Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-08
A Lakeside MuNiuG.

1t was sweet, girlish voice that spoke these
words-a Voice that fell upon the night air with
sad cadence in strange and striking contrast
to the beautiful face and form OF Caroline CATCH
fly as she stood there upon the veranda OF Br,er.
ton villa close pressed In the arms of the only
man In all the world who had won her heart.
and to whom she had given the one great love
CT woman's life-that OF the summer after she
has begun wearing store bangs
it is q solemn thing for man-strong-w illed
| self-rellant, and with turquose-blue suspenders
to win q wOman's love; and amid all the ra-
diant joy and feeling OF proud triumph there
should be ever in his mind the sense Of a great
responsibility that may not be denied nor avoid
ed. For into his keeping has been freely placed
that most precious Of gifts-the life OF pure
trusting woman. Ii Is his to make that life an
ever-pleasant voyage adown silver-tinted
streams whose every ripple laughs back response
march through the arid deserts of despair and
misery, upon whose trackless wastes one sees
only the whited skeletons Of love, and hope and
ambition.
Jasper X. Rollingstone knew this He knew
that this fair girl who was just budding into
womanhood and her mothers corsets loved him
with passionate intensity and deep trustful-
ness He knew that some day provided they
were married and had any, she would be the
mother Of his chdren-that her sweet voice
would teach the little lips to speak his name
her hand guide Alright the uncertain footsteps
of infancy. All this came to him with dreadful
force as he stood there in the purple haze OF an
August twilight with this woman's cleaning
white arms around his neck, her pretty head
upon his shoulder. and her deep blue
eyes. which seemed to mirror only trustfulness
and love, looking up into his. But, despite all
this-despte the large. take-t-away- for-a-quar-
ter kiss that the wine-red lips Exchanging the
rant mouth had pressed upon his brow-there
iurked In his mind vague shadowy suspicion,
haunting fear that something. he knew not
what. was on Carolines mind. Ii was the tone
OF her voice as she spoke the words with which
this chapter opens-the mournlu cadence that
was almost a sob-that had affected him so
strangely and given birth to the upas-like suspi-
cion which was bighting his happiness.
why are You sad when speaking those
words!" he asks. .-
No answer. The vesppr chimes OF the cathe-
dral league away come stealing up over the
hills that lie to the westward, and as their
tones-sweet, and solemn, and faint-fall upon
Caroline's port ear Jasper feels a shudder pass
over her 1.-THE form. She is intensely religious
this girl, and with the sudden instinct OF a man
who has played third base he resolves to turn
this reverence of hers for all things spiritual to
account Listen" he says in whispered tones.
1T Is the vesper hour. The chimes are calling
the faithful to worship, and one who deliber-
ately tells falsehood at this time can never
be saved. You know this, Caroline, do you
not?"
Les, ulu1UluIS t0c gil.
"And would you perjure yourselfi"
No. The voice is faint and low.
Then tell me" he says, why you were sad
when saying Au revoir TO Inc little time ago."
Il cannot" she says.
But you must" continues Jasper. II de-
mand an answer.
For one instant she looks up at him. her pure
young face as white as if the hand of death
were upon it, and then she whispers softly, Il
cannot"
He pushes her quickly from him. almost rude
ly, and then, as she stands there beside a clus-
ter of roses that have twined themselves around
pillar, he sees the dropping lips CULVER as if in
mortal agony, aud an instant later she has
fallen at his feet, and is sobbng as if her heart
would break.
He picks her up In his arms as he would
child and rains passionate kisses upon her face.
Forgive me, he cries. Twas wrong TO doubt
you. 1t was but idle curiosity on my part. and
your refusal to answer my question angered
me-"
II will answer 1t now" she says There Ia
nothing to conceal You wished TO know why
was sad when saying 'Au revoir,' and re-
piled that could not tell you. 1t is the truth"
But why can you not tell me the cause Of
your sadness when speaking those words?"
Because" she says, looking at him tenderly,
II do not know what they mean Prom. Her
VdSSGr Education" by Joseph MediIl