The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-10-08
A FAITHFUL LOVE.

"A FAITHFUL IUN Ia.
"Lioncss. want Won't" eyes, yes,
Bob; I'm coming -
on the terrace of q Suburban villa stood boy.
He was thirteen years Of ago perhaps, very chubby
with checks as red as apples, q square figure, aud
brown eyes. with proud sense OF appropriation,
he again shouted, Z" llonoss - and from French
window of the house rushed little girl some four
years younger than her playmate She was cuilousy
different IN appearance, tail for her age, very thin
brows too marked FOR beauty. An immense guam
THY Of chestnut hair had gained for her the name
which Bob alone called her-ot ', i1ness. W HOW
| happy she felt when he tod her that some day she
would he his little wife, aud how honorch when he
ordered her To fetch aud carry for him. To bait his
lnc 10 field his balls Sho ran now across the lawn
to him. expecting the hearty embrace with which he
| always met her. Eut something was wrong this
morning. FOR Roh's usually contented face looked I'M
commonly sulky.
:" say, the mater has written to auntie, aud T. IN
| to go home.h
''Oh with n gasp. "Whon?''
"ro-morrow, FIRST thing, Isn't It boreg''
ANA forced back the rising tears aud swallowed the
lump In her throat, for Bob hated Ia SEQ her cry.
"Wei, ~ said Rob, anyhow, let's go oft aud fish,
So oil the children started down the hot dusty road
across field to the little brook. ''Lioness' car
ried tho rod aud the worms, and walked at tho pace
which suited Master Bob, aud was perfectly happy
to do 1t for HIM Her heut was very sore abont the
the morrow; nut, brave llttiS soul, she
put the thought away from har as she listened To all
| the nno, grand, and splendid things that Bob would
| do when he WAS man and soldier, AS all my
people are. "
soon the two children sitting by the side of
tho brook Bob held the rod TO fish was his part OF
tho work. To halt tho hook and to take of tho fish
HLioness'sn No talking WAS allowed for 1t dis
turhed the lsh; and 50 an hour or twowent by Per-
feet silence rognod, broken only by an exclamation
Of Joy when fish was landed. or one Of lmpatsnco
on the part OF Rob whom lioneSS' did not do her
work fast enough. At last, when some six or eight
shining little fish fastened together by string
cunnlngly inserted through their shy Ltoness,
she said:
back, SO must not be late, or aunt VIII he cross
think I'd better go. What time Is 1t. pleaseY''
Bob looked ~ his watch ami reported.
'lt's about time went In, too; so come along
And, having wound up his rod the two children
started to walk home, Bob carrying the results of his
sport with which to astonish any passer-hy they
might chance to meet. and 'Lioness' bearing the
rod and tackle.
As they crossed the fold Bob remarked:
son, | can't come this afternoon Auntie said
was to 90 with her and see some old wretch SO It's
gOod-by now
~ wonder II we shall each other again ?''
said a. I.ioncss, - somewhat sentimentally.
''Oh, dare say we shall ~
| al don't know. You have never been here be-
fore. You spent your holidays with your aunt
| TIL this summer. Then papa IL coming back soon,
and shall 20 home; and you have never been there
| In all vonr liIe-and l don't see how you ever
| should.n
''well, when I'm grown up IN come and ind
you; and, remember, you have promised never to
| marry any one but me, and promise '-magnani-
mousiy-'' that, If don't any else Ike bet
| ter, marry You when | an thirty
''But shall he quite od-twehty-siX by mat
| time"
"well, II am thirty you won't 10 too old for for
me; and II do marry any else before that, III
| tell you what, In let you know
| By this time the children had walked down the
| road. Pausng before a slile, Bob said;
| "ThiS IL my nearest way over the heiS; so good
| bye;n and kissing his companion, tho boy jumped
over the stIle and ran home whslling.
And the girl? She stood, her two hands claspcd
together, until his whistling had died away In the
distance when. climbing the stie, she fang herself
upon tho grass under the hedge, and, burying her
| face In ihe hair sIe admired and which once, when
| 1t had caught fire from bending over the candle he
had put out with his hands, sobbed as IL her heart
would break.
Some three miles from busting town, of world
i wide fame rs q great market from which English
goods are sent 10 every land stood II large country
house. II was called Oaktiel, and was the home of
| Alice Markham, Bol''s Iioness.' Here she lived
| with her father, many miles away from the small
country town where years before she bad spent her
happy summer holidays.
| 1t was a warm, bright summer afternoon, and
Alice gathering n0segay to give her white dress
some little color, IN honor of lawn-tennis party to
| which she aud her father were going. II would not
have been easy To trace any likeness between this tall
and lovely girl and the wild overgrown child of some
ten summers earlier.
gathered low against the white neck, In what tile 80
cicty papers OF the time called liebe knot, The
| brown eyes and marked eyebrows, which had been
too largo for u child eight years old, lent great
charm to the bright complexion Of a maiden OF
| eighteen. .
her outward appearance changed. there were
other changes 10 benoted also
| Who would dare ''fag - that stately IN alden
Who could Imagine those well shaped white
hands handling worms and ilshp Noi they
| might gather roses hut would scarcely bait line.
