Morris tribune., 1883-06-02
voIve evervtnlng IN mystery"

! VoIve everything III mystery.
And then she fell to turning over. the
stuffs, and criticizing the fashion plates
as fashionable lady should.
A strange pang rent poor Alice SAT-
ford's heart as she stood there, arrang-
ing imported costumes on their frames
Her ewes brimmed with tears. How
could Frank ever have fancled such a
bold. SNOWY, loud-voiced votary of fash
ion as thisP.Frank, who was so fastid-
ious, SO refined, so all that man should
| be!
Suddenly she started. Her own heart
Law before her, easy to be deciphered as
| an open book. Was she i'll love with
another woman's ailianced lover? And
| the deep color glowed on her cheek,
and her lip auivered. Oh. why-why
had she not comprehended her own ma
ture before? Now it was too late!
II was a raw, snowy twilight when she
started to return home, with sad wind
wailing through the streets, and the gas
lets Pickering behind their misty glasses.
Neveribefore had Alice Stafford been
out so late unprotected, and drunken
man lust arrived at the gleeful stage OF
inebriation, who staggered down the
street, made her heart beat with horror.
She uttered little scream as she
stepped hastily aside, and walked near
ly into the arms of tall pedestrian,
wearing a seal trimmed overcoat.
"Why, Alicew he called out cheerily.
sis this really you? Alone, and at CHS
time of night?'
"Frank!" was all she could gasp.
"If you don't want to walk with me-"
he said, 81 will not inflict my presence
upon you. But | will keep little be
hind, so as to make sure that you reach
home sefely. Dusk is the worst time
for young girl to be out in the stteets
of New York without an escort"
She looked at him with eyes of mute
pleading.
"What is it, Alice?" he asked "Why
do you look so strangely at me?
Because you speak 80 coldly. Be-
cause you are so changed!" she cried
ont SO resolutely depressing her sobs.
"Oh, why don't you speak to me as you
did oncep
He drew her arm under his.
"Alice," he said, "ifI thought that
you cared for me-
az dol" she exclaimed. passionately
"You know that | do But, oh! what
am saying to you, the betrothed hus-
band of another woman"
He looked puzzled.
''This quite new to me-" said he,
"Whether marry or whether l die
sim le''my heart will ever be true to one
woman, and one only-and she Is Alice
Safford!"
"And Miss Maugenet?"
"Didn't you know? She is to marry
my cousin, Colonel Kingsdsle, who is
the generals abide camp. Miss Maug-
net, indeed! Why, she is almost old
enough to be my mother"
81 am so glad-I am so gladw was all
Alice could say through her broken sobs
Mrs. Stafford was putting some muslin.
curtains, to make them do for the Sec
ond story hall bedroom, Emmeline was
writing.out an advertisement "Boarders
Wantedw for the next mornings paper,
and Althea was preparing frugal bread
pudding TOR the economical dinner
when Alice and Frank kingsdale came
in.
Mrs. Stafford dropped her needle, AL
thea set down the pudding on the table,
and EmmeIine sat with her pen suspend
ed in mid air,
OTIS all right said Frank, shaking
bands all around. "We're enga ged.
We're to be married next week. Lest
Alice here should change her mind,
you know"
Il shall never change my mind" said
Alice, almost Indignantly. 81 have al
ways loved Frank-always! Only
didn't know it, until thought 1 had
lost him."
They were married very quietly, and
old Mrs. Wyndham Jones protested
that she had known it all along,
So the Mrs. Wyndham 10 mes of the
world never like even the appearance
of being taken unawares.