Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-04-22
FOR TEE OLD LOVES SAKE.


seems to occupy all your thoughts, and
when she arrives, dare say she will
engross all your attention. But, there,
/ will not scold you. Good night, my
dearest" and Phillip Gilbert, my be-
trothcd, pressed his first kiss upon my
lips.
In the fullness of an almost perfect
happiness, tears came into my eyes as
turned to the house and asked myself,
have l lived the last few moments,
in a dream, or is it reality-has the
love SO long yearned for been given to
me at lastP l had known Philip Gil
bert for many years, and looking back
ward then, could recall to memory a
time when l did not love him. Tall
and fair and blue-eyed, and with the
symmetrical form of an Apollo, Philip
Gilbert would attract attention among
q crowd of handsome men. l was
some years older than he, and had
never been regarded as a beauty. Yet
he had asked me to be his wife. And
yet in the solitude of my own room that
night more than once this thought oc-
Cured to me: VIII our union secure
my future happiness after alp He was
man of quick and generous impulses,
but with no stability of purpose and lit
tie strength of character. Those who
believe that girl is blind to the faults
s.
little of my sex. l had formed, per-
haps, truer estimate of Philip Gilbert's
character than any one of his most init
mate friends. Still loved him with all
my heart and soul, and for no better
than a woman's reason-becausc |
could not help it.
My cousin, Gertrude Harland, arrived
on the morrow. Her father, lawyer
of some prominence in Boston, had but
recently died, and when we learned of
her bereavement, my own dear father
insisted that the orphan child of his only
sister should make her home beneath
his roof. had not seen her since she
was a child of 10, and she was now Is.
As | held her hand in mine and babe
her welcome to our country home, l
thought l never behold being so ra-
dainty beautiful. She was brunette,
with an almost perfectly Greek profile,
and the pure olive complexion, with
just touch of color to give it warmth,
so rarely to be seen by American wo-
men. The old farmhouse where had
lived since my father, Mr.. Maxwell, had
retired from the active practice of his
profession, overlooked the Hudson,
within short distance of Yonkers, a
town which had not reached the i'm
portancc it has since attained. Ger
trude was delighted with her new home,
and was never weary of dilatng on the
scenic beauties of the noble river she
had seen for the first time. She was a
week with us before she and Philip met.
He was away in the northern part of
the state, negotiating, | believe, the
sale Of some property which he owned
there. How well remember the even
ing that meeting took place. l briefly
introduced them, and with marked en-
barrassment Philip stammered forth the
usual conventional phrases. But his
glance was fastened on her face as she
then stood before him with downcast
eyes and demure smile on the full red
lips.
Philips whole attention was given to
Gertrude, and whatever powers he pos
sessed as a conversatonalist were
exerted. 1t was evident he desired to
make favorable impression on my
beautiful cousin. When he had hidden
us good night l went up to my own
room, and, with an aching throbbing
of my heart, | sat beside the open win
dow and tried to recall the incidents of
the past two hours. Was l jealous of
Philip Gilbert? Had he only been
courteous to stranger, and that stran-
ger my own cousin? Was this my
loyalty to lover, to nurture within my
breast woman's mean and pitiful sus-
picion of his fcalty to plighted troth?
And while thinking thus Gertrude Har-
land entered the room. She seated
herself on low stool at my feet, and,
crossing her hands on my knees, she
looked up in my face. thought it was
in tone of railery she laughed:
HE is rather a good-looking young
man, your friend, Mr.. Gilbert; or shall
call him by dearer namc?"
Most people think Mr.. Gilbert
very handsome man," said quietly.
but you have not told me, Mary.
Perhaps, as those odous politicians
would say, he is still astride the Tense,
Less than lover and more than a
friend The line is very suggestive
under certain circumstances.
MIR. Gilbert is my bctrothed lover"
answered most dcfantly.
why, Iguessed as much. Yes, as
you say, he is very handsome, but you
mustn't make hero of your lover for
all that. 1t is not good form, Mary,
and men are so intolerably vain. Well,
1t is sweet hallucination that lasts the
lover until he energies into the hus-
band. No man is a hero to his valet
it is said, nor is any man, my Mary, a
hero to his wife. Did you ever hear
this story about Sir Walter Scot? The
guide Teddy of a Scotch laird once visit
ed the great novelist's wife, and shifted
contemptuously at the shabby carpet
that covered the sitting-room, and the
wife of the man whom all the English
speaking world revered explained, apol-
ogetically, i must make that foolish
Scott write one of his ridiculous love
storys to buy me new carpet But.
as you say. Mary, your betrothed is very
handsome, and let me congratulate
YOU
At an earlier hour than usual Philip
called the following afternoon.
MARY" he said, 1--WE rugged I'D n
big sail in your fathers boat. and its
just the pleasantest day imaginable on
the water"
While addressing me 7 fel+ b;s ,ro,J