The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-08-22

down thelawn-andiaeedabout apainst
and puzzled look In his frank blue eyes.
Heard your Why, yes Ihaye, Aiatt,
lshc answered with q start. You were
7 gayfns ssyirg let me think /" confused
!. aTherel You don't know what I was
Saying. Don't make Q useless effort %
recall what you didn't hear he retorted,
with some anger in his voice. "Myra,1
suddenly, as he laid his hand upon her
farm, tell me the truth, hasn't that
stranger, Hayden, good deal 70 do IN
the change In your manner, 30 noticeable
Of late?''
'tNonsense, Matt, what an idealv she
Exclaimed reproachfully, but the dark,
restless eyes took care not 10 meet his.
Il would be hard 10 eyade the truth with
those tender, compelling blue eyes gazing
straight into her own.
Sometimes almost believe Il, /" he an.
swered slowly, and still unconyinced.
"0h, Myra, for your own sake beware OF
himl Something tells me that he intends
you harm.s 1.-The does, let him beware Of
mel
And the young mans clenched hands
and flashing eyes showed that It would
not be safe to tfifle with one he loved.
ANonsense, Matt!n Myra said again,
with little nervous laugh. But she has.
tened to change the subject. and managed
To be more like her old sell, as the strolled
homeward down the lane.
But all this time she was wondering
what he would say II he knew that some
one-no other than Prince Charming
would be awaiting her attne further end
Of the lane, and that she had given her
solemn promise to fly from home with
him.
Yes, It had come to that. Time and
again the fascinating stranger, Oscar Hay
den, had taken the farm house in his
course when doing the places Of inter-
est in the neighb0rhood OF the village
where he WAS summeripg.
Occasionally he encountered Matt Sedge.
wick there, and then the accomplished
man OF the world had only a courteous
bow or smile Of friendly recognition for
the young beauty, for subtle instinct
warned him that It would not be well for
should that blue-eyed, broad shouldered
young gentleman farmer get an inkliD9
Of his real designs.
But when he found Myra alone, as he
often did, then were his ready words Of
delicate flsttery and long, tender inter.
views which the young girl treasured up
in her heart and dreamed over until her
foolish intatuation was complete.
"By the way, you haven't told me how
that rustic filtration ofyoursis progressing,
eh, Hayden?"
"0h, finely, If you mean the one with
old Floyd's pretty daughter lightly an
swered voice which thrilled their lis
tenet-no other than Myra Floyd herself
with such mortified amazement that she
almost screamed aloud, for the voice was
that Of her city lover, Oscar Hayden. "The
little beauty Is completely under my in
fuence-she loves me TO distraction"
"And how is it going TO end, old fellow;
seriously or otherwiseH 2" pursued ques-
toner, and there was spice OF genuine
curiosity in the hali-laugning, masculine
tones.
"otherwise, Of course, so far as ! am
concerned" And now the musical voice
Of prince Charming" was surprised as
well as slightly hufy; "You don't sup
pose that would actually marry a coun-
Try clodhopper's daughter, do you, how
ever pretty?p
swell, [ didn't know" was the amused
retort. "Such youthful follies have oc-
Cured before now"
at isn't likely to occur with me,
though" said Oscar Hayden, decidedly,
"when half dozen Of Boston's charming
bellies are ready to break their hearts for
yours truly. Oh, no, my friend, I'm not
SO far gone as that, l can assure you"
What more was said Myra did not stop
TO hear. She had heard enough, and sick
at heart, bewildcred, bitterly angry and
Inundated, she crept silently out OF the
park where she had been an astonished
listener to this heartless conversation, and
fled home like wounded deer.
What an ending for a day which she had
expected was 10 crown her widest, hap
piest dreamsl The day when sho had
thought 10 become 0scar Hayden's loved
and honored bride.
A little necessary shopping for the
eyentful occasion had taken her to the adj
joining town where he was staying. Hay.
log made her purchases at the store, and
the afternoon being rather warm, she had
stopped for a brief rest in the little park,
where few rustic benches under the
spreading oaks and elms looked most in
vlting.
Her presence therew entirely unsus.
pected by the two young men who bad so
lightly talked OF her, screened from their
sight, as they were from hers, by the thick
folisge between.
That night when Prince Charming drove
cautiously to the rendezvous at the end OF
the lane he waited long and vainly for the
pretty bride who never came. And he |
went away at last silently cursing the |
fickleness or shrewdness, whichever II |
might be, Of the girl whose life he meant
to ruin, but who had, instead, so he firmly
believed, deliberately made q fool OF him.
Again Myra sits on the shadowy, vine
uncovered porch, where We first saw her,
looking of. across the seli.same roads and
fields. But soft, tender moonlight
bathes all the scene Just now, aud Its
gentle peace and sweetness are reflected In
Myra's lovely face.
She is not alone. Seated on the broad
step beside her is handsome Matt. Sedge-
wick, with her little hand in his, listening,
with absorbed interest and changing face,
to something she was telling him in low
Misunderstanding tones.
'sIf you had only told me this at the
time, Myrs," he said, regretfully, as she
finished, while o dangerous light glittered
in his honest blue eyes, II would have
made that handsome villain suffer for the
part he played toward you"
~ know that, Matt,n and her glance
turned with loving pride upon his pale.
resolute face. '.And that's Just why I
didn't tell you. knew You would do
something desperate In your anger, so |
kept silent and allowed him to think that