The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-30

bitter feeling at his heart, and which
| at times seemed more than he could
| bear.
1 He had been gone about two months
1 when he received a letter from John
| Ainslie, on the envelope of which were
various postmarks, obtainedinfollow.
ing his erratic movements.
1t was asfollows:
FRIEND ARTHUR-I have been thinking
/! good deal lately about what you told me
/ in regard to Miss Hamilton and wondering
if you knew OF her fathers failure, and
which occurred, as | nave learned since, the
day L was hurt and you SO kindly took my
place. 1t seems that Mr.. Hamilton lost
| everything; even his house was attached
| and all his beautiful furniture sold by auc-
ton. His daughter Ida, I'm told supports
them | 9th by teaching, her father being a
a gooddeal broken in body and mind since
misfortune. She teaches in q school a few
miles out, but was in town yesterday, and
getting on my car in leaving the boat
CHANGED to see her. She was dressed very
| plainly, and so altered that / should not
have known her but for her beautiful hair
and eyes. 1t seems to be the general i'm
preston that you broke your engagement
on account of her fathers loss OF fortune,
4 dHu hlONiuS now ldI lFOin blc tIhon OtA&b log
and believing that you were entirely igno-
rant of the fact at the time you left town, /
thought | would write and tell you OF it.
Your friend truly
JoHE ArNsLIE.p
Arthur was not long in reaching
town after reading this. He went di-
rectly to his rooms, finding on hisdesk
a small package and a letter.
1.-THE ~lettercame the day you Left
said the landlady, "and the PACKAGE
few days after; but as you left no di
rections about sending anything ]
kept them for YOU"
The package contained some letters
and a ring, whose costly diamond
sparkled like a dew-drop as it fell up
on the desk.
How well he remembered placing il
upon the small white hand, and allthe
glowing hope that made his heart beat
so hight
By the date OF the letter Arthur saw
that it was written the morning after
his attempt to see the writer. 1t raj
as follows:
"MR. CARRoLL.-0wing to an unfortunate
blunder, the servant did not give me the
right name when you called last evening.
Il have been thinking that perhaps WAS
too hasty in the conclusions / drew from
what you said at the last interview and
which occurred at a time when I was feel
ing wounded and Inundated by my altered
circumstances, and SO more prone TO take
offence:
II infer that you have also met with re-
verses, but il you think any change in your
outward surroundings could make any
change in me you do me a great wrong
pTf there is anything to explain | shall be
glad to see or hear from you. Failing TO
do so, / will return the letters and the ring
you gave me, glad to know, ere it was too
late, how worthless was the love you pro-
fessed to feel for $50 ~.
IDA HAsnLroS.~
The writer of the above letter sat
alone in the rustic school house to
which she had been confined many
weary months, with but brief seasons
for rest and relaxation.
There had been q dull, throbbing
pain in her temples all day, making
the shuttle oflittle feet on the barefioor
the murmur of childish voices almost
uncomfortable.
But they had vanished now, and she
sat alone in the gathering twilight,
alone with her troubled thoughts and
IlOuIiiuA ICCOllcGllOIS. INCNcE 1t6u
life seemed so w~earisometo her, SO void
of all joy and brightness.
The hardest thing to bear was the
consciousness that, in spite Of his un-
~worthiness, her thoughts would turn
with regretful tenderness to him who
had obtained too strong ahold onher
heart and life to be easily disl0dged.
IL would never have forsaken him
thus" she murmured through herfast-
falling tears.
ssWhen misfortune came, / would
have clunga all the more closely to him.
Hearing a step upon the threshold,
Ida raised her head and the object OF
her thoughts stood before her.
"Nay, do not turn away from me-"
he cried. as the bewildered girl shrank
from that eagerly extended hand. II
have only just received the letter you
wrote to me SO many weeks ago. Nor
did / know until recently Of your
fathers failure and the consequent
charge In your circumstances"
cit was all occasioned by my own
stupid blunder," said Arthur, afterthe
mutual explanations that followed,
after the two were sitting together in
loving and happy converse.
"Oh, no." smiled Ida: ssIcannotl let
you take the blame. We were bothin
error"