Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-10-04

the Dllssful hours in the cool evenings
when the perfume of tuberoses and las
mine filed the air when the soft. calm
moonlight glorified every lovely ant
every common thingl 1t was like {
dream of those days when the old rustic
gods rcigned, and to live was 10 love
and to love was to be happy
With the fall, however, came letter,
from Scotland, and Allan could no long
or delay Mr. Rae would hear of no en-
gagement for two years, by which time
he said he hoped to be able to give Ma
bel such fortune rs would make hel
acceptable in the eyes of Allan's father.
But for the present he absolutely de
clined to look upon the young peopla a's
attachment as binding on either side.
IN less than two years l VIII be her,
again, Mabel darling" were Allan's last
whispered words, as he held her in his
arms, and kissed again and again the
girl dearer than all the world 20 him.
And Mabel smiled through her tears,
and held the last tuherosc Of the sum-
mer to his lips for a parting pledge.
But the two years brought many
changes. The war cloud gathered. and
long before Allan could redeem his
promise the little inland plantation was
desolate and deserted; Mabel was an
orphan and cruelty embarrassed in
money affairs; claimants without mum
Der appeared against the Rae estate,
and creditors forced the plantation into
the market at the most unfavorable
tine. She was driven from her home
i'll strict accordance with the lct'pr of
the law, but she felt and knew. though
powerless to prevent it, that shc had
been wronged
For the first time in all her life
Mabel thought for herself, and dared to
look the future in the face. She had
promised her father never to write to
Allan without his perm ssion, bnt she
considered that death annuls all CON
tracts, and surely now, if ever, it was
Allan's duty to befriend and care for
her. So she sent him word, in few
shy, timid sentences, of her sorrow and
loneliness. But it was doubtful if ever
the letter would reach him; mails in
tho@e days were not certainties; and,
even if it did reach Allan, there was no
certainty that he could reach Mabel.
And, in the meantime, she must work;
and, though she could command no
position higher than that of nursery
govcrness, yet she found in it higher
life than ever the dreamy, luxurious
seltshness of her fathers home had
given her.
Her employers were of the ordinary
ella S. can weave no romance out of
them. They felt no special intcrcs. in
Mabel, neither did they ill-use her. She
was useful and unobtrusive, and asked
for neither sympathy nor attention. No
,etter came from Allan, though she
waited and hoped with failing heart and
Ealing cheeks for more than year.
She had not the courage to write again,
and her anxiety and distress began to
tell very perceptibly on a naturally frail
constitution. Then physician advised
her to try at once a more invigorating
climate, and she not unwilliugly agreed
To Accompany the invalid wife of an
plIicer returning to her home in New
YJfk.
This was the dawn of a brighter day
for Mabel; by the advice of friends she
established herself in fashionable To-
ca.itv. and commenced teaching music.
] think few women could have been
more successful; so in the second winter
of Mabel's residence in New York it be-
came "the thing" to invite Miss Rae to
preside over select social and musical ell
ter.ainments. / have friend who met
her during that season frequently, and
who describes her tact and influence as
something extraordinary and magnetic.
Tier rare beauty was undiminished,
tho.g!l more thoughtful: Ler dress was
uniformly the same-a pale p nix lus'er-
less silk, with tuberoses in her hair aud
a. her breast, for her passion for these
flowers was stronger than ever.
She had many lovers. but she ignored
~ aise decidedly refused al. Her
heart was still with the tall, fair mount
aineer who had won it amid the warmth
and perfume of tropic moons and moon
lit nights; and. though twice two years
had passed, she refused to believe him
false.
And she was right; Allan deserved
her fullest faith. Her letters had never
reached him, and yet he had with in
credible difficulty made his way to New
Orleans, only to find the plantation in
the hands of strangers, and Mabel gone.
After long and dispiriting search he
left Mabel's discovery in the hands of
ell-paid agents, and returned to Scot
land almost broken hearted.
But he still loved her passionately,
and often on stormy nights when the
winds tossed the tall pines like straws,
and mountain SHOWS beat ut the barred
doors and windows, he thought Of the
4 -. .....o anI anlonn ailoncna in