The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-10-10
THEY MEET AGAIN.

Decked in the sheenieSt OF white
robes. Alene foated down the wide
lawn of Ellerby Hall.
Nesting in her gold-brown hair were
rose-tipped apple-blossoms. and clus-
tering over her dress were the same
blooms which she had
gathered from the queenly trees of
the orchard not far away, where each
stood out perfect dream of beauty
against the pale-blue sky. Not more
fairy-like were they, not more beauti-
fully tinted, than Alene Ellerby her
self. So at least thought the young
man who joined her-Raymond Ogere.
But he sighed as he gazed upon the
pretty vision before him, who had
promised herself to another only the
day before. Promised to marry Rob
ert Willis, a man for whom Raymond
felt some contempt, as being too super
fetal and weak to deserve the consid-
Grafton of a girl like Alene Ellerby.
Indeed, it had been great surprise to
him, for in his acquaintance with Alene
he had studied we'll her character,
and having seen something of the world
and women. Raymond had felt that
she inclined kindly toward himself, and
some day he had hoped to win her for
his wife.
Il have come to bid you good-by,"
he said. flor am going away. Bust
ness requires me again in the CITY,"
She turned away her face when he
lifted his eyes to meet hers. For, In
the way people will, each looked while
the other was not looking, and he had
not seen the expression on her face
when lie announced his departure. The
soft twilight was gathering about them.
and though Raymond could see but
little, he felt that her manner had
grown reserved and quiet
"Good-bye," ne said again, as he
held out his hand.
"Good-bye,' was the reply in a low
formal voice. as she laid her slim, cool
fingers in his.
He held them as he looked ut her.
and then he said in wistful tone, a
strange, sad expression glowing in his
eyes the while:
u wish you would give me bunch
of those flowers that you wear"
She loosened some and laid them In
his hand.
When he had left her he smiled q
bitter. grim smile.
: l had quite forgotten the significance
of apple blossoms. 'Preferencer What
mockery that she should give them
to me when her preference is given TO
another!
So Alene STAYED on for while with
her aunt in Eilerby Hall. Alene's
mother was living, but her father had
long been dead, and left them but a
scant income.
Her aunt, Mrs. Eilerby. was also In
moderate circumstances. for the Hall
had now q heavy mortgage upon It,
and it cost the good lady a struggle to
maintain the old place that had grown
so dear to her.
So Alene was not an heiress, or even
a young lady with rich relatives. The
men who liked her at all, she had every
reason to believe, loved her for herself
alone. And as for Alene-well shO
was altogether too needless and frank
even to think twice when she fell In
love.
The creature of romance, possessing
the keen love of pleasure natural to
youth. whether her lover owned bonds
or estates. would be thought OF only as
belonging to that surrounding halo OF
circumstances which made him great
in her eyes.
Her aunt had called Raymond Ogere
a cultivated gentleman" Again, she
had called Bob Willis '.foolish for"
Two days before Raymond Ogere's
departure Alene astounded hor aunt by
saying she wished to go home. This
announcement set Aunt Ellerby to pom
dering many things, for her niece usu-
ally wished to prolong her visits to the
Hall. Bob Willis had been there only
that afternoon, and she had seen him
going down the gravelled walk, with q
remarkably crestfallen air for such q
young braggart AZ she considered him.
..Iie is a prodigious numbskull, but
his father is worth mint" Aunt Eller-
by had said to herself.
Whatever conclusion the good lady
arrived at concerning the state of at
fairs, she said to A,ene the next morn
ing At breakfast:
Ou StC, uOUEs l. uh Va
selling the Hall q have had fair Of
fer for iD. and going to live with
Bess." ..
Bess was her daughter, married, and
living in Paris.
Alene started.
"Why, Aunt Nan, thought you new
er meant TO sell the place"
well, Bess urges me to come, and
the care l have here is ageing me, so
think shall 60. And. child, you may
go along il your mother can pay the
expenses of the voyage there. After
that, between us, your mother and
will manage to keep you there sea-
son ut least.
So within six weeks Alene and her
aunt were well off on the dark blue
sea. 1t was the month of July, a little
past the popular season for travel. yet
the steamers were still crowded, and
almost the first person they encounter
ed on board ship was Mr.. Bob Willis.
Whatever .set-down" Miss A'ene had
once given him. she was civil to him
now, and his esteem for the young
lady seemed to be in no wise lessened
from the fact that she was en- route to
the old world.
One day MIR. Bob found it necessary
from decrease of temperature. to put
On a thicker eoat than he had been