The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-07-10
FEAR TURNED TO JOY.
How GwendOlen Mahaffy Relieved the
Agonizing suspense of G. Wash.
SimDsOn

How Gwendolen Mahaffy Relieved the
Agonizing Suspense of G. Wash.
Simpson.
Joseph Med in the Chicago Tribune.
"Can you not answer me, Gwendolen?"
Up from the meadows of the soft breezes Of
perfect June evening were waiting the faint
perfume of the cowsp and dead horse, and
as. George w. Simpson and Gwendolen Ma
hafy stood near the gate whose decrepit ap-
pearance told with more eloquence than could
mere words of the deathless passion that en-
shaved their souls, both felt that crisis in
their lives had arrived-a moment had come
which would in the misty future that stretched
away before them, like one of William M.
Evarts' letters, be either bright beacon Of
arts letters, be either bright beacon of hope
and Joy to look back upon with gladness. or a
desolate landmark like the hghtning-riven
trees that one never beholds without a feeling
of sadness. Secure in the consciousness Of
his own merit-that sterling merit, which
always lies in strong arm, clear brain
and large feet-and yet with a modest diff
dence concerning his own worth, the young
man stood there in the cleaning with halt
that lent an added beauty to his pure young
idSC, diiu AucdS tSHuCl pC
earnest, father-is-coming-u -the-front steps
look with which he regarded the beautiful girl
who stood by his side. He had asked her to
b. his wite-to leave parents, sisters, brothers,
and all the endearing influences of a happy,
christian home where to girls are kept, and
90 out with him into the wide world as help
meet and companion. He had told in fervid
sentences of the great love he bore her--a
love that would ever be the guiding star of
| his life, he said, cheering him when the black
clouds of adversely and despair hung heavily
in the horizon of his hopes, and without
| which his whole existence would be one arid,
trackless waste on which lay the whited skele-
| tons Of Ambition and Hope-ghastly rem
nants of life whose final wreck was all the
more sad because of the happiness which
| have held had not Love flown away with mock
| ing laugh when pleaded with so pass ately
when it came to ornamental lying, with
two rows OF tlutng up the back, George took
| first money!
Gwendolen had stood in graceful pose as
he spoke. one ear thrown slightly forward
and her right foot covering the door-mat, and,
row that he had finished, was looking down
in maiden shyness, while the rosy bushes that
chased each other under her dazzling COM
plexion would have told, if anybody could
have seen them, OF the emotions that were
agitating her young soul. But no word, came
from her lips those rosy-ripe portals that
opened with such languid grace when there
was pie in the housc-aRd George began to
fear that perhaps he had talked her to sleep.
Presently, however, she drew quite close to
him, put her hand in his, and resting her cheek
upon his shoulder, she said, eyes, George,
will marry you"
''But when ?" asked the young man, hor-
rible fear that his bluff was to be called chill
ing his very blood ~,
II will marry you," repeated Gwendolen,
when bicycle rider is elected president"
Turning away to hide his emotion, George
muttered in low, piratcal tones: THANK
heaven, | am safe.''