered out a hurried Goodnight" and she
pea,ned down upon him so gracously that he
walked nome on bed Of roses and never really
came to his senses till Mrs. Blake dropped into
tea week afterward and said her charming new
! III.
NOW Mrs. Blake was own aunt to Ephraim.
lfhink what plebian he must have been to
nave a relative who took in sewing,) She was
| quiet, sensible woman, who attended strictly
10 her own business, and had almost pricked
| away her LETT foreIinger down to the bone What
she SAID was usually the simple truth, and you
| might depend on it.
| Ephraim's heart stood still.
"Persis Talbot did you say?" asked he. nick
ing curTant out Of q bun with the coolest de-
| liberation. w
yes, to Stanley Warner; the affair is cut and
dried replied the not over elegant Aunt Blake
as indifierently. her nephew thought. as if she
1 1ad been abiding to- bushel of pipnlps Mr..
bled black ''Ichabod" on every blank hit Of
paper at hand. 1t was all the outward sirn he
ever gave Of the hidden wound. His own
mother observed no change in him except that
he fell away from his food" and stood in daily
need OF caMOmile tea.
Even Persis herself, ''walkfng on thrones. {"
never once suspected she was tramping over a
neaft me happy young creature saw i'm life
out one shadow. and that was the shadow of
her crutch. 1t might now be supposed to grow
less; but, on the contrary it rather increased
''Oh. mother" she sighed one day. ..Stanlev
says 1t is all the defect have-this lameness.
mean"
Does he? remarked Mrs Talbot dryly. and
with the set look about the lips she always wore
when Stanleys name was mentioned. s.Does
ne? Then suppose he is thankful for that one
aelect. Not being anywhere near an angel
himself, he can't wish for perfection in you
On, mamma, he knows 1 am very human.
indeed; it is only his way of talking said Per-
SIS, with one OF her quick bushes. 81 should
be glad for his sake to walk like other people.
DO you know there is a way-a terrible way-I
hardly dare to tell you"
g. terrible way to WHAT"
TO walk, gasped Persis, the color dying out
entireiy, and her white lips trembling as she
spoke. "AmputatiOn-as far as the ankle.
ihen When the time comes. a cork foot You
know mamma. cork foot walks beautifully"
"Persis Talbot! How could you conceive
such dreadful idea?
"Oh, heard of a girl once who had it. done
| have seen her-Abby Harlow You would
never detect the slightest limp. You know.
mamma. all the patent cOntrivances for the feet
90 no good. | must always swing this cruel, de-
testible crutch unless"
''Persis. when did you see Abby Harlow Who
introduced you?"
~ saw her last weeA mamma. when went
with Stanley to the Islands,
hlrs. T3l5ots lips shut together with q spring
lock. What she thought of her son-in-law elect
IL mad always been easy to guess by what she
did not say. Perss looked at her inuuirinrly
and as their eyes met cold glitter of determiil-
alton rose in both pair of orbs. Gentle Persis
mad steel in Ter composition as well as her
mother: the two natures met sometimes and
struck fire.
Il think, mamma" said the young girl. few
weeks later, Il shall go to Boston and submk
to the operation I spoke off,
Her voice was low and sweet. but there was
no wayering in it.
Not with my consent my daughter"
better of it. Papa has consented He is going
with me. and-and-Mr. Warner too
There was no help forit. Persis had set her
Iee1 IN the terrible way" and Mrs. Talbot,
with mothers heart, could do no less than
follow. The world knew nothing of the object
OF the journey. But Ephraim Zelie learned if
from his Aunt Blake, who, unless she shut her
ears could not help hearing the warm discus
siOns between mother and daughter which were
incautiously carried on in her presence. Woman
like, Mrs. Blake took sides with that .'cod-
FLOODED Warner" who hadn't any more feel
ing than billet of rock MAPLE" She went
to her nephew with the story because she knew
ne mad friendly interest in Persis.
But if you'd never set eyes on the sweet
lamb you couldn't but want to take her part"
cried she, thrusting her needle into bit of cam
ORC as sa7agely as if it had been an Imaginary
poniard, and the cloth the unfeeling breast of
MIR. Warner.
Ephraim set his teeth together and whitfield a
shihele into the shape of tomahawk 1t would
nave Deen waste of breath to tell Aunt Blake
now he longed to rush to the rescue and save
MS devoted Persis from her hardwood" adj
mirer. ~
If she was going to marry a man with a
soul as big as ninepence. l think | could bear
IT., groaned he inwardly. oh little Persis
Is there nobody to save you? My poor dear
lamD.'
Meanwhile the travelling party of four was a
cheerful one to all appearance and the two
lovers, living on smiles and moonbeams, seemed
to forget the terror that was to come
Il am doing it for Stanley" this was the girls
thought.
The time Of trial drew near Thus far Persis
had not faltered. The next day would prove
how much her stout heart could bear
Good night dearest!' said Stanley as they
parted at the foot of the staircase in the hall of
their hotel. Good night! Don't dream of cruel
steel, Dream Of me and the graceful little bride
l shall claim one of these days"
The old ready blush fiickered on Persis' cheek;
but no smile came with it. She shuddered and
drew away. Something in her lovers tone hurt
her. She had been half conscious Of the same
thing before; but tonight, as if she had wakened
to it for the first time, it gave her thrill of
pain.
81 am doing it for Stanley, )" thought she, as her
head sought the pillow.
But the magic had somehow gone out Of the
words: What If she were doing it for Stanley?
Was that going to take away the terror and the
agony? Was there length and breadth and depth
enough in his love to atone for all this? How