There lad been times when she had blushod at the
membrance OF her childish pr0misei hut her HE had
been somewhat mOnotonous ono. That ono sum
stu stood ont In brilliant cOlors among hor many
| quiet holidays. No; she might smile at III,
memory of her PROMISE but she had neither forgotten
| that nor her hoy lover, Bob smith; and, while nh,
| told herself that 1t very silly, she knew that s'
would like to sec again the hero Of that summer a
| Murnclds.
| Alice had hardly arranged hor nosegay Of roses
and was choosing little hui for her father, whol
his voice from the drawing room window told ho
| that II was time to be going; and n few minutes
later size seated In low pony carriage, driving
pair of light chesinus, while her father, handsome
| old man, sat by her side.
| ''My dear, mot Mr. Foster In town to-day, ant
lie wishes 10 Introduce ms To two young officers quar-
tered at the East Fort. lie has asked them over to-
| day, and he and Ills wife mud them very pleasant
| y0ung fellows. Iint of course Mr., and Mrs FOstG
have not many amnsements 10 offer young men -
| Gwen wa might ask them to come out on satur
day and play tennis. Ask some girl to made th'
| fourth. -
- Yes, papa III ask Oracle Foster, ~ and Alice
wondered what the young officers would be Ike.
Alice drew up at her destination; and while thel
crossed the garden to meet Mrs. Foster she scanned
the crowd of gIlsand young men who where gathere'
| round their hostess From them her eyes WANDERED
TO the few who watched tho three energetic games
tennis Thai were being played; hut she did not max
ont clearly In her mind which wero the two youn.
| officers, Then her attention was engrossed by manl
friends, To whom she gave gracious bow or friendly
nod, according To theI sex hr 10 her degree oi INT
| macy with them,
| AZ last she was again AT liberty to watch tho as
| sembed guests and sho found her attention caugh
by of the lawn tennis players. neat serve wllc
his opponent failed to take attracted her, and slu
| looked al The server.
HWh0 IA That very handsome young man, GracleY
size asked OF girl standing by her.
| This young lady, who was two years younger thal
Alice, dey0utly believed that her friend was tie mos
beautiful the cIeyerest, and the nohlest woman VIII
had ever trodden tho earth.
~ u ask my aunt, " hio replied and hastonlh
To Mrs, Foster had asked tle question aud was bach
with tho answer before she could 10 prevented,
''lIo Is a MIR. smytIu, quaIteIod At the East Fort
and that other playing with him Is Mr. smith, anolhe
Of them, -
she turned her attention from the handsome tennis
player 10 his brother onlCer.
1hls latter was well-lnade though rather heay
man.
liam sure nop,s hair was not so red as that g
Y ! said Alice a. herself
This was rather hard nn Nj. smith, as his hair Wa
not really rod, only inollning Ia that hue His com
plcNiUn was perhaps too ruddy Ur beauty, though h
whole face was expressive OF one nature
"Wen, ~ sOlIloquzod Alice, "smith Is rather
! common name, so why should IL ba BObg Certalnl
this man s lust as unlike Bob as am unlike now villa
l was them but dare say II Is not he.
. win this idea Alice cOntentod herself aud turne
y TO look at Mr. Smiths partner.
What she could sec of his face pleased heT--laTg
brown eyes, well-Cut nose, firm mouth and chin. A
q this Alice saw and noted at glance. In a few mIu
ulth more klit kdHt hl lHhhh NAb blukGn UP Mis
i Foster, advancing, Introduced the two Young
Miss Markham, and, with her niece. Oracle, 10 max
. | tho fourth, sent them OH 10 play.
II fell % Alice lot Ia be the partner of Mr. Smy Inc
!, and merry game they had. Aiter II was over III
four sat and watched their successors the ground
= chatting ueTIly. Oracle did not speak much aud N
| two young men devoted themselves mainly Co III
entertainment OF her iIeud. Very lovely Alice locke
she talked and laughed with her new acquaintance
% Before the party broke up Mr. Markham invite
Mr., hmythe aud Mr.. smith TO come 20 his house q
the following Saturday Ton awn-ten and persuade
Graeie's auut to allow her 10 make up the fourth.
As Miss Markham drove her father home she ",
very silent Just as they We're leaving the BrOwI
70 sl0 heard MIR. Smythe address Mt Smith as Bob;
Il aud somehow she was very sorry. OF course, the