Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-26


me in a little wilhelm two weeks sh
added, setting limit to her misery.
"When he comes" she thought, and he
mind wandered of into plans OF what sh
should say to him; how to conceal the tn
multi of her joy
This phrase changed presently into, ii
he comes" as the scale trembled between
hope and fear; and in time this changet
also, and became, @If he will only come
At last the stress Of her suffering wruns
from her tie cry, @Dear God, lot hin
come"
Two weeks had passed and the day hat
come for the arrival Of the steamboat from
New Orleans.
Clelie heard the whistle at the bend of the
river. The huge volume Of sound shot u,
into the air, as il it could never end; thsr
broke into a strangled shrek that left the
silence trembling
She leaped to the window, and stood Their;
shuddering
She saw the slow descent Of the staging
heard the oaths and shouts of the deckhands
Now-now-a vigorous figure sprang down
the stairs, with bright head uncovered
that made her heart culver and fall again
Il was not he.
The hustle and confusion were over; the
/, little crowd dispersed. Throbbing and
grooming. the boat resumed its journey.
Clelie's arms Eel lby her snles She lifted
reproachful face to the sky.
Gradually she sank down by the window.
sill
Il thought You would let him come" she
murmured to the higher power that was
managing her life
Again she clasped her handx
Dear God will be good, she said, with
child-like anguish that would have touched
any mortal; 'only don't let him stop loving
me. | couldn't bear that. will be good,
indeed. But if never see him again shall
be wicked Don't You care at all if am
unhappy
@But why; why;" her sad thoughts fall
| off into irresolute conjecture. She conned
over the misdeeds of her white little life 1t
was like a child who, unconscious of fault
has been beaten and roughly thrust into a
closet; and sobbing in the darkness, tries to
understand how she has deserved her pun
ishment.
"But l am not so wicked as some people
and you let them be happy she whispered,
half fearfully.
And Tiff he should never come at all,
how interminable appeared the year;
stretching before her. Her heartsick fancy
shuddered away from the thought
And the poor man in the room below fol-
lowed by the intuition Of love, each phase of
her suffering.
at was best-it was best to take her away
before he'd time TO make her more I'M
happy he said, wringing his thin hands
She'll soon forget him when she never sees
him, nor hears his name She's mine-she's
all I've got"
As days increased between Clelie and
Mark, a wasting sense Of uncertainty came
upon her. He had knowledge of all the de-
tails of her simple life, while she knew
hardly the bare outlines Of his. She knew
his name, and that she loved him; she had
hoped that he had loved her Beyond that
there was blank.
Grief sank deeply INTO that silent nature
and became part Of it. 1t lay down upon
her bed at night AMI rose with her in the
sorrowful morning; it moved, spoke livei
with her; AMI woull die when she died
She turned her imploring eyes upon the
sky, the river, her father with look that
seemed to plead some comfort
She thought, some day. he would say:
missy, this place doesn't suit you. Wen go
back to tho city
And then pernaps-perhaps-but her
father never spoke
The girl found deguerreotype of Cav.
alters wife thrust beneath some dusty papers
in box. 1t was too plump and fioridly
decorated to be her IDEAL of mother; but
she derived some consolation from it.
@Was she like mef' asked Clelie
"No She laughed and talked q great
DEAL" Cavalier replied with reserve.
That's the reason she died, l suppose"
said Clelie, darby.
@What do Won mean. honeyl- he said, TAX
ing the thin little hand in his.
ats the unhappy people that live
Cavalier asked no further questions.
That was sleeping dog that he wished to
let die.
That day he tramped mournfully through
the woods and brought her great armful
Of jasmine and fresh boughs Of dogwood full
of snowy blossoms.
She said, How kind you are, father" and
1very pretty and then let them drop in her
lao. while her eyes again followed the river
Is it flowed toward the city.
"Coms, Missy SAID Cavalier, briskly,
alet's go out for walk The airll freshen
you up
@Yes, father" said Clelie, docilely.
She took her hat in her hand, but when
she had reached the porch she sank down on
the bench and faltere1, Al don't know what
has come over me. feel so tired Just 90
on without me, won't you, fatheri-anj
will pas, away in a minute. You'll be 60
ing up through tn, woods, and by the spring,
AM then-rn follow YOU
He went away alone. She watched the
bent figure plodding along the road which
wound between the green folds and hedges,
and said, poor father
Then she re-entered the house.
Her sad heart was still whispering to itself
Of Mark:
Il can't bear to think he could let me so
way, and never wish to say goodbye to
me- II lie thinks it best that We mustn't SEQ
each other any more, III try to think so, too.
But, dear God, won't you just let him come
and tell me good-byei l don't want any
thing but that, indeed"
Out OF all the happiness in this enormous
world, it was all she asked.
There came q knock at the door.
Come in" said Clelie, and Mark came in
Widely separated, and by different roads,
they had reached the same goal; and 1t was
the most natural thing in the world that
they should spring into each others arms
He could stay away no longer. He had
been followed by love SO strong and mex
orable that it cried upon him as he went
and babe him return
"Ohi where have you stayei 50 longF
cried Cielie.
swell, j have come back now," said
Mark.
"But-but-maybe you will go away
again"
"Never, except with YOU
Il thought you must love some one else,
she whispered, "and l tried pray that
you might be happy with her, only l
couldn't
There wasn't any such person." he said,
trying to laugh; awhy, Clslie, thought
you'd soon forget me-"
1t was thus that Cavalier found them
when he returned to see what had delayed
the girl "Oh, sir! sir!" he cried, nave you
come back to break her heart! But listen
she's not my child. Her father was gem
tleman, and she's lady BORN
marx tired TO detain MIN; put ne nas'ened
away 70 get the papers placed In MS nahis
by Col Legrand. Perhaps the poor Ieiio"s
professional instinct toiu nun .aa. 'nis "as
ene proper way 10 round OH s,'ua.ioh
Il didn't need 10 know IT, SAD marx