The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-02-26

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| return no smile would be to me so
| sweet as hers, no presence half so
dear"
Mollie had been watching the couple
on the sands, going slowly back and
forth in the moonlight; now she lifted
her sweet young face and looked at him
with a sort of wondering pity.
''Do we all wrong you, then?" she
asked, gently. Have you failed in
your wooing? Can you not win where
| you love?"
His face flushed a little at her words,
and she, watching it, was struck by its
strength and beauty. How did it
chance that she had never noticed eth
er before?
Il am not left the chance to WOO or
win her," he said, slowly; ''she is an
| others promised wife
'.Ah," she said, pityingly; and she
gave him her hand in a sweet, woman
| ly sympathy, never for an instant con-
| Meeting his words with herself. He
lifted the small hand reverently to his
lips, and, drawing it through his arm,
turned toward the beach. As he did so
he found himself facing Ned Tremaine
and Laura Lovel, who were coming in
| from the moonlight, and he noticed
| that the young mans face was quite
| white, while there was a half-scornful
smile on the lips of the fair belle of the
seaside. But the two couples passed
each other in silence, the one going
down to the stretch of glittering sand,
! the other going in to the dancers.
A week later, and Mollie had just
come in from long hour, peaceful
and calm. spent with Lee in quiet
nook among the rocks that overhung
the ocean. He had been reading to her
there some of the sweetest poems given
to the world by genius. Her heart had
thrilled as he read, and new, strange
feelings had stirred it. When he clos
ed the book he had looked up and
found her ewes filed with tears. And
now in her own room she was asking
herself how it was that what she had
but commenced for the purpose of an
noying Ned had in one brief week slain
all her old resentment against Miss
Lovel and made her thoughts turn con-
stantlv, not to Ned Tremaine. who was
her atfianced husband, but to Lee Stone,
who was termed the greatest male t1irt
at the beach. What was changing in
her life? When she now met Ned and
Laura it did not pain her as it used.
Was it because a handsomer face, a
stronger and nobler flce then Ned's
was constantly near, ready to turn to
her with devotion, ready to light if she
smiled?
A servant broke her ponderings by
bringing her two ages-one a bou-
quet of white flowers, with a few feath-
cry sprays OF fern among their white
ness, and one crimson rose cleaning
red from their center; and in it was a
note from Lee. asking her to go for a
drive with him by moonlight the 9th
er was a few angry lines from Ned, ask
ing if she remembered that she was be-
trothed to him while she allowed ev-
Irritation with Lee Stone.
Il have been patient, waiting an op-
portunty of speaking to YOU" he
wrote, ''but you will not give me one,
so I write to ask You if you wish our en-
gagement broken; to all it would seem
so.
She trembled little as she read, and
her sweet face changed color; but she
went TO her desk, drew from it every
letter he had ever sent her, formed
them and his ring in package and
wrote him the following note:
1T was | who was first taught pa
ticnce, while my existence was forgot
ten for one who was what you bade me
become-'a society character Why
should | fancy that you wished an in
.erview with me of late? it is not so
long since you could not spare mo-
ment for me from Miss Lovcl. Do |
wish our engagement broken? Perhaps
we both wish it, Ned; at least let us
break it, since | so displease you. l
send you your letters and ring"
Then, although choking sensation
was in her throat, she penned a brief
note to Lee:
Il will be pleased to 90 with you;"
that was ALL and in the starlight-the
moon rose late-she went with him out
over the beach and far along the coun-
try.
Was it strange that he noticed she
no longer wore Ned's ring? Was it
strange that he told her of his love, and
that she listened silently, believingly.
with a strange flutter at her heart?
Was 1t strange that when they drove
back, lingering beside the sobbing
ocean, another ring should deck her
finger and another bond should lie upon
her life? Well, two others walked up
on the strand, two whom the gossips
called lovers; and yet when it was told
that Mollie Annes was toplace her hap
piness in the keeping of 1.-THE tiirt of
the beach, one man who heard it
turned white as death and shrank from
the sight of the beautiful woman beside
him, although men called her fair, and
many said she had won him from his
faith; yet Mollie was too happy to re-
gret, although she still sometimes re-
members. Philadelphia Call.