Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-12-24


rising up before him.
was seated in his library before an open
fire, indulging in a misty train of retro
spective thought.
A servant had just brought him the
mail, and among his letters he had found
an illuminated Christmas card, sealed In
q cream-laid envelope, and addressed in
Miss de yoau's graceful handwriting.
"Just like her! She always does the
conventional thingdoos Miss Gertrude.
It was singular to heaS him speak in
that way, inasmucA IS ne had all but
made up his mind to ask Miss de Neau to
marry him. But then Warren Clyde was
different from most men or his age, and
, romance II his life had died years ago.
The ghost Of It came back to him
though, as he drew this Christmas card
from its cover. For a moment his check
glowed like girls; deep flush mounted
to his close-cropped yellow hair, and then
left him pale as death.
His eyes wandered from the beautiful
card before him to the bed of glowing
Goals upon the hearth, out Of which
sweet visions Of the past seemed to be
gently rising.
Once more he was d simple sailor who
knew and loved the fairest girl in Halli-
cote-Sybil Vincy. They had been play
mates together, but had been separated
during all the years that Warren had
spent at the Naval Academy
After his graduation they had met
again, and Warren found his childish
love for Sybil fast changing into deeper
and stronger passion. But she was the
daughter of great shipowner, rich and
famous, while he was humble fellow,
poor and prospectless.
1t had been one Of his whims, more
over, to set aside the commission con-
ferred upon him by the Academy, and to
enlist with body of marines, from whose
ranks he determined % rise.
After he met Sybil Vincy he wished
that he had not been so rash, for, as a
naval officer, he might have made some
pretensions to her favor, But 1t was too
late to repent the step he had taken. He
felt that Sybil loved him, but he would
not bind her even by the slender ties of a
confession, to ole whose future was
uncertain.
They had parted til friendly words
nothing more.
During the Rebellion his gallant service
would in the end have secured him an
admiralty, but he had hardly received his
commission as lieutenant ere he was
wounded in an engagement and was
obliged to retire.
Happily for the ,abled young officer,
at this critical juncture, distant relative
bequeathed to him large fortune.
His thoughts at once reverted to Sybil
whom he hoped now to win for his wife
but she no longer lived in Hallicote.
with Joyous heart he learned that she
had never married; but concerning her
whereabouts he could find out nothing.
Mr.. Yincy had lost heavily on several
government contracts for vessels. and
before the close OF the war every vestige
OF his fortune had been swept away. His
death had followed it shortly after.
SYPHILIS mother had been dead for wears.
and the young girl was thus left absolutely
alone. After her fathers death she had
gone away from Hallicote-no one knew
whittier.
1t then became Warren's sacred purpose
to find his lost love, and for two wears he
had devoted himself to searching for her
But as he had not the slightest clue, he
was baffied in every attompt, and had
gradually been forced to relinauish the
sweetest dream of his life.
He was thirty-five years old now. and
was still "the young lieutenant in soci.
ETY.. Sybil was to him as one of the dead
ana his love was such bootless passion
that he hoped to forget it In a brilliant
neutrality-suspicious. with Miss de yeau.
All these things came floating back to
warren on the wings of memory as he
held the Christmas card before him,
1t had been just at this time that he
had parted last from Sybil. How well he
remembered the day and circumstance
She had been in the little Hallicote
chapel where he had been sent to find her.
1t was bright winter day, and she was
busy preparing for the Christmas service.
She had told him that she was to super
Intend the decorations. and when hs went
to say goodbye to her, he had taken with
him wreath Of red 1erried holly, wrought
with his own hand.