The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-06

Il
could not bear to live apart from you;
and that, when we were married, YOU
must have rooms in our house to live
in whenever YOU came to town. And
Jack agreed to that, quite gladly and
readily, papa. He did. indeed
Very well, darling" he said, caress-
ing her with hand that trembled like
a leaf. Every well. Write your letter,
dear, and let me take it to the post.
Why, what is this glittering on your fin
ger? An engagement-ring?" He had
been looking for some such sign while
they had talked together.
He gave 1t to me yesterday at Oak
enham," she answered, with a mingled
shyness and frankness which became
her prettily. Her father made a mo-
ton to draw it from her finger, but she
resisted gently.
pretense at gayety. Mustn't even
papa fingers be intrusted with it?'
No" She answered, blushing and
smiling. He made me promise it should
stay there until"
Until you were married." He fin
ished the sentence over which she fall
tered.
Yes" she said, shyly nesting her
face against his breast again.
Let me look he said, holding it to
the light and bending over it. IAN
opal with four seed-pearls. A pretty
ring, my dear. Wear it Until you sub
stitute palmer one. Now write your
letter.
She kissed him brightly and moved
away. He sat still with his face in the
shadow, pulling at his cigar while her
pen scratched over the paper rapidly.
In minute or two she brought the let
ter addressed and stamped, and laid it
in his hands.
rs it pleasant task, dear?" she
asked.
pleasant and painful he respond
ed. Il shall not see you again o.
night, dear Not that | shall be OUT
too late, but my thoughts are busy.
Goodnight"
In periured treachery and all base
intent. Mr.. Montgomery Ba>sett's good
night kiss came near to the salute %
Judas, and he felt it so. But as ther8
never was a criminal whose --;S9-.
showed itself to his own eyes in its own
/ true form and hue, so he, with only &C.
casional pangs of conscience and occa-
sional meaner pangs of dread, brought
! himself to say that he was acting for
| the girls ultimate good. These little
! youthful sentiments were never of
very permanent character, he told him
! self, and never altogether free, even
while they endured, from much senti.
mental dross. He thought. honestly
enough, to be just with him, that Love
was pinchbeck sort of jewel at the
/ best, and would have reversed Solo
mons proverb had he known it, pre-.
! ferring the stalled OK and hatred there"
with to a dinner OF herbs in loving COM
/ pany.
As he emerged upon the street he tore
open the envelope and drew forth the
sheet of paper within it, and disposed
them in his breast-pocket. He walked
hastily until he came to the Tottenham
Court Road, and entering a tavern
there, he called for glass of whisky,
and standing over it, read the letter
through. 1t was so gay and tender and
affectionate that it knocked loudly at his
heart more than once, short as it was,
and mole than once he was half in
clined 10 abandon his device. One pas
sage he noted in particular, a passage
in which his daughter told Of his at
| tempt 20 remove her ring and of her re-
sistance. She had not forgotten, so
she wrote. the kisses her lover had
given the ring before he gave it to her.
One for love, and one for constancy.
and one for happy fortune. And
gayly and tenderl y. as girls use when
N love, she said that he should have
those three kisses given to his gift every
night without pause or break-one
for love, and one for cOnstancy, and
one for happy fortune.
The tragedian put up the letter, and
instructing the waiter TO follow with
sheet of paper, an envelope, and pen
and ink, he walked into a room reserved
for the regular evening habitueS of the
place. There he wrote this:
my DEAR CAMERON regret to say that
my daughter was aware of your attempt TO
see her this evening. and is so disturbed that
She is not in II condition to send you the letter
/ promised you should receive. She under
am, my dear Cameron,
Yours truly,
MONTGOMERY BASSETT."
lie addressed the envelope, and, leav-
ing the house. dropped the letter into
plllar-post hard by, and walked slowly
homeward. Arrived, he locked him
self in his own room and there burned
his daughters letter in the empty
CRATE, stirring it carefully and relighting
the charred fragments of it once or
twice, until nothing was left of it but
gray ashes. He sOlaced himself with
more whisky, and, when he went to
bed, slept heavily, to awake in the
morning with headache and with no
sense of rest. At an unusually early
hour he went out, having first written
2 second Letter 's.ich ran thus:
MY daughter is still strongly averse to the
writing of the promised letter. but have
asked Tier for token, and she promises to in
close in this some toy-a ring. as presume
received from you on Sunday last at Oaken-
ham. She instructs me that If say that a>so-
ciated with the gift there were three wishes
one for love, one for cOnstancy, and one for
happy fortune-yOu will recognize the words
as your own, and will know that this comes
from her. do not think II necessary to add
anything to this communication-whichm must
he painful for you to receive as for me to
write-but / rely upon you TO act as becomes
gentleman, and not To prosecute my daugh-
ter with appeals when must be fruitless."
Bearing this elaborate villainy with
him, he made tour of two or three
jewellers shops until he found 4 ring
which looked so like the miserable lovers
gift to Mary that he could perceive no
difference between them. This he bought
and placed in an envelope. and having
registered and posted the letter walked
home TO make preparations for his jour
ney. All through the morning his