Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-16

had pass bad night. lest any one-she
did not define in her own mind who the any
one" might be-should put two and two To-
gether, and connect her mdisposltion with
Capt. Hardness marriage.
1hereupon, Immediately after breakfast,
she left Copplethwate on a tall, gray horse,
and took the roal TO Gaystown. Alter 60
ing mile or so, she met Hartog and Lucy
out for their morning ride together. VI
course Hartog pulled up his horse, ana
equally, of course, Lucy could not do other
wise; though, if he had been alone, he would
simply have saluted and passed on. As 1t
was, they turned back with her, and the
three rode slowly toward the town, Olive in
the midst.
She did not, however, go more than a mile
farther. It was not very pleasant, for Har-
tog talked great deal, and Lucy very little;
SO presently Olive drew rein, and said she
had come far enough
"Shall you be at home this afternoons'
Hartog asked. IF so, l will ride over, if
may"
ayes, do | believe several people are
coming in for tea Olive answered; then
looked deprecatingly at Lucy and said:
"Won't you come. tool You have not been
near us for ages"
For a moment it seemed as if every drop
of blood in poor Lucy's body had flown to
his face; the next instant it was as white as
chalk.
am awfully sorwry,' be stammerei; ''but
I've got TO go AMI look at horse with the
colonel I-l-don't think | can get off it
"Never mind; come another day" said
Olive, holding out her hand to him.
al WILL" lie answered
But he did not; no, not for many day
after
Olive felt drawer and better as she rode
back to Copplethwaite alone; she was on the
high road 10 making friends again with
Capt Lucy. who would never, never, she
knew, taunt her with what she was so des-
rerately anxious to hide from Capt Hark-
less in particular, and from tue world in
ceneral-that she had allowed her fancy to
be taken by man who had passed her over
for another Even to herself she was care
full TO say her fancy" even to herself she
would not admit that her heart had been
touched at all.
1t was marvellous how much better she
felt; her headache had altogether left her
i'll reality, from the effect of the excitement
an by the time she reached home she be-
gan to think that, after all, she did not care
very much about it
As she had said to HartoG, some people
were coming for tea; and very fair num-
Der did Come--there must have been twenty
Hartog arrived in good time and STAYED TO
the last, though he had not much opportun-
ity of saying anything of q private nature
to Olive; he did, however, have a chance of
asking her if she were going to hear Trebelli
! and Edward Lloyd, in the Gaystown town
hall, the following evening
"Oh, yes Of course we are Olive an
swered. Are not you goingl'
$40 be sure l shall see you there, thenf-
Eyes, We sit in the front row.
~ shall do my best to get seat next
yours" be said, with j laugh
a am afraid you won't he able TO do that.
| for we took the only three left On that row, "
| Olive informed him.
"What a nuisance! Then shall sit aud
| look murderously at the Nretche1 occupant
all the evening. | hope you will wear an
| extra pretty dress, Just to give me chance
of looking pleasant part of the time
q will, answered Olive, with quite her
| old air of gayety,
| Now, when the morning dawned it was
the feast of St Valentine and when the
post bag reached Copplethwaite there were
| a dozen or SO of letters addressed to Miss
| Weyland. There was a grand white satin
| affair from Tom Hotham, the richest coal
owner in Lancashire, who would long age
| gladly have taken Olive away from Couple.
thwaite, TO spend the proceeds of his black
diamond mines as she thought most fit
| There were other offerings of the samf
kind, and there was one in the shape of q
| packet--a small, square packet done up in
| thick whits paper, and containing a little
| case such as jewellers usa When Olive
opened this she found that it held a gold
Iocket, bearing on one side the letter o in
| sapphires; on the other was cut into the
| gold a monogram of two letters, and the
letters were A IL
For a moment or two the girls heart
seemed to stand still as if it never would &c
on any more forever. Then, as she began Il
think more coherently, she began to breathe
more freely, and her heart to beat again
| with something like regularity.
| After all, she had been 4 stupid, foolish
girl, and had borne a very agony of pair
without the least cause for having any paiI
| whatever OF course it was true that h.
| was ronE to be married 1t was true that b.
| would announce the name as soon as every
thing was formally settled hut she woult
he the bride, and 1t would be ber name tina
by and by be would disclose To The officer
of bis regiment and to society at large
What little fool sh' hal ever been t,
doubt him, she said, savagely, to herself; t,
doubt the tenderness the gentle, kind, pro
tcc;ins air ct ownership, all because he hat
| a h 70 ha
could he plead guilty to an engagement be
core ne had even asked ber7 How intolerabl,
stupid she had beeni She ought to ha=r
known what he meant by leaving the army
the gallant profession which he loved-sim
ply because it would be impossible to re
main in the same regiment with Capt. Lucy
who had Nc only been in love with her fo
years, but vino had been Ashford Harkness
greatest triendi
but there was letter just within the Ii,
of tho casa letter in the big, careles
hand writing which made her heart thro
Just to look at it; and the letter said this:
Il venture to send you au offer g for st
Valentine, with the hope that in accepting
it you will take me also. | shall look 70
} You AT The concert to morrow evening; an,
if you wear it | shall he the hsppiest ma
upon earth Ever yours, A. H."
Just the letter she wouli have expecte
) him TO wrte-short, brief, soldierly and t
The poiutl No Idle protestations no need
} lass compliments. but straight TO the poin;
; as he would send his sword to his enemy
heart
! Would she wear it, Av, that she would
not only at that evenings concert. tut a
ways; for was not this his first giftl Yes
she would wear it-as she would wear hi
brave and stalwart image in her heart-for
everl
She showed the lockat 20 her mother, nc
the letter at first. though afterward sh
changed her mind and did She answers
with blush and smile, YES" when Mr.,
Heyland asked if she meant to wear il
And then Mrs Weylaud kissed her fondiy
not without a sigh for Lucy and his finf
disappointment
Ali that ble,sel livelong day did DIV
tread, as it We're, upon air. A dozen time
she took her precious locket off its chair
that she might see it better kissed it as tel
derby as if it had been living thing, the