The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-08-21
DID SHE DESERVE TIP

The month was May, and through
| my half-Open window came stealing q
soft wind, filled with summer warmth
and summer fragrance.
The trees in the garden were full of
| blossoms.
The early roses were in bloom, but of
| all this | saw nothing.
| My gaze was fixed upon two figures
slowly walking down the garden path
Il man aud Il woman.
The man was tall, and strong, and
mastertul, yet tender as mother with
ner lrst-born, gentle as a girl in all the
| little acts and cOurtesies of life.
Ihe woman was young and very
beautiful, with a figure slender and
S"aylng like reed as she walked, and
dark, lustrOuS eyes, which brought to
many man his hearts undoing.
tanced the light in them now, as
she lifted them tu Hart Sidney's face.
lie was her guardian, and he loved
her.
She was but my half-sister, five years
my senior, and SO | was not entitled to
her confidence.
She bad never told ne of her love for
Mir. Sidney.
Indeed: only little month ago had
returned from school, with my educa-
tan completed, in the fashionable sense
| OF the term, and since then | had been
very ill.
Overworked, the doctor said, but
knew better.
10 my own soul could whisper the
humiliatmg truth, could pour out the
cruel confession, with a sort of savage
pleasure at the self-inllicted torture.
1t was my heaIt, not the body, that
suffered, the heart that had for ever
passed into Hart Sidney's unconscious
keeping.
IT had meyer suspected it before, I
should have known it by the new light
i'll her eyes, the new radiance of her
beauty, as it burst upon me on the day
OF my return.
And what could be more natural than
that things should be as they we're?
DID not guardians always love their
wards, and wards their guardians?
have never read Il book which trea-
tel OF such a relationship in which
such was not the sequel of the tale.
And yet-and yet, did it make it
easier for mo to bear?
L turned my gaze away from that
other picture, and lifted myself up from
the depths Of the great chair in which I
lay, until | could catch a glimpse of my
own face i'll the mirror opposite.
What contrast!
My eyes, the only beauty possessed,
looked many a time too large for the
thin, dark face and my hair, was close
cropped to my head.
They had cut it off as | lay dclrious
with fever, and crying that its weight
hurt me.
L sank back with groan.
at that instant my sister. returning,
entered the room.
"Alinel" she cried, "Aline, child, I
am so haDpy!"
And rapidly crossing the floor she
sank down on her knees beside nv
chair.
The contrast was too great.
Never had seen her half 50 beauti-
full.
.'Don't tell me don'ti" I hastily cx.
claimed, and lifted up my hand as if
to ward off Il blow. ~ know" con-
tnued. 81 congratulate you; but don't
say any more"
You know dear?" she answered, a
look OF surprise sweeping over her
face. ''llow is that possible?"
"Dont ask me. Only, I know, l
--D
But could say 10 more.
MY weakness conquered my strength,
and burst into bitter weeping.
Poor child! Dear little Aline,n she
whispered tenderly. "Do you love me
so we'll that you hate to lose me? But
you will not really lose me, dear.
When am married--''
"llush" L interrupted. "I won't
hear any mOre.,'
And sobbing bitterly, 1 buried my
face in my hands.
OF course no heroine would have
done such IA thing, but l was no her
Oine.
l was only foolish girl who had
lived but eighteen years, and who
could only look forward to a long, long
life OF lonely misery-for l loved Hart
Sidney.
He had not meant to make me love
him knew that, but when had come
home for my Christmas holidays, Alice
had been away on visit, and so [ had
seen him every day.
We had ridden and driven, and
walked together, and, as have said,
this manner held that unconscious and
inherent tenderness towards things
weaker than himself which had charmed
my heart into recklessly pouring forth
its unheeded treasures at his feet.
My excitement in repressing all this,
and setting the seal upon my misery,
brought it's own punishment.
For a week my life was again des-
paired Of.
Then, because did not wish the
blessing, strength came slowly back.
AT last, when !, grew better, the phy-
sicians said | must have change, and