The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-06-14

"You talk like Q scoundrel I" I said
holly. Il like yss too yell to lister
to you any longsr, % goodbye. Being
engaged 10 the lady. and assured o.
her love. goa gill, / an certain. tax,
The only oourss oPsn to N honorabl.
man. and marry her. Goodbye. unit
you send me IN invitation 70 the we'd
ding" AID a ! vent isdieaanlly.
The invitation to Jacks wedding
came, some three months later. Ii
Was Q grand affair. The world laugh
ed at, battered. deepised, and envied
bin. The bride was Janet Fergus, &
rich old maid. Wa not there.
tried to gain some tidisgs Of Ross
Lestrasgs. Mrs. Eilsrby could only
tell me that she and her mother had
disappeared. 81 think she had some
great grief, OF late" che said. THAT
she wanted to hide and conquer. and
40 sine has gone away. Poor Rose
Some love trouble, perhaps. Alb,
we'll. she will get over il. Too many
men will cue 1t my beauty;s shrine.
some day, for her 70 break her true
heart over one Of theml"
A. If the whole world of men could
compensate for tho loss Of the one BE-
loved !! l knew instinctively that there
would be no forgetfnloess for Ross
Lestrsnge.
Fur ten years I never heard Of her.
nor met my former friend. He had
prospered exeeeiiugly-I knew that ;
tho former Literary hack" was nov
the editor of . successful magazine
which his wiie's money had founded.
One day he came suddenly behind
me in the street and touched my
shoulder.
Bert" said he. .'Shake hands. old
man. for old times sake. though l
was . scouudrel!"
/ shook hands with him. A great
change in him % touched me that all
my old regard revived-he looked
worn and OId-his voice had . sad
tone-an air of Undesirable weari-
ness and regret WAS on him.
IL spoke hastily" l said. 81 was
young and warm-hearted. You had
a right. suppose. to choose your own
pa;h in life. and il has been . sue
cessful one"
"Over thorns!" he said quietly.
81 Mas what you called me Bert, out
OF your honest heart-a scoundrel !
More. l Was . fool-for l took the
husk and threw away the kernel. If
l could only have know that really
loved her. and compreheDded all that
real love means! ! knew too late.
l am punished. All I" with q singular
pathos in his quiet tones-''God
knows / am punished !"
Our old friendship was renewed
and grew closer than before; ] think
the fact that I had taken Roses part
against himself endeared me to him.
l knew. as no other could. what the
bondage was into which be had snld
saw how little worldly
prosperity could make amends for .
home, wherein . violent,
Jealous temper kept perpetual storms
, brewing, and for m utter ahsencs-in
the closest relations Of life-of oil
tender sympathy and love.
The bondage Was not 70 last very
long. h0wevsr-six months after our
Mrs. Norris died, and poor
jack grave. quiet, gray-haired
free. By . strange
Gt WAS nothing else) Mile.
Rosita, the famous prima donns-oncs
known a. Rose Lestranee-came
shortly afterward. in the pursuit of
her professional duties, to New York.
Il Was from Jack that l heard the
news. He came into my Office one
and laid . paper-contain-
ing the announcement Of her ap-
pearance-before me; tho ordinarily
nave. quiet man Vas excited, tremu-
GUS and pale.
1T il herself?" he said. IL have
her career for ysars past
though l never told even you). and
{ is she! Oh, Bert-if, after all.
he should have loved me we'll
,nough to forgive the past; if .after
II these miserable years . possibility
Il happiness remains to me! DO such
hings ever happen in real life? Let
u 60 and zee her this evening; che
sill hear no ill-will toward you, at
east"
She bore no ill.will toward either |
# Us. Hers Was the gentle womanly |
,ature, to which the bitterness Of sor- |
ow IL q wholesome tonic draught-l
trengthsning and purifying. but |
'ever souring the heart. We were
eceived, at the close of the opera, in
er dressing-room.
watched her when her grave.
eyes first fell 90 her recreant
,ver's face. I saw how quick they
'ere to note the change in him, and
ow it moved her soul to pity and
,rgiveness. There was something 10
er look--in her voice when she ad-
ressed- HMM her very manner Of
living him her hand-that assured
Re he Was wholly forgiven.
We talked of this and that avoid.
x topics nearest to the heart. She
a. far moro beautiful and sweet
II more worth winning to-day. l
rough. than the lovely, blooming /
ri Of nineteen had been ten years
20; l found myself wondering At the &
range kindness Fate had shown TO ]
y friend. who. having met With this I
.arl in the ocean Of Life, and reck. +,
SLY cast it away, Vas going to have ]
restored to his keeping once more. !
For that will be the end of It, Of
urse." decided, mentally. "She
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