Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-09-18
HER Err SECRET.
BY ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.

tended toHask that young lady to be
his wife before he left the house.
He had reached that stage of ennui
which comes to every man with a soul
who lives life OF license and freedom
into the thirties. The apples OF Sod
ON turned to ashes in his hands, and
every pleasure palled upon him. He
had decided that marriage, being the
only experiment. he had not yet tried,
was the. one pathway to happiness left
open to him - - r =" -.
And Alice Hall was a girl whom he
admired, a belle, Of good family and
popular socially. She would make a
wife of whom he could be proud. He
would settle the dilemma of his life at
once and ask her to be his wife.
Yet, when he left the house half an
hour later, he had not asked her the
momentous question and mentally
thanked the fates that he had not.
She was not the woman for him.
The fact was: when Miss Hall came
down to greet him, she had returned
the pressure of his hand by g. gentle
yet warm clasp Of her own, and she
had taken seat beside him on the
divan. She had never before been
guilty ofsuch familiarity, and although
he came with the unspoken intentions
ola lover in his heart-so long as he had
not spoken, he felt that she was scarce
]y modest to exhibit herregard so free
~. Then in looking over collection
OF pictures which lay on q stand near
by, he had noticed that she flushed
ndlooked embarrassed when he asked
the name OF one whose portrait repre-
sented a man OF striking appearance.
"a Mr.. Ledyard-I knew him one
Summer at the seashore," she said,
and hastily changed the conversation.
Now, like every man who has lived a
life of absolute freedom, who has tast-
ed OF every pleasure and broken all the
commandments, Milton Stanley de-
manded the utmost rectitude and the
strictest observance of every rule OF
propriety in the conduct of g. woman.
He had tempted innumerable women
to acts Of imprudence and then de-
spised them for their weakness. He
had been the serpent in many para
disc, but had always gone forth, be-
lieving it was Eve who first suggested
plucking the apple.
''They are all alike-weak, frail,
vain" he sometimes said, and then,
pausing, remembered his sainted
mother, and added: t'No, there must
be another like her somewhere, one
whom Providence intended for nv
bride; some sweet saint who is to lead
me up into heaven Of pure love and
peace
. All, yes! that was what he wanted.
Some spotless angel on whom the
gaze of man had scarcely fallen; some
unsophisticated embodiment of all the
feminine virtues, devoid of all the
weaknesses of her sex, who should take
him, world weary and Sustained as
he was, and lead him into happiness.
f. And it never occurred to him that
such Il union would be unsuitable-no,
indeed. That was woman's mission
on earth.
AS he went down the. steps leading
from Miss Halls home, he felt, a sense
of anger and humiliation to think he
had been almost betrayed into con-
fession Of love by a woman who had
any. mem cries connected, with any
man which could cause her to blush
and look confused at the mention OF
his name. Yet he had memories he
could not mention in the presence OF
any women-hosts of them. -
He rushed down to the seashore the
next day, to a quiet place, where he
need not be vexed by the sight Of a
crowd Of frivolous and foolish women.
He did not know q soul and meant to
make no acquaintance aside from the
fishes on" Blue Fish Point.' i"
: But before he had been at Surf
Bay twenty-four hours he changed his
mind. 49, g. ...- 1.oag.l., :
He met two ladies walking slowly On
the beach one morning--one a. hand
some matron in the early for.
ties; one a delicate, refined looking girl
in her late teens. The latter did not
look at him, the former did. ILL. ,>Se !.
He. had seen Thousand handsome
girls, but never a. face which attracted
him, he said, after he Went to his hotel.
Who*wasl she? y 81 j.. :s5',a +.
He was not long in finding out.
Vi. VII "sAfrs, O. B. Mills and Miss Delphie
Mills, New York city, That was what
the hotel register said A little inquiry
brought to. light the fact. that Mrs
Mills was the wealthy widow Of a well.
known member OF the New York bar.
Ever since his death, three years pre-.
gvious,, the widow and daughter had
been abroad. They had but recently
returned - The young lady was IN deli.
cate health, but was highly accom-
plished and very amiab bic. .is s.. q ,sss b.
Nj This Milton proved TO be less than
theftfuth ere long He obtained an
introd uction, after some difficult and
slowly made his way into the good
.graces OF the mot her. The daughter
had, obieeted to meeting him, on the
plea OF her delicate health and her III.
sdispositi to enter cain callers.
S. But Mrs Mills oyercame her 5daugh-
tter's object: ons fnall
what she needs, She conft1ed to
Milton, lis to- be brought out OF her.
sell. She has bro oded const antlyover
her f,,ther's death until she has be.
come an invalid, and a morbid one a
am sure the society OF an agreeable
I gentl viii do her good. s.s 3.
Defphie's Teluct anee to Ineet him q