Daily Republican., 1884-04-15
A BUNUH OF KEYS.
BY GERALDINE FLEMING.

BY GERALDINE FLEMING.
"Unless you can muse In q crowd all DAY
On the absent face that fixed you;
Unless you ca love ~ tho angels may,
with the breath Of heaven betwixt you;
Unless you can dream that his faith isfas
Through behoOving and unbehO0ving
Unless you san die when the dreamispas
Oh, never call 1t loving"
All the morning long that exquisit.
stanza had been ech0ing in the unquie1
heart of fcharming little Dollie Meredith
She was musing on the absent face o
one between whom and herself there
had existed love, sweet as the breath
of heaven, of one whose faith was stead
fast, although she had tried him sorely.
Dollie had had very sad and serioui
misunderstanding with her lover-a
spirited young fellow who was no less
obstinate than Ler own proud and vii.
full self. But the fault was mostly hers
az she realized now when all was over.
She had been coquettish and capricious;
she had annoyed him with pretty and
causeless .jealousies and 80 kindled
the flames of the hot dissension that
had parted them at last. He had left
her In fierce anger, and he would never
return TO know how sorry she was for
1t all and how, despite all, she loved
him 30 deeply that she was ready to
die when the dream was past"
"At the first l had only meant to
tease him." she mused. " Then, too. l
wanted to try my power bit he was
al ways 30 cool and confident and re-
served, that liked to cross and arouse
him. was silly and cruel, and l do
serve the loss of my lover and his ten.
derness. Lewis will never forgive me !;
he will never know how sorry ! am :
and how lonely: she added as she
gazed dejectedly out into the midst anil
gloom of the morning, just visible
through the bright curtains and Iuxu-
RANT potted geraniums before her win
dow.
Everything had changed for poor lit
tie Dollie since Lewis Gregory had left
her in his indignation she was lonely
indeed-so very lonely that she longed
for some sort of excitement
that might lessen for o time the poig-
nancy of her contrition.
"Oh, if something diverting would
only happen !' she thought. :" Any
thing would be better than thatsluggish
drip without, and this lifeless monotony
within"
As if in response to that.dreary invo-
cation, her meditations were just then
by violent ringing of the
door bell; and as she arose at the i'm
perative Summons lady hustled into
the room.
Why Mrs. Stafford. whatever Is the
matter? 2" Dollie exclaimed in politely
startled way rs the sudden visitor, hug
ging closely a bundle of gorgeous cash
mere and snowy swan's-down, dropped
,Obbing into the nearest chair.
1T is the dear little baby" Mrs.
Stafford explained pathetically, pulling
back the downy covering from tiny
face a. purple and rigid as II in death.
. She was taken with one of those
frightful spasms right before your door,
Dollie. And | left her medicine at
home, right on the maDtel in the front
room," the mother continued more
than coherently. And II
you would only 90 back for me, Dolly
we live right around the corner, you
know, in the new brick house-we only
moved there yesterday" IL
"Of course will CO." Dollie said
with sympathetic alacrity, as she ad
ust8d a convenient gossamer quickly
about her slender figure and pretty
head.
"The second floor, you know" Mrs.
Stafford specified, as she gave bunch
If keys to the obliging young lady,
who hastened away through the misty
on her errand of kindness.
The door of the new brick house |
around the corner was already open,
md without the slightest misgiving
Dollie hurried up the stairs to the loca-
ion designated, and the designated key |
readily admitted her to the apartment.
But On the threshold she paused ab-
.uptly with o glance of bewildermsnt,
instantly percei wing that this could not
DO the new residence of her friend.
whose rather disconnected directions
,he had certainly inexperienced.
These rooms had obviously been un.
lsed as yet, and we're furnished dainty
Is II for bride. Everything was de-
ightfully fresh and astonishingly like
What she herself most admired. The
,olor she most affected predominated
n the upholstery !; pictures she had
ong coveted were on the walls; even
ler favorite flowers were blooming in q
,right oriel where a glided cage hungl
ret tenantless. 1t was just the enchant-
ng nest of home of which she had
lreamed when she and Lewis had
planned to share their lives together.
As sue gazed about her with admir-
ng eyes there was a sound OF footsteps
II the further room, and she turned
With some embarrassment to apologize
or her intrusion.
But AZ she looked up she uttered a
oft cry of wonder, for there approach
ng her she beheld Lewis himself-her
'wn lover, who regarded her inquiring-I
y with an expression Of deepest re-
roach.
"Oh, I did not think l should meet
,ou here" she faltered, blushing sweet
y in her surprise and confusion. ~
II understand, he interposed quietly
md not unkindly. "You thought !
was absent, of course, and you had all
! woman's curiosity to see the rooms
lad fitted up for our home; although
how you possessed yourself Of my little
secret cannot guess. Would the place
have pleased you, Dollie? l mean II
you had loved me as you once allowed
ne to believe you did?" /
She was very penitent, doubtless, but
,he was willful Dollis still, and she was
Inclined to resent that imputation Of
traditional inquisitiveness.
" knew nothing about your secret.
and had no curiosity" she protested
with something's of the old coquetry In
her wondering ewes. Mrs Stafford |