The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-02

made him think OF a hower-so pure 90
sweet, so delicately white she was He did
not know FOR some moments that there was
any one else Ia the room. Then q young
nan, slight and rather hsndso ma but some
what efeminate looking young man. emerged
from the embrasure of q bsy window where
be had been sitting. with a large, striking
young woman. and Hiram was introduced Ia
turn TO Miss Robbins. Miss rrask's cousin,
and to Mr. Henne Eay.
Hiram never bsd a very distinct idea OF
how Ihe evening passed. Miss Robbins sang
n sharp, brilliant soprano. aud Miss Trzsk
IN rich contra TO, and the languid young
man, MI Henneway, played accomp pant
meDts. Hiram was conscious of only one
thing. He loved this girl with the white
face aud the eyes like deep blue violets
There was no one like her. Hs mad sesn
women like Miss Robbins, her cousin. Bat
like Mabel Trask no one. When h 3 got out
into the still, crisp winter night he looked
up once at the diamond bestudded heavens.
Religious forms had never been usual or IA
milisr 10 him. Yet there was an unspoken
Thanksgiving in this mans heart at that
moment. God willing. be had found bis
wife.
The next few weeks went by in O sort of
dream for him. He saw Mabel Trask almost
every day. And gradually great hope be-
gan TO dawn in his heart-a hope he S ssrce
dared acknowledge to his Utmost soul lest it
prove failscio1s and vanish at touch-the
hope that the love she could not but read in
bis every word and look might be returaed.
Hiram Uouldock felt that he had never lived
until this last month.
One day he had just left Mrs. Trask's
when, at her door. be met an old scqnsint-
ance who had recently returned to the little
town after an absence of some time The
conversation turned upon various inhahi-
tants of the place, and finally the man said:
Nice people, those Trasks, out of whose
house you were coming Charming the
daughter is. A pity she is going 10 throw
herself away on that eliminate fellow, Hen
nevay"
"what do you mean?'' inquired Hiram.
with an abnormal quiet 10 bis voics.
"Oh, they have been engaged for years"
said the other carelesslY. little farther
along the street, CHANGING to glance at his
companions face, he jocoselv exclaimed:
Hello, Couldock, nv friend This Eastern
air isn't agreeing with you, do you know?
You must get back 70 the plain, man
You're ss white as some interesting dnmsel'
CouldOck never even heard him. 1t was as
though ten thousand bells were ringing in
his ears. In the 6rss moment the hot blood
surged to his head in sudden fury. Had
ste led him on only TO betray him? Had
she made game OF him? Almost the Rext
instant he could have killed himself for hav-
ing been guilty of the thought. she-Msbel
the truest-the pUrest; no, there WAS come
mistake. She could not be engaged to that
puppy Hennewsyl And then the pain came,
sharp az knife and the doubt. What If she
were?-what If she were? And all he had
no right to think she cared for him-grest
awakard, uncOuth, numbering fellow that he
Nas-or even had cared. Perhaps it was only
her kindness-perhaps his own love had
blinded him. Well, he would go tn her like
a man and tell her of his love now and ask
her. if this that be had heard vera true. And
~. sI,al g haF,
deed hsshed over him again, the poJc fellow
set his teeth against his lips SO that the blood
came
at night ne resolved these things IN his
mind And gradually the conviction greE
upon him that be mosE face toe loss Of her.
Many trivial words and occurrences, unnO.
tcsd before came TO his memory now, aud
seemed to prove that that mso, who had
dealt him the deadljest blow he could re.
oeive, knew well of Whist he spoke. Why
should he not? He had lived here always.
He knew Mabel and thst-that other-well-
And so the one womsn-the ideal vision
bad been shown to Hiram Couldocks daZ
zled eyes. and placed for one short spacs of
time within mis- reach, only TO ne snatched
swsy.
He sat down and wrote to her. He had
decided that il would he unmanly to go to
her ard ask her if that report ne had heard
were true he could not but see the pain it
would cause him to learn it's confirmation
from her lips. And his pain would pain
her. No, he would 60 away quietly. De
would give up the bitter Happiness of seeing
her again. He would refrain even from tell
ing her that he loved her, lest that knowl.
edge likewise, should cause her pain. And
Hiram Couldock did not know that in the
letter he wrote his love spoke ont between
every line as clearly to Mabel Trssks sonl
as though it had been poured into her ears
from his lips
1t was toward the close of the clear win.
ters's afternoon when Hiram Couldock
reached the station and began walking up
and down in restless Impotence. The train
was not coming. But neither was it due as
yet. He was fully twenty minutes in ad-
vance of it. Such thing had not often
happened to him He had too Just an ap-
probation OF the value of time even to waste
many precious minutes in this wise. Bat
now be was pursued with gOading feeling
that he must get away -quickly-out of
sight of this quaint. quiet little Main town
which held all that was on earth most dear
to him before his resolution gave way and
he tried TO see Mabel Trask's face aga.n.
The station master and the two solitary
travellers, both elderly females, sitting in
the waiting room, looked every now aud
then with wondering eyes at this tall, brood
shouldeTed young man who seemed so ex-
traordinarlly impatient for the train to come
mp.
Suddenly they saw him start as though he
had been shot and then quickly step for.
ward. young lady had appeared at the
other end OF the platform. she walked o.
ward biavely, but the color came and went
nervously in her cheek. Aud yet she had
not so for to walk either; f 7 the next mo-
ment the tall, dark-5earded young man was
at her side.
miss Trask!" ne exclaimed. Mabel raised
her eyes for one second kesnly. ssarchingly
10 his. Ihat one olanpa Ep av0nrh Thora
was no mistaking the joy, the pain, the love
the poor fellow tried 70 repress. but could
not. Her womsnly intuitions had not played
her false then.
mr.. Couldcck, she began. struggling
hard to speak brevely and calmly. II came
hrnrr I'LL -