The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-09-14
FOUND AT LAST.

1
de Veau. when she chad made her selec-
Ition from pile of Easter-cards on the
counter. Don't you think it is pretty,
/ Aunt Julia?"
Mrs. Horton put on her glasses and
| examined the card with critics eve.
Every pretty" was her answer, to
which she added, after moment s
| pause. land very suggestive!''
Miss Gertrude made slight pretence
| at blushing. II
'.You do not think it is too broadly
suggestivep" she asked somewhat anx-
| iously, for she meant to send the card to
Warren Clyde.
Not at all!'' Mrs. Horton answered.
at will be just the thing. / declare, il
this young sailor don't look for all the
world like the lieutenantr'
Doesn't hep saw that the moment
/ looked at the card. Youcan't see the
girls face very well, but
There's where the suggestion lies"
said Mrs. Horton with significant
smile. THAT is happy thought, my
dear; L hope you won't let him slip
through your fingers, for he is decidedly
the best catch of the season."
Il should say SOP Miss Gertrude an
swered warmly, He is rich as can be,
anu NICE III 0N0TN Quiet
bean ideal, in fact
You must manage it, my dear"
said Mrs. Horton with emphasis.
Il don't think we are far from hap
ply deaaoaense,at," Miss Gertrude observ-
ed laughingly. 81 have an eye to the
main chance, Aunt Julia"
81 am glad you are so sensible" was
Mrs. Horizons reply, as they left the
store together. There are so few girls
who appreciate the importance of such
considerations"
The conversation ended here, for as
the ladies stepped out on the sidewalk,
one of Miss Gertrude's admirers met
them, and they joined the crowd of
promenaders.
The following Saturday--it was the
Saturday before Easter-Warren Clyde
was seated in his library before an open
fire, indulging in misty train of re
prospective thought.
A servant had just brought him the
mail, and among his letters he had
found an illuminated Easter-card, seal
ed in a cream-laid envelopes; and adj
dressed in Miss de Veau' S graceful hand
writing.
= just like hertz Warren murmured.
as he proceeded to open the envelope in
leisurely fashion with an ivory paper
knife. She always does the conven-
tional thing-does Miss Gertrude"
1t was little singular to hear him
speak in that way, iaasmuch as he had
all but made up his mind to ask Misa
de Veau to marry him. But then War
rem Clyde was different from most men
of his age, and the romance of his life
had died years ago.
The ghost of it came back to him
though, as he drew this Easter-card
from its cover. For a moment his cheek
glowed like a girls; q deep flush mount
ed to his close-cropped yellow hair, and
then left him pale as death.
His eyes wandered from the beautiful
card before him to the bed of glowing
Goals upon the hearth, out of which
sweet visions of the past seemed to be-
gently rising.
Once more he was simple sailor,
who knew and loved the fairest girl in
Hallicote Vincy. They had been
playmates together, but had been
separated during all the years that
Warren had spent at the naval academy.
After his graduation they had mea
again, and Warren found his childish
love for Sybil fast changing into deep
er and stronger passion. But she was
the daughter of great shipowner, rich
and famous, while he was q humble fell
low, poor and prospectless
1t had been one of his whims, more
over, to set aside the commission con-
ferred upon him by the Academy, and
to enlist with a body of marines, from
whose ranks he determined to rise by
his own exertions.
After he had met Sybil Vincy he
wished that he had not been so rash, for,
as a naval officer, he might have made |
some pretensions to her favor. But it |
was too late to repent the step he had |
taken. and he must wait for advance |
ment to press his suit.
Meanwhile, the high sense of honor |
which had always been a trait of his. |
had sealed his lips. He felt that Sybil |
loved him, but he would not bind her |
by the slightest promise-or even by the |
slender ties of a confession to one whose |
future was SO obscured by uncertainty. |
So he never even told her of what was |
m his heart, though she must have seen |
1t a hundred times shining through his |
face.
They had parted with friendly words |
nothing more; but hope was strong |
in Warren's heart, and he bore himself |
like 8, hero.
During the rebellion his gallant SER /
vice would in the end have secured him |
an admiralty, but he had hardly receiv-
ed his commission as Lieutenant ere he |
lost his arm in an engagement, and waR
obliged to retire.
Happily for the disabled young of
fcer, at this critical juncture, q distant
relative bequeathed to him the whole of |
a large fortune, and Warren found un-