The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-23

"For whom?"
"For Mr.. James Hill"
How much to pay?"
Postage not stated" was the faint
reply.
They all laughed loudly and looked
at me, for that was my name. The
blood rushed in crimson floods to my
face. Igot on to my feet somehow,
and with my hearttor between a wild
desire to go into the hall and a wish
to sink utterly awayfrom human kind,
/ stumbled out of the room.
The door was closed behind me, and
| found myself almost in darkness, as
the hall was but dimly lighted. /
paused a moment and then / heard
the faint sound of quick breathing; an
other heart was beating as violently
as my own. For oncem my life knew
what to do with my arms. / caught
hold of her. The darkness gave me
courage and | held her in a close clasp
and pressed my lips to her cheek in
three or four rapid, half-freightened
kisses before she could free herselffrom
my embrace.
''There, there, MIR. Hill,'' she said,v
with a merry laugh, don't be bashful
again: I'm sure you're bold enough
now"
Have | paid my POSTAGE" | STAN
mered-
Indeed, yes; enough and to spare.
Come, let us go back to the parlor."
She led me I'M n willing prisoner and
the rest of the evening | was her bond
slave; her partner in all games, her
companion in the dance wherein | ex-
celled the country boys, and gloCied in
my accomplishment and at last,
browning delight of the evening, her
escort home.
That was all. Tie next day / re-
turned to my home in the city, and
Mabel Byrne became only a memory;
strong at first, fainter as time went ON,
but sweet always. When | saw other
girls / compared them mentally with
the picture my imagination painted
OF Mabel, and they never seemed half
as fanr and sweet as she.
But then did not see many other,
girls. My bashfulness, instead of
diminishing, seemed rather to increase,
as the years went by. l avoided So
ciety and was so much of a recluse
from ladies that my mother was quite
worried lest i should become a con-
firmed bachelor. Perhaps n reason
why | retained my difidence was
that my pursuits were among books
and not among people. / had made
the science of geology my study
and at twenty-seven found myself in q
comfortable position as assistant pro-
lessor In one of our best colleges, the
salary of which, with my own income
added, making me SO far at ease that
/ resolved to devote my summer vaca-
ton to q tour in Europe.
Equipped with bag and hammer,
August found me making a pedestrian
tour of Switzerland, with a special
view to the study of it's glacial and
weil-traveled ways, thus escaping the
society of other tourists, and / was
therefore utterly amazed, when one
evening, as Idrew nearthe little house,
which was NY temporary abiding place,
a tall form strobe toward me out of
the darkness, and a hearty voice
cried:
"Jim! Jim Hill"
"What is it, / replied, with a half
ervou start.
"Ah, / thought it was my old friend.
Have you forgotten Tom Bryne?"
OF course not, for / have met him
occasionally since we were boys, and
| was heartily glad to see my former
comrade, always one OF the best OF
companions.
II saw your name on the book at
inn," he explained; "and was sure it
must be you. At any rate, | thought
/ would start out and meet YOU"
"But how came you here inthis out
~of-the-way corner of the world?" in
quired
Because it is out of the way. Ma
bel and | are making a trip in search of
the picturesque. You know she is
quite an artist
So Mabel was With him. My heart
gave a curious thump, and for a mo-
ment | could hardly make a sensible
reply.
yes he went on; "she is so devot-
ed to her art that it seems to quite
absorb her life. She has not thought
of marriage, and does not care iii the
least for the ordinary run OF society.
She will be glad To see you, though"
he added, consolingly, "ss you are a
man of science"
We walked back together to the lit
tie inn, and presently | was shaking
hands with a beautiful and stately
woman, whose dark eyes flashed with
the strange intensity and fire that l
had never seen i'll any other eyes but
those of Byrne.
She greeted me very cordially, and
after we three had taken an evening
meal together there followed a delight
full evening in the little parlor that
Tom and his sister had secured.
For once in my life. / felt at ease in a
lady's society. In the first placethere
was Tom to keep me in co~untenance
by a predominance of my own sex in