The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-06-30

hairs. The smile of jubilant youth and
and passion, but-he Wore it all the
same.
1t deepened even, as he turned with q
sudden impulse TO his writing stand. Nor
did they impress him strangely-these
words he penned:
81 have your letters, dear boy, and
Miss Ray sends her regards to you. Sine
says-she says, moreover, that you are q
selfish, laundering boy, and that the
sooner such affairs came to an end the
better. She made little remark about
Cupid which led me to fancy that she re-
ferred to him. But she promptly reas-
sured me. In this particular instance,
she said, Arthur Hanniman.' There
can be 10 mistake; she said it with her
own rosy-But, pardon me if | hurt you
boy. alphabetically,
| RICHARD THAYER.'
This remarkable epistle Arthur Han
niman--sitting, thee days later, dull,
moody, on the piazza of Western hotel
had handed out to him. His first i'm
pulse was to laugh, his second to tsticuff
the signature with an emphatic ardor
that BODIED i'll for Richard Thayer.
| To order his bill. to throw his clothes
into his valise, were naturally the next
minutes work. But the bill forced
| cooler blood. lie suddenly reflected that
| in the effort to drown his troubles he had
quite emptied his pocket book; he lacked
means wherewithal to settle and pay his
| expenses home. Hotels, railways made
no provision for young men in his ex-
tremty; there was no help for him any
| where.
Only to await the remittance for which
he had sent that morning. 1t was a mad
dening realization. but there was no
help. In the exasperating quiet of his
room lie stormed, raved and fisticutfed
away the evening: venting his despair at
last in one bias. of reproach and passion,
which travelled eastward on the morrow
to strike mingled terror and anguish to
the soul of Etha Ray.
At that hour Richard Thayes was
smiling-smling in the dreamy way SC
insulting him, as he had been doing all
these latter days. Law lived lonely this
| time, with its sometime stern expOunder.
for lie lived in maze of blue and gold
and roses, which deepened with each
| setting sun.
He was smiling one other day. But
| he mad been doing other things than
smiling. Two baskets of the raresi
roses, with his card attached, had beer
boldly dispatched to w; he was dream
what next to do, when his mail was
handed in.
A dainty envelope peeping out from
the mass of legal matter quickly set bis
staid heart to beating. She had wrIVteti
to thank him-surely written, with flei
thank him for his roses. With most a
schoolboy's glee lie unfolded the tiny
sheet:
al hate You and your roses. How
dare you send me roses? | have picked
them to pieces, | have stamped on them
over and over, one by one. Why do you
send me roses, anyway?
Dear, darling Arthur has written me
letter. Such a letter. lie says that il
he had not thought you an old fossil, he
would never have sent you here. lie
says that you want to marry me, ant
that if you do, he will shoot us both.
What does he mean, and why do yor
send me roses? ! am SO bewildered dc
1 4 III 4
Arthur and | had little fight, | know
but that is all over. l have written tt
him, and he will come back, | am sure,
and we will be so, SO happy. Only
Dear Mr.. Thayer, can't you; won I
you do something | am so afraid. be
fore he gets the letter. my dear, darling
Arthur might shoot himself"
This was what she wrote to him. The
modern girl was surely rich i'll contrast
But it was all one to Richard Thayer
lie sat one moment gazing at the daint.
letters, scarce caring for what she said
seeing only the simmer Of the gold
touched hair, and the winsome eyes o
Etha Ray. The next
Suddenly the truth forced down OF
him. He had lived in 4 dream these lat
ter days: blissful dream, Truly, bu
with only Il faint perception of the real
ity it hedged. This moment the mist
lifted; suddenly his soul flashed mp t.
him his mad love for this girl.
His face dark eled his features wOrke,
as he read again the little note. Blu
there was no despair therein, no pain
Richard Thayer was an imperious maj
by nature; what he willed, he willed
and few that could understand him.
Now nature rebeled in him as never be
fore. With scarcely more than 4 pen
stroke he forbade his ward and nephew
to come home to Etha Kay; to her, will
Il strange blending of will and passion
he poured out his throbbing soul. as ncver
did man more intensely.
Il will go to you tomorrow and ex
plain all things My darling of darlings
you shall know why | sent the roses
The old smile wreathed his face a
strangely, no doubt in his seething soul
Only for to morrow waited Richart
Thayer.
Bat, alas. law, revengeful, interviewed
The next mail Brought 4 summons to ;
distant city, which even this lover coult
not ignore. 1t was three days ere tina
morrow came.
The birds we're singing, the flowers
breathing sweetly that pleasant summe
evening, when, at last, he walked up the
terrace to the home of Etha Ray. Still
imperious, assured; dreaming happily
yea, as an accepted lover, till a suddel
turn in the pathway revealed-that vision
in soft, white garments, smiling up a
him-more a vision than a reality tina
m yment to Richard Thayer. Yet how
his ewes exulted in her; how beautiful
she was, his own, his darling, come t.
meet him by the way.
"Etha"'
The whole passion OF his soul burs
forth in the little wold.
Good evening, Mr.. Thayer.'
lie started at the quiet answer; sud
denly will, assurance, banished; tn
sweet dream died away. He stood wit
t paled cheek, lost in the agony of reali
/ cation the more crushing for its sudden
4 ness. One bitter moment and then mad