Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-27

beautiful girl. This, combined with an ex-
uuisite taste in dress, might have given her
mora power over hearts than she ever
dreamed of possessing, but she studiously
withdrew herself from almost all society
in the school. knowing but one or two init
mately and living in dreams in the future.
At the end of the term she met Philip
Burdeli, now admitted to the bar. Buther
sedusion had made her shy and she found
it impossible to throw it off, even in his
presence. He CONSTRUED this reticence as
an indication OF her changed feelings to-
ward him and met her with q GOODNESS that
chilled her to the heart. She went away
sadder and colder, shutting up the pain in
her heart with Il firm hand, shedding no
tears, and taking up her changed lie again
in much the same way as before, SO that no
on dreamed OF the cruel shadows that
darkened her soul.
It was the old tale, a misunderstanding
and an estrangement. 1t was years before
they met again. At last, urged by her
friends. and pitying the sutton, Jean mar
ried. She knew she did not love this man
as she ought to love a husband; yet the
shielding tenderness in his manner, the love
in his quiet eyes was so new and SO sweet
to ler that sometimes in his presence she
almost forgot the past. None who saw her
married dreamed that the blossoms OF her
hope were dead and her life henceforth a
wearisome desert, forever staring her in
the face with it's shadowy, desolate waste.
She fulfilled her duties as d wife unfiinch-
inely. She tried to love her husband and
could not help respecting him. He believed
the slight restraints which always char
acterized her manner toward him to be
only the natural result of her phlegmatic
temperament. Thus she lived on, sternly
selt-ieliant, giving her confidence to no one
and waiting patiently, yet more sadly each
day, for the forgetfulness that never came.
Once only, she met her old lover. Ont
evening, at the house OF a friend, she caught
his eyes as he stood watching her enter.
ewes showed that he felt it. She came for
ward rapidly, extending her hand with a
smile of recognition, yet SO different from
her old smile that it haunted her long
afterwards smile which hid her inmost
emotions securely from his gaze. He went
away more utterly blinded, if possible,
than before, believing her happy, believing
she had never, even rs a girl, loved him:
The years went on. Her husba nc died,
leaving her at 80 unfettcred again. Her
life henceforth, she thought, would be sad
der than ever, more desOlate, more Tor
saken. In the months Of her widowhood
the sorrow and regret for her husband was
such that she never admitted to herself the
possibility OF ever marrying gain;
Philip Burdell she believed at last had
grown to be nothing to her. Where he was
she did not know and never asked.
One evening she sat alone in the parlor
singing spatches OF one of T~cnnysOn'f
songs.
The music, sad as the words, and bel
own voice sadder still, thrilled through tn
loom mournfully, startling even herself
| and she arose and turned to the window
| Suddenly she heard a voice behind her, ane
turning met the same pale, fair face, tn
same thrilling brow; eyes that had haunted
| her all her life. Even then her s~eli-posscs
| sion was hut slightly shaken. She started
! as she caught sight OF his face, but recov
cred herself instantly, though seeing tn
| old look in his eyes, the same look he hat
long ago.
After the first greetings were over h
asked her to sing the song over again, ant
stood watching her as she complied. II
saw the old glow come into her eyes, SAL
her male face flush and whiten again be
Meath his steady gaze, and as she turne'
from the piano, caught her hand in a SUI
den passionate pressure. j.
"Seven years ago Tonight he cried, :"
stood with you at the gate with a volc
saying, in my heart, just what it does tt
night, L love you, l love you;' but hushe
it, thinking to wait until could take 20
wholly as my own. When ] came bac
again, in the changed looks you gay
me I could read nothing bat Indifferent
in your manner, nothing Of your old Low
but tonight l see the same smile on you
face; the anne love i'll your eyes. a
loved you all these wearisome years IL
nothing? Must I wait still longer"
He read the answer in her eyes, an
folded her in lis arms. This time the bea'
tiful face turned scarlet as his lips met her
and the hand he clasped tiuttered and trer
} bled like a frightened bird.
And the shadows fell darker and dark
through the window, and the night clasp
the earth in a solemn embrace; but ov
their lives had ~broadened a beautiful da
more bright, more glorious for the shade
past, the sorrows endured.