Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-09

49, Auu NEOtc, NV manu- ITeinOlLlS
at its sacrilegious daring, just dozen
lines, without address. without sigma
ture. She would know what it meant.
And 1 sent it by the parsons boy. And
waited for her, lying on the grass be-
meath the orchard trees. in the deep
gloom just gilded by the influence Of
the unseen moon. There came the
rustling OF garments, the tipping of a
loot; my heart beat. nv eyes grew dim.
Was IT she coming up behind me, as
lay lifted on my elbow, kneeling and
putting her arms about me. raining
swift kisses ON my face?-wild. sweet
kisses in the shadow; wild, passionate
whispers in that silencei And then a
great pang smote me, and l rose and
went out with her into the less dim
darkness-and it was Rosalie. -rr.-
She never knew" said Mr.. Fer
nalde, ''she does not know to-day that
died that night. l can't say how j
lived through those moments even.
They were but moments she had stolen
away. She had to return at once. We
parted at the foot of the mOck-orange
walk, and / went to my bed and lay
there in trance of despair Perhaps
son told at the breakfast-table the news
that Alicia was betrothed to the army
officer l had seen over the beige. /
wrote a word. saying I was called away,
and was gone week or more. But
In that blank Unjust have something &c
love me-to have an interest in. Better
Rosalie than the absolute negatiOn -Oi
those days. She thought nothing OF
my absence after my return. She was
as full of romance as flower of nectar.
And. TO sum it up. If she was not tie
rose, she had lived with the rose. One
day we married. and here VIC are. A
long life, happy life, and l have
never regretted. tho day in it that
made her NV wife, After all, one
can not marry among the angels
clay must mate with clay. What do
you say? Not love her, nv child?
You never were more mistaken. Hove
her tenderly, ahsorbineiy. She is a
perfect wOman--she has been a perfect
wife. She has made me calmly and
completely happy. Ifsonce in awhile
the old hope, the old dream of passion
arises and sweeps before me in its bloom
and light, it's because it means youth
TO me--that youth which we. do not
know till we are old-is itself the ideal
1t holds up for worship. Yet perfect as
my wife Is, fifty years- of this. smooth
life with her wear something of the
commonplace, and II across their dead
level of same content sometimes CLEANS
the shining of Alicia's face, Il is not in
any disloyalty to her j often wonder
what became of the lovely creature.
Once !, could not have spoken of her.
At seldom times. when sit a'one by
the fire, she comes and sits beside me,
and CLEANS of light and shadow make a
face with her sweetness, her beauty. her
penSive amt ETHEREAL gracd. Dear grip
l suppose she sleeps in her grave by
this, but she is n shaft of the light Of
Heaven IN my memory
And Mr.. Fesnalde rose, walking to
the window, juSt rs the screen began TO
tremble, and smothercd cough, and
then an undisguiscd one, BETRAYED to
me, if not to. him. that Mrs. Fernalde
had heard the chief party of the mono
logue.
land had heard it in fragments and
sections more than once before she
afterward told me, with her pleasant
smile. IL know itmeans nothing-that
he is just rs wholly mine rs 1 am his
that our love is the imperishable sort
that we are welded into one by fifty
years together. And perhaps it was ig-
noble of me TO break the pretty bubble,
to take away his little ideal, with which
he has found comfort whenever would
have my own way too much. Yet ]
thought il was about time.'
But she said nothing of this at all as
she came bustling round the corner of
the screen that morning.
There is such a gale blowing out
side" she said, that the dust really
rises in the house fit to choke one"
lyon haven't caught cold, Rosalie?'
said her husband, turning in concern.
mot the least, but l shall If the hall
door is open another moment. There
she comes now. Make haste, and bid
Alicia goodbye, my love. She is just
going"
"Who?" he cried, suddenly opening
his eyes like lamps in their deep set
tings.
''Alicia-Mrs. Talliafero-dear. She
married again, you know. Oh, it has
been fine jest" she cried, with heI
low laugh, ito think that you should
not have recognized Alicia in all these
weeks and mOnths!'
Mr.. Fernalde was silent for a few
moments, looking ut the sweet little
lady before him, with her color like the
halt-tarnished rose,e with the soft
brilliancy of her placid smile. Then
he crossed over the hearth. before me.
and he took her hands and bent down
and kissed her mouth.
''My Rosalie," said ne, '.will you not
make my adieux to Mrs. Talliaferc
YOURSELF? Tell her-te1i her have
gone to the funeral of an old friendr,1
Harriet Prescott Spoford. IN The Conts1l
rcat.