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

and poetic thought that had won her
already honorable recognition in the
world of art.
And you have never heard oil
Mabel's paintings until now?', asked
Tom.
"No, Tconfessed. "You know Ihave
been quite absorbed in my special
studies"
"Yes' and you have not seen Mabel
for w SO long, have your"
mo-" | replied, mot sincethat sum
mel ten years ago, when / was at my
grandmother's."
Jolly times wehad, too" said Tom,
refectiyely. Remember that party
at Mrs. Edwards'?"
A sudden rush of blood to my face
utterly confused me. | stammered a
reply, and Tom, TO my relief, went on
with some rambling "reminiscences. 1t
was some seconds before / dared to
look at Mabel. Surely she was
blushing, too.
The next morning we all went on a
trip up the slope of the mountain.
Mabel in 6 short gray suit, alpine hat
and stout boots: Tom carried her
drawing materials. Thus we made
this and many another delightful ex-
petition.
Life took ON new coIors for US.
There was a radiance and glory about
it that / had never dreamed of before.
Every day + found fresh reasons for
admiring my beautiful companion, and
our walks up, Thorough mountains and
through the deep valleys were to me
like enchanted journeys. La this love-
ly country, with this most glorious
woman by my side, I was indeed
as one TRANSPORTED by the light of the
grand passion that took possession OF
my soul.
At first / knew not what had befall-
en- me. only thought that my pleas
ure in Mabel's society sprang from a
similarity in tastes and pursuits and
the charm of her conversation; but
gradually / woke to the overwhelming
fact that / loved her with the one
great love of my life, that seemed to
me now to date from the days of long
ago, to have been always with me, and
to stretch ont into the future to make
it transcendentally glorious, or q long
despair.
But as soon as i had learned my
W secret, my former bashful-
ness came back upon me with
ten-fold intensity, and / found
myself often embarrassed in her pres
ence, while at the thought of telling
her my hearts story, ! was SO greatly
overwhelmed that utterance would, 1
was sure, be an i~mpossibility.
And Mabel? Her eyes were very kind
to me. They turned to me with
softened lustre that thrilled me with
hope; and yet, if / attempted ever a
compliment, / blushed, houndered, and.
was lost.
One evening we were talking of all
of subjects, grave and gay, and
SO strayed to marriage in general, and
especially the matoimoniallot OF some.
of our old friends.
"You remember Boyd, don't you,
HIP" asked Tom.
''Tall, bashful fellow, like me?" /
added.
eyes, replied Tom laughing. "He
married Miss Cutting, ourformer school
teacher, | always supposed she pro-
posed to him."
Sensible grill" / exclaimed. IL
think it is positively a woman's duty
sometimes TO help a man out.
You remember that book of the
late DIR. Horace Bushnell, published
some years ago, called "a Reform
Against Nature?' In it he denounced
the woman's rights movement, but
maintained that every woman ought
to have the right to propose marriage.
TO the man she liked. / think he was
scientifically correct"
Ispoke withgreat eagerness, looking
always at Tom; but at the last words
my glance turned to Mabel; her eyes
were fixed on mine, and thelook | met
there sent the blood to my heart with
such a swift, tumultuous rush that /
grew faint with confusion, and present.
" went out OF the room and to bed
though not to sleep.
The next day / went out in the after
noon by myself for ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
a damp and very rough gorge, when
Tom and Mabel did mot careto accom-
pany me. / was half glad to be alone
for / was ervou over my audacity of
the night before; yet at thought of
Mabel's kindly eyes, SO overwhelmed
with binding happiness, that had to
look many times at hit ofrock before
/ could see the stri@ that denoted gla-
cial action.
1t vas late sunset when / reached
the inn. / made my way without
pause to Mable's parlor, led by O. pow
er beyond my control. The room was
quite dusk and she was alone. AS /
entered she came toward me with q
quantity of letters and papers in her
hands.
ssThese came while you were away"
she said.
Mechanically / took the papers.
Among them was a large package on
which / dimly discerned the word
-