The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-12-24
MISTAKEN.

cried aloud, There Is, there u GooF
Ella Wheeler wilcox.
MISTAKEN.
rhou9htles. words and the Results They
Wrought In Two Young lives
A cool breeze blew up from the river.
II played among the reeds and tail
grasses on the bank and ran lightly up
the slope toward the white, mansion on
the hillside. futtering the vines that
fr;noed fine wide piazza where a group
of Young girls sat chatting, resting, or
busying themselves with dainty needle
work.
ssWhat a delicious breezer exclaimed
Florence Freeman, rising as she spoke
The slender, thoughtful-loo young
man reclining unseen in the depths OF
large easy chair just within one of the
long windows glanced up from the
pages OF book in which he had, been
absorbed, and his dark eyes followed
her graceful figure admiringly.
ut sets me wild to be doing some
thing" she continued, pacing up and
down the long porch. "Do you know,
girls pausing abruptly, we're a set
of sIaves?"
20, FlorryP'' exclaimed laughing
voice, ''now don't give US lecture on
woman's rights!'
Never fear; that isn't what 1 was
thinking of. We are hindered by cir
| eumstances from being and doing what
we feel is within us to be and do"
Listen, girls interrupted another
| voice, "Florry is on her high horse.
Now we shall see some prancing."
Laugh away" returned Florence.
s.I'm in earnest. Why must we, be
cause we happen to have drifted into a
certain channel, or because a particular
| course is marked out for us by friends,
| drift on down the stream or keep on In
| the same course to the bitter end. even
though we must smother the best there
is in our natures in doing SOP"
Intense feeling emphasized her words,
| and her unseen listener found himself
wondering what personal experience
had prompted them. Amy Gray lifted
her eyes.
s.Duty is often unpleasant" she said
''but it is best, after all, to have settled
plan and purpose and cling to then
through everything. Think what a chaos
would result if we all followed our OWL
inclinations, and, worse than that
whatever might for the moment be ON
ruling passion"
Florence did not answer for mo
ment; her eyes were rowing across thu
wide sweep of the river, where whit
sail glimmered in the afternoon sun
shine.
20, yes; there must be plans, o
course, and they must be carried out, o.
nothing would be accomplished. Blu
take special cases. There is cousin Dora
for instance. Why must she give VI
her painting to marry Fred Long, mere
" because she promised to when mer
child, and didn't know what she want
edP OF course l don't say anything
against Fred. He is good as gold, bu
he can't appreciate her talents. Why
he has begun to interfere with her plan
already. Says she works too steadily
and wants her to give up some wOrl
she had undertaken in order to be mar
ried sooner. She only laughed over il
OF course she wouldn't say anything
but we can all see she doesn't love him
How can she, when he has no sympath
with her on that subject? Now, VIII,
can't she say so, and be free?"
.'She feels her responsibility" SAT-
Amy's soft voice. ''She knows how de
voted MIR. Long is to her"
"Sh-h! here she comes" whispers
Edith Stanley as bright-faced girl fiut
tered up from the garden, like daint,
white butterfly, and perched herself OF
the steps. A dead silence fell on tn
group for a moment, and then Dor
turned her laughing face toward he
cousin: go on, Florry. You were Civ
ing lecture, weren't you? ! could hea
you Grating but couldn't catch wor
of the discourse"
Its ended now," said Florence COO
~, mentally resolving never to be 8
careless again in mentioning ''specia
cases" ''and unless some one has take
notes you can never hope to know any
thing about it, for it was quite i'm
promptu." And, taking her cousin
arm, she marched her up and down tn
piazza humming gay air.
Meanwhile, within the windows tn
young man sat motionless, his finge
still between the pages that only a fey
moments ago held him spellbound, a.
though his world had fallen in ruiz
around him since Florence began he
lecture Outside the breeze ran;
among the tree-tops and ruffied tn
shining bosom of the river. The Angus
sunshine lay mellow on the grass, bu
he heard nothing, saw nothing.
The tea bell rang suddenly and start
ed him out of his meditations. TIL
girls disappeared with much chatter an,
gay laughter, and he rose mechanicallr
and walked like one in a dream dow
through the garden and on into littl
grove beyond, his one thought to b
alone where no human eye could adj
to his torment with its questionin,
glance. There, under the trees, wher
he and Dora played in childhood, b,
walked to and fro, one sentence ring
ing in his ears like sentence of doom
1--WE can all see she doesn't love him.
1t was hard to come down from the pin
nacle where he had imagined himsel
crowned king of one heart.
When Dora, only 10 then, had giveI
him her hand so confidingly as the,
walked together in this very grove
only it was morning then, and spring
time, and the air was filed with thu
scent of wild crab-apple blooms, and sh'
wore them at her throat; how plainly ht
could see her now, all in white, and tn,
pink of her cheek so like the daint,
blossoms-he had taken the gift un
questioningly, and no doubts had evel
assaulted him. He knew her devotion
to art and was proud of her success, bu
he had never dreamed that it would b.
his rival in her affections.
'tHave been so blind?" he questioned
80, my little Dora!''
Something must be done, and that a
once. Should he go to Dora and ask i
these things were true? That would bt
like saying ''Have you been deceivins
me all these years?" He could not dc
! it. He must wait, with what patience
he could, until he could decide for him
self. He was very thankful that Dors
had not quite decided to be married in
the fall, as that would be one test III
could put her to. 1t is something to
have an idea that can be acted upon al
once, and he retraced his steps toward
the house with this one purpose in
view. How shall he find a minute in
which to speak alone with Dora? He
| feels that he cannot bear the suspense
until another day shall come, and then
mutters to himself, Fool! what if il
must last a lifetime? What if l am
never to know?"
As he reached the piazza a girlish
voice cried out eagerly: 20, Mr.. Long
where have you been hiding yourself?'
| and in an instant he was surrounded by
laughing group, who scolded and
| questioned with such vivacity that their
/ victim found it unnecessary to say q
word; it was. in fact. quite impossible.
| Then Dora rose from the piano.
Here, Dorai'' called Edith Stan1y,
''here is the deserter. What shall be
done to him?' And they led him be-
fore his bright-eyed Judge.
Dora had never before seemed to him
| Just as she did at that moment-so far
away, as if a great gulf were fixed between
/ them. He could scarcely believe in her