The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-02-16

"NOr heard OF her." His voice was
Low, and there Was . dreamy look in
his eyes; he was gazing ct Miss Cuth-
bert and speaking to her. bu. it was
Lucy he saw. "She belonged to a
somewhat droll family; they suddenly
left the place in which they lived when
1 knew them, and I have never OBJ
tanned any clew to their whereabouts !"
II suppose you were not SO deeply
interested as to make particular in
quiries about the fate of my double?-
1 warned you that was curious"
"Oh. he knew the lady only for
very short time" broke in Mr.. Cal
thorpe senior He thought the CONVEX
sation was trenching on dangerous
ground. and was eager to interrupt it.
"And he has been too busy to think
much about the friends he refers to.
You see, Miss Cuthbe t. when we are
out in the world we frequently meet
people whom we should like to retain
as friends. lose sight of them. and for
get all about them until some slight in
cident or triiing resemblance reminds
US that such people have existed 1t is
a very common experience"
"Of course. people must learn to for
GET said Miss Cuthbert, gayly, adding,
with mock horror. what dreadful
state of mind we should be in if we re-
membered everybodyT'
At this there was one of those laughs
which serve to fill up gap in CONVEX
sation, if nothing else. Then MIR. Cal
thorpe, believing that he had effectual-
" diverted Miss Cuthbert's thoughts
from the subject of Maurice's lost
friend, whose memory had so inoppor-
tunelv obtruded itself, resolved to take
holder step than he had meditated do
ing at this first interview. He suggest
! ed to the Colonel that they should leave
the young people to entertain each 9th
err while they settled some business
matters.
"You are fond of books, under
stand" said Maurice, when they were
left alone
II cannot pretend to be much of
reader,n was the answer, with an air of
Indifference. ITO tell the truth. | like
those books best which send me to sleep
soonest"
Have you no favorite authors?"
IL cannot say that / have. l like a
novel sometimes, but l cannot bear
poetry or history, or any of those
learned things that ladies are making
such fuss about Just now. except in
the way have told YOU"
Maurice was for a moment doubtful
whether or not she was serious, and she
laughed at his surprise as she went on:
~ am afraid you will think / have
very bad taste, MIR. Calthorpe; but you
know we cannot all be bookworms. l
like an active life-parties. dances,
theaters and any place where / can
meet amusing people. And since am
making my confession. let me shock you
still further-yOung as l am, L have
learned to like a good dinner"
"You are surely laughing at me, Miss
Cuthbert," said Maurice, more and
more pe-plexed that one so like Lucy
in person should be so unlike her in
mind.
why should YOU think 500 From
your fathers letters know your tastes,
and might easily have won your good
opinion by pretending to care for things
which are Indifferent to me. But as my
father has talked so much about YOU
and Mr.. Calthorpe that know we shall
meet frequently, l prefer to let you
know at once what very ordinary per-
son am
Maurice found the position extremely
awkward; under ordinary circumstances
he could easily have turned the CONVEX
sation with one of the stock compli-
ments which are at everybody's COM
mand. But he could not do this with
her; for. be she as frivolous as she repre-
sented herself, and as Indifferent to all
intellectual pleasures rs she pretended
to be. there was still to him the halo of
Lucy's memory surrounding her. That
alone lifted her above ordinary women.
There was evidently. too. n playful ex-
aggeration in the account she gave of
herself. which left him free to imagine
anything he pleased about her.
Before they parted that day he had
forgotten that she was an heiress.
Miss Cuthbert went to her own room.
In very deliberate way she placed her
desk on a little table in the window re-
cess. and seated herself before it. The
window overlooked the most beautiful
part of the grounds. and beyond was a
long stretch of undulatirg country, like
huge map; hedgerows. trees, and at
long intervals houses. forming the lines
and landmarks.
There was curious expression on the
girls face as she gazed vacantly over
the green meadows: it was one of sad
ness, which. although subdued. was still
poignant enough to stir the heart with
bitterness. Then there came a slight
smile of pity, suggesting that all her
suffering was yicarious. She took
pen and wrote:
MY Poor Lucy: You are not, in
| deed. forgotten, but you are remem-
bered only as one OF those whose ac-
quaintance was very pleasant while it
lasted. very nice to think about when
accidentally recalled to mind, and moth
ing more.
Il have met the man; and if he is
not already my lover, he is ready to be-
come so on the slightest encouragement
from me.
You will say that this is cruel to you.
as well as vain and presumptuous on my
part. IUish to be cruel! and l am nei-
Their vain nor presumptuous in what l
say. You have concealed nothing from
me; believe that you have laid bare
your heart to me, and that | know its
secrets as well as l know my own. l
scish to be cruel. because l irish to
teach you. if not to forget him, at least
to cease to love him. How can ] do
that better than by proving to you how
greatly you misunderstood the nature
of his thoughts about you, and By
showing YOU how foolish YOU were in
giving to him such love rs / know
yours to be?
Il own that he is good-looking, that
he interests me. and that il l ha not
Euovp your story he miobt have at