The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-11-02

Salu anything? he Seemeu 10 ISluemOcE
that she got up quickly and left the
room.
How should he ever tell herr And
what use to tell. when Dwight " -.s gone,
gone for years as likely as nots Oh,
what had his carelessness done?
II suppose he went because ne
thought she would have nothing to say
to him." be said to himself, miserably.
The sound of the dinner-bell inter-
rupted his unpleasant meditations, and
he went down feeling as if he ought to
be hanged. .....
Rosamond was in her usual place,
neat, graceful, smiling even; but study
| ing her face with awakened attention.
Ashley thought shat he detected effort
in the smiles and the cheerfulness. The
sweet face was little thinner; the wild
rose bloom, which was its characterize
ic, had paled to fainter pink. and Asst
ley heard his mother ask, Headache
again, my childr' And caught the pa
tient answer, Just little"
With increased remorse he execrated
his carelessness. What ought he to do?
What could he do?
Long and deeply did he study over
the question. At last he took half
manly. half-cowardly resolution. Con-
fess his delinquency to his sister he alb
solutely dared not, but that night he
wrote to Dwight Edgar, made full ex-
position of his fault, and enclosed the
family blotted scrap which said so little
and meant SO much.
This done, he set himself to wait for
the moment when he could produce ev-
idence that, so far as in him lay, he had
made amends for his misdoing, and till
then he resolved to be silent.
Ashley was right in his guess. Dwight
Edgar had gone to Europe a deeply dis
appointed man. In the letter, to which
Rosamond's was answer, he had writ
ten, ''Don't say no. / could not bear
that, nor could give your gentleness
the pain of uttering the word, I will
wait two weeks, and if at their end you
have said nothing, I shall 60 abroad.
and travel till can bear to come home
again" E.s ii -a.. e-t .sit--a.
Not a wise arrangement this, eonsid-
ering what chances and changes, in
cluding poSt-office laxities, are involved
in this mortal life; but lovers are not al
ways wise.
The two weeks passed without word
or token, each slow. day deepening shis
hopelessness, and at their end he sailed.
His final arrangements were MADE in
hurry, and he had been glad to sccept
q friends benevolent offer of half a
stateroom on the over crowded steamer.
1t was benevolence very poorly reward
ed, for John Blagden found him very
dull company.
For the first few hours he made some
little effort at conversation, then he
dropped all pretences and sat in moody
silence, staring at the dim backward
horizon from which each stroke of the
paddles carried them farther and farth-
er.
1t was no better after they reached
London. The two men took set of
rooms together at She Langham, but to
all plans for pleasuring Dwight turned
a deaf ear.
go by yourself, that's a good fel-
low," he said. II won't bore you with
my dulness. I'll just sit here till post
time and read the American newspa-
pers."
''And that is what l left him at" ex-
planned John Blagden to mutual ac-
quaintance encountered in the coffee
room. ''Poring over an old Herald,
twelve days out,-what an occupation
for man to take up in Londonp'
''Poor Dwight, l never saw fellow
SO changed in, my life. He's all cut up
about something, and l wish 1 knew
what, for really, have no notion what
ought to do about him. Nothing l
can say makes any difference"
And nothing did make any difference
till, week after this conversation, Mr..
Blagden returned from an excursion to
| Hampton Court, to find his friend busily
engaged in cramming his belongings in
to portmanteau, with a light in his
| eyes and a color in his cheeks which
| made him seem different man.
.'Halloa! I'm glad you've come, old
fellow, I'm off at once,''
"Oh? Where to?''
''Home, Liverpool train at o'clock
and catch the Bohemia.''
''Home! The States! Why, what
does it mean? You were going to Paris
with me on Tuesday, you said"
s'Well-so 1 did intend, but I've had
letters and must get back as soon as
possible"
Nothing WI, ng, hope"
"Not at all; quite the contrary. Every
thing is right
Marvelling greatly, John Blagden
turned to the table, where amid news
papers and torn wrappers, and other
debris of just arrived mail, lay sheet
of closely written paper with little
heap omit of something odd and blotted.
"What's thatP" he asked, with natur-
al curiosity. STOPPING to examine it,
Dwight Edgar snatched it. "It' s.
it's nothing, he explained, ''only a let
ter I've had" Then breaking into a
laugh at his friends discounted coun-
tenance, the first real laugh which John
had heard him give since they left
America, he added
Never mind. old boy, I'll explain
som1 day. It's all right, at least hope
it is, and l know I've been a dull un-
social dog all this time. You've been
awful good to put up with me. and II
try to make amends next time we
meet
Meanwhile the days were passing
heavily enough in far away America,
where Rosamond bore her secret pain.
She had kept the knowledge of her
plighted faith as choice secret, not to
be revealed until Dwight should come.
When he failed to come, pride kept her
silent still.
The news of his departure struck in
her heart like blow. What does il
mean? 81 will not be base, or little, OF
suspicious" she told herself; ''there is
some blunder. He will come back, he
will explain
But weeks of suspense and uncertain
ty passed. She could school her word:
and her manner, but not her face. anc
that fair face began to look piteous anc
wan.
Ashley, watching her with compunc
tious anxiety, felt an ever-deepenine
heart-ache. Three weeks had passed
since his letter of explanation was post
cd. Any hour might bring response
and he haunted the postoffice with ,
pertinacity inexplicable to his father.
Il can't stand it much longer" HI
told himself. "If that fellow isn't hear(
from by tomorrow night, shall MAKE
clean breast of it to Rosy, and confes
the whole thing
And the next evening, ''that fellow
still not being heard from, he did Git
Rosamond, spirit-fair and fragile in he
| o;t bo to,