Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-20

round her preparatory TO their dlsm1ssA1 u
noon, when the door opened, and the vicar
o: Chippendale entered, followed BY gen
tleman
aGeod morning, Miss Urmson," be said
shaking hands with her, and noddlng to the
children Il am glad you have not dis
missed your scholars, - wished my friend
to zee them / cannot myself stay to give
him any information about them; but II
you will kindly furnish him with any par
ticulars he may desire, l shall feel obliged
Mr.. Harvey, Miss Urmsom."
Startling and unexpected as the meeting
was, Bel did not loss her self-possession-
The coolest, stiffest inclination Of her head
acknowledged the introduction, then shs
turned aside and remained silent, with q
ringing In her ears that almost deafened
her and q mist before her eyes which
blinded her to everything save the face of
John Harvey. But presently she saw by
the children's movements that the vicar
was leaving; she heard his retreating foot
steps, and, after . pause, she raised her head
and said:
Children, you may go"
Quietly and decorously they trooped out
Of the room, but not until their footsteps
had died away did she turn to John Har-
vey.
why have you come herel7 she asked
Il certainly did not come with any idea
that should see you he replied Il think
/ need hardly assure you, that had known
OF your presence here, l should have
avoided coming to Chippendale altogether
aThen you would still shun msfn
Il would. 1t is the wisest, the only
course car pui sue"
She was silent, debating within herself
whether to bad him go and pursue tie same
course again, or to detain him and ask for
en- explanation of the letter still locked
away in her desk II was more dignifed,
more ccnsonant with her seif-esteem to
send him away, but her weak, loving,
womanly nature r be led against the put
ting esi e of probable happiness
"You sent me- letter some years ago,
she BEGAN, hesitating and Flushing lie a
guilty child II never understood it; viii
you explain it to me now!'
He looked at her and smiled What CO
quette, all women are And Bel, beautiful
Bel, was as ficKle as the rest She had wav-
cred between the Old and new love years
ago when he had gone away and left her &c
be true; and now be found her still unmar-
ried, working, struggling for her daily
bread, and desiring to win him back, a
desire as desricable as it was futile.
"By cones are best left to slumber," be
said Il will wish you good
Don't CO. she said gently. Tell me
what you meant
when Lieut. Haywood came back tc
claim his own, what could | do but abdi-
cater
Lieut.. Heywood!7 she repeated, knitting
her brows in perplexity. Il have not seen
him"
perhaps not lately" he said and laughed.
Then, becoming suddenly grave, he contin-
ued, Il wish you would try to understand
me, without forcing me to be more ex-
plicit"
Speak plainly. have nothing to fear
in any revelation you may make"
Proudly, fear,essly her eyes met his, and
for the first time there dawned on him the
possibility that he had been mistaken in the
identity Of Lieut.. Haywood; but no, that
was not possible, Nevertheless his manner
softened as he said:
'Then listen On thu Thursday that
promised to return to Sutton, | did return
At @The Griffin 1 heard of Mrs. Testers
death, and hurried to the cottage, my heart
filled with tenderness and love for you: but
some on. preceded me thit1er-a young,
ulaii, WIN tLc unIiliStSkdole
military stamp upon him. He went to you
and paused at the gate and saw you meet
him 1 didn't blame yoa, child; to be true
to him you had TO be false to me; but, with
a Pickering smile, perhaps you know | was
very jealous even from the first, Of Lieut..
Haywood
1t was long since Bel Urmson's face had
worn SO happy and blissful a smile.
1T YVES not Lieut. Haywood who came to
me that evening, but my brother-in-law,
Capt Lester"
Capt Lester He was drowned before
met you
$50 we thought; but we were mistaken.
He was picked up by an African coasting-
vessel and carried to Loango, and thence to
several places on the Congo. He was kept
a prisoner for nearly three years. and"
with a little shudder, Il can not tell you all
the cruelties they made him suffer Finally
he effected his escape, and landed in Eng
land fortnight after Clara died"
Her voice shook q little, and she paused
do you blame me now" she asked, and
then broke down in a wailing, piteous cry.
John, forgive me, for l have always been
true in my love for you
My poor love-" he whispered. |
from Mrs Catherine Wallace in Ballou's |
Monthly.