Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-14

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dear, that it will be best for us to part for
ever. l often ask myself if we loved one
another rs much as we did, and l am afraid
we do not A loveless married life would be
too dreadful to live through, and dare not
risk it. 1t is better that the parting should
| come through me. Do not fancy that l am
reproaching you; 1 cannot, for to me you are
| above reproach, above blame. All l see is
that your affection is colder, SO we had better
part. God bless you, Frank; l can never tell
| you how deeply l have loved you.
ELSIE"
Frank was almost stunned by the receipt Of
this letter. He read and reread it till every
word seemed to burn into his brain That
the girls love for him was less he did not be
leve; he could read undiminished affection in
the vague phraseology, in the studied care
fulness to take equal blame on herself. That
she should be jealous was out Of the question,
Long years of experience had taught him that
that this WIS totally foreign to her trustful
nature. There was but one conclusion to
come to. She had given him up because she
thought his happiness was involved. Yet she
wished him to be free; might it not be I'M
gracious to refuse % accept her gift:
Freel There was a terrible fascination in
the sound. Be the bondage ever SO pleasant,
be it even preferable to liberty itself, the idea
of freedom is irresistibly alluring. If the
same bondage viii be chosen again, there is
delight in the consciousness that it will be
your own untrammeled