Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-07-20

You re capital Yankee. Yes, by Mr..
Sterling, of course"
"Helen," he cried under his breath
Helen, are you going to marry Mr..
Sterling?n
IL believe l am" she said, drop
ping her eyes.
Theodore never knew exactly how he
found his way out of the house; he was
vaguely aware of rushing against a
stout gentleman in fur-trimmed ul-
ster, Us he shot into the street; of
stately carriage and pair standing at
the door, and dark-browed lady lean
ing out to look after him.
The next day he resigned his posi-
tion in the post-otfice, drew his saw
ings from the bank and left Washing
ton. 1t were WE'LL perhaps, if he could
put deserts and seas and mountain
ranges between Helen and himself. 1t
seemed to him that the earth had reel
ed from its orbit, and it required time
for him to readjust himself to the situa-
ton. His idea was all that was left to
him; he put into it all his earnings; he
devoted his heart and soul to its devel-
opment, and he finally forgot himself
and Helen Hildreth in his work and its
success.
1t was seven or eight years later that
they met oddly enough, on the Mount
Vernon boat. Her vivacity was no
longer the spontaneous efrervesence Of
youth and hope; she was trille passee,
perhaps.
"Wealth and splendor have not PROV
ed all her fancy painted thcm,' he
thought, as their eyes met. "Mr.
Van Week. she cried "who would
have dreamed of meeting you here"
Was the pleasure which frightened
her eyes and deepened her somewhat
exaggerated dimples a Renaissance of
her power, or was Mrs. Sterling mar
ried ilirt, he wondered. I'VE have
heard of you so often, to be sure" she
purrcd. "The newspapers have not
been silent concerning you and your
great invention. I've always felt an
ownership in that invention, do you
know? / felt as if were behind the
scenes, let into the secret before the
rest of the outside world, when it was
only a dream. I've resented every in
fringemcnt---'
II am ilattered that you remember
my small affairs" said Theodore, hum
bly,.
Remember She repeated, with a
lingering accent, 81 have nothing else
to do
81 come down here sometimes" she
pursued, after brief pause, "when
we have q holiday, for the sake of auld
lang syne and try to believe I'm seven
years younger and the world before
me to chose. like to come when the
pcach-trecs are in bloom, as they were
that day when we built our castles in
the air. Mine have crumbled into
dust"
"NIrs. Sterling, I am sorry to hear
you speak so.
She stared at him an instant, blush
ed and dropped her eyes in the old eff
fective way. Haven't you heard"
she said, 81 didn't marry Mr.. Sterl-
ing"
Perhaps she expected Theodore to
beam with sudden happiness and re-
hearse the old story she had refused to
hear once before.
"You left no address, you know"
defending herself from the reproaches
she anticipated. "Mr. Sterling died
before the wedding day was set.
thought you would see it in the news
papers. | am a treasury girl yet,
Theodore. Do you know that some
times wish that | had never seen Mr..
Sterling?"
Only the fates know what Van Week
would have answered, but just at that
moment bit of crepe lisse iloated into
their ncighborhood, and voice ike n
summer brook, cried, "Oh, my veil,
Theodore' Theodore put out a hand,
but it eluded him; Helen made quick
movement and caught it on the wing.
"Let me introduce you to Mrs. Van
Week, Miss Hildrcth,n he said. She
would like to thank you.n
~