The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-11-02

night. watched the looks and signs
that passed between them, and l speaE
solemn truth when / say that believe
he has won that poor girls affections
and that in sober earnest he cares FOL
her. And now that I have said my say
and brought cloud over the face
have always connected with Heavens
sunshine I will go my way, only asking
that as time softens your anger, you
will try to think little kindly of me.
Here is your landing-glace. i"
And he pulls the boat into the tiny
creek. and resting on his oars waits for
her to spring ashore and give him his
final gesture Of dismissal. But Nina
does not move. Her head is bent down
and so overshadowed by her hat that he
can not read the expression of her
family flushed face.
1t seems ages to him before the silence
is broken. At last: ''Did you always
think me dreadful flirt?"
He is startled and taken unawares by
the appealing tone. Fain would he an
swer a reassuring negative, but memo
ries of the old days again rise before his
mind..visions of the sweet little play
mate grown suddenly into an exacting,
vain piece OF womanhood-of poor
Jacks alternate rapture and despair in
the days of his brief, ill-considered
courtship-and truth, the guiding star
of Leslie Grahame's nature, cOmpels
him to answer:
81 don think you could help it
some women are formed to be the tor.
ment of everySman who comes near
them-it was POUR nature to be sweet
ard lovable. vs.
"And now l am grown older and
harder-and care only for admiration,
so that l could stoop to pick up heart
that belongs of right to another wo-
man. Oh, Leslie! You thought thisr'
by Heaven, ! did you injustice. u
cries the Colonel in burst of self.
reproach. "I've been insulting you all
this time and you have borne it like an
angel-just as you used in the old days,
when l was big unmannerly boy, and
tyranized over you like the ruifian ]
was"
land l liked you through it all. p"
This is spoken very softly.
nina. Nina, do not drive me mad.
You can do it-sou always could-Iwent
away years ago because knew you cared
for Jack"
"You did?"
"Was | not right? You would never
Scotchman. fifteen years your senior, in
preference to that bright, sunny-hearted
lad? And now, don't think, dear, that
| have come back to harass YOU. ]
would not have seen you to-day, but
that could not bear to leave you I'M
warned of the gossip afioat. But now
that you know your woman's wit and
your own brave little heart will prove
your best defense. Good-by, Nina. Say
once that you forgive meas you used
long ago."
.sLeslier'
1t is well that the dropping branches
of weeping-willow have made little
secluded bower of the landing-place:
well, too, that the gardener, coming
down to moor the boat, does not arrive
a minute sooner, or his astonished eyes
might have seen what Queenie after
ward mysteriously reports: my NAM
mic crying and Colonel Grahame COM
fort:ng her, as mammie does me when
l tumble down, holding her head on his
shoulder and stroking her hair"
For Leslie Grahame's long-repressed
tale of love has been spoken at last and
the little playfellow Of early days-the
prize which he gave up in bitter self
denial to his boy friend-has whispered
to him the "Yes" which, had he been
more far-sighted, might have been
spoken long ago and have spared
him years of self-inflicted exile.-LOn.
don Aryosy.