The Red Cloud chief., 1885-09-04
CHAPTER yXI-CnsrrSrrp.
BY Q. c. POST.

bli knew "A NJ 10 DC at Work On his claim
at the Slough.
Mrs. Parsons Lad written him Of the
~f"structio on Of the old home. and If
their removal to the new, soon alter lis
occurrence, and also of .Jcnnic's mar
ria"e 10 Ensign and their removal 70
Ga cago.
Of Lucy's breaking with Mr.. Annel-
Soy she did not write, thinking possibly
1t might not be permanent, in which
case IL would he better for Era tus, #
still feeling attached to Lucy, not to
hayc his hopes raised 10 be agaIn dashed
20 the grDand.
Mr.. Aunel-cy, however, did not plead
very earnestly with Lucy to reconsider
Der action in dismissing him- Ii was
several week. before ms reply cane;
and then, while he expressed regret at
her decision, he did not urge her
very ~tronyl. To reverse IL Knowing
thri MS parents would oppose his mar
rag with "A poor %rl, ne had not IN
formed lem If his engagement, and
10 comments would therefore be made
a t. h".ng annullcI; 4 fact upon which
he now :, INFATUATED himself.
H. lad already bcgun 10 feel his AZ
fiction for Lucy weaken with absence;
was, in fact, becoming cnamored OF an
other young lady in whose society he
had frequently been thrown since his
return 10 New York, and whose posi-
ton in wealth was cILal to his own;
and aithoucI he told himself that Luz
cy's letter had broken his heart, IT is
probabl" that after the shock to his sell
esteem was over he was rather glad
than otherwise.
If Lucy tx, rctcd or desired a more
vehement r~rOt"sta'ion Of love from her
di~"ua t'rl suItOr than she received, her
manner upon opening his letter did not
reveal 1t.
She real the letter in the presence
of tire iam Is. and then calmly handed
IL to hr mother. The next day she
replied 10 il. rcltcrating her desire to
.c fTcr from their engagement and ask
in the return of her letters.
Il ,Ial! send YOURS. together with the
rim" and other jcwclry. by the same
mail that takes tins letter" she wrote
HIM, and havin" sealed 1T and seen It,
in company with the package, safely on
it way to the Office, she wcn about her
usual dul.cS with a cheerful, even mcr-
~ AR. which WAS 4 great source of com
Tort to her parents, aud OF c-pccial sat
isllc'Ion 10 her father.
..If i:i-tus nd only come back now
il 'ui he all RIGHT. he unused. and feel
in certain that h" Young mans aticc-
tinn Tor Lac, hal not wancd because
oi ab,'arc. folly expected him to come
bach and ask her To b. his wife.
L.. IL. IA, ,., I'll NTH Ip,,,,ffanpn
won .-ring al Era,tus' delay and in
ycniln" excuses Tor IT.
.Sr",t tie poor fellow hasn't Jest
got ia, money hy him 10 come on" he
Sai I 10 himself.
and then aulin: MAY be he's a put
tn n his crnr an wants TO i'm sh 81
il Will he groH n while he's zone" Or,
.'lika enough, he's a-workin for some
body else for a spell an can t honorabiy
81 OF r,eht awiv.'
Tut a the weeks passed into months
and The only evidence that fraStuS had
not FORGOTTEN hem WAS a letter e~NlrcS1-
i'm" hrs sorrow al the loss of their home.
and a hoi e that he might some time AS
SIS, them if they should require il, but
never "A word about Lacy or any intcn-
tIuu of ~,i>itng the family. all hop oi
ec.ng Lucy married 10 the man whom
IA loved a. a son and respected for his
manly qualities began TO de out OF
JOIN Parsons bosom.
IA tu> was always awful proud. v
he sad 10 himself. An | reckon lac
can't get over the girl prcierrin' OF
that ,oung jackanaprs TO him III the
int place.
He still supposed that Mrs. Parsons
had VIZ item Era tuS of Lucy'S di>m ssal
OF AnnclScv. and it was not until
months had passed and summer was
giving place 10 fall that he learned diff
fcrentlv.
lie had never mentioned his hope that
the Young folks would make up u
-any one.
Erastus knew that Lucy was with hel
parents. hut SUI posed her only wa ting
for her afiiancci TO come and claim her,
and SD worked on. striving 10 conquer
his love. but new r succeeding. even fol
moment.
And Lucy. although knowing that she
loved Erastus. had always loved him,
either supposed that he knew of her
broken engagement. and knowing II
was silent because he had no love fol
her. or. if she suspected he did no
know. WAS restrained by maidenly re.
serve from taking any steps to acquain,
him With the fact.
One day Mrs. Parsons was helping
her husband in the garden. when some
thing WAS said about EraStus.
Il wonder" remarked Mrs. Parsons,
"what he is doing now? 1t is a good
while since We heard from him. / wish
L knew how he is getting along. Poor
bow, he must have = hard time of i,
with no one to keep his clothes in order
or do 4 thing for him. | wonder if he
ever thinks of getting married?
"of course he must" she added. = n
swerinG her own question: "he has go,
a little start by this time and every
young man on q farm needs = wife. ]
hope he will get = good n when he
does marry"
John Parsons gave his clothes n little
hitch. a habit he had when y, q loss fol
word. Then turning his back to his
wife and putting an extra bit of force
into the hoe lie WAS using. >ald
Il had sort o thought NAV be he an
Lucyd axe up. now Anne'>cy'S out o
the way. bu: il seems they don't
Pears like 'RaStus is too proud Il take
up with bein' second choice. though
don't b'liese the Girl ever cared halt as
much for that Al popenjay AnnelSey Is
she did for him. even If she did prom.
ie to marry him. l wish she'd writ
to 'Rastus and tell him 80. l know
that nd fetch him. 'Ras ain't the fel
low TO get over that kind OF 3 thing il
hurry. and / know he loved her des
pait. an il seems no more'r fair thai