The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-11-05

being somebody else. can't imagine
it Sometimes I wish / had money
enough to buy long gloves. 1t annoy.
me to shop about trying to find cheaI
hings."
''Oh, I mean more than that, :" he ex.
/ claimed. II mean going shopping in q
carriage and buying whatever strikes
your fancy
She laughed. Eyes, that would be
pleasant, but a school teacher does not
60 shopping IN q carriage and buy
whatever strikes her fancy"
And so Hugh falls deeply down, or
up. in love, as he pictures the girl, not
] . school teacher always, but rich and
sheltered by his love, forever lifted from
this plOdding rut of school teaching.
He tells Papa Valrey all that is in his
heart after this conversation, which
ends by his saying abruptly:
Il hate to think of your teaching a
lot of stupid girls"
"Ah, but they are not all stupid"
don't you hate it?'' he asked.
"Hate teaching? Inever thought Of
hating or enjoying it particularly. 1t is
my metier-my trade. l suppose shall
always teach"
"You shall not" said Hugh. fercely.
They were alone for those few min
utes, and the gas had been turned low.
Pauline reached her hand up to the
burner, but Hugh caught her by the
wrist.
pauline" he said, and his voice
trembled little.
"Hush, Hugh" she whispered softly.
Then he kissed her hand.
NJ. Valrey came in with his spectacles
and newspaper.
at is very dark here" he said. He
turned on the gas, and when the light
flooded the room he did not seem to no.
tice the two flushed, excited faces that
it revealed. but seated himself deliber-
ately by the table and unfolded his
paper.
Hugh's breath came thick and hard.
His eyes sought Pauline's and she lifted
hers with smile that answered him.
Love needs no words; love can beg and
yield in silence.
The ''step aside" is Pauline's, when.
after the death Of her father, she is left
to struggle on as gOverness and COM
paniOn at the house of poor Hugh's en-
ployer, who has even then learned to
love her. Brought in contact with
wealth, her future with Hugh seems
very small, and lacking in all these es-
sential things a sensitive woman loves
and Graves. The story of her tempta-
ton. this thoroughly natural struggle
which goes on unknown to her young
lover, is keenly analysed and well
worked out There are few, if any, in
cidents in this course of true love, but
many clever bits of character. and evil
dences of human nature, and that grad
ual lowering of moral tone, until Hugh,
at last, yields to the necessity of provid-
ing a home for Pauline, and takes
money which does not belong to him,
with which he speculates and loses. In
his desperation he confesscs 10 Prosper.
the man who employs him. and who is
only too glad to have him err, that he
has embezzled. Prosper chances at his
watch, hardly seeing the hands. He
was thinking of Pauline Valrey, not of
his lawyer. with whom he had an en-
gagement that afternoon. What would
she do, now that her lover was dis
graced? He pitied the man before
him, and he could not bear to look
again at Hugh's white face.
81 am sorry, Langmuir," he said,
''but there is nothing to be done. To
punish you would not bring back the
money, even if you had taken twenty
times a thousand dollars. These things
are best hushed up. OF course the men
in the Office will know, or suspect at
any rate. but it can be kept quiet. Per-
haps you had better go.
''1f you want me-" said Hugh, lyon
can find ME. Anyway, l have told YOU"
He drew a deep sigh. I'D like to pay
the money back, he added. 81 was
crazy when l took it." He laid his
hand on the door knob. and then turned
and looked Prosper full in the face.
''GOodby," he sad.
His tone startled Prosper. Don't
loose your head. Langmuir, he ex-
claimed. '.Don't''-
He was speaking to the empty air,
for Hugh had passed out of the office.
He took his hat and coat and went into
the street, making his way home
and let himself into the
house with his latchkey. No one saw
or heard him. and he stole softly up to
his room. He felt such great relief that
the worst was over, that he was con-
scious of q sensation akin to happiness.
He sat down by the table and wrote
letter to Pauline. telling her the whole
story in as few words as he could, and
then he stopped to think. At last. he
simply signed his name to the confess
sion, addressed the letter. and carried it
out to the letter-box on the corner. He
saw the postman coming up the street,
saw him unlock the box and slip his
letter along with rest into the bag. She
would get it that evening. He smiled.
He believed that she would cling to him
in spite of every thing. Slowly he
walked 20 the house, past it, on toward
the East river, stroll!ng about aimlessly |
until twilight Mrs. Terry heard him
come in, and she met him in the hall.
"Hugh," she said, do you know this |
S Pauline's birthday?"
''Whv, had forgotten it, but she is
coming here, isn't she? Mr.. Kane told !
ne. o, it was a secret. / was to be sur
'i-Seu. "cii, ~ nial'ci' IL iuahe oe-
ieve be surprised"
Mrs. Terry thrust note into his i
land, ''Read it." she said, and he read
t. "You see what she says" cried Mrs.
Terry in anger, land SIZE promised she'd
,e here, and went and made Il cake
md got candies to stick around it, the
more fool me! might have known she
lidn't care any thing about us. She's
you and me and every body.
''She promised to be here?" he said.
'Yes, and she was so pleased, and
'ou wasn't to know; and there Mr.. Kane
las gone and got some flowers for her.
}, 1 could shake her, Hugh"
No, Pauline is with Miss Berryan and
'rosper at the Academy, Delmonico's,
x,z.s.harG, hut In, tho hoaxai.,xE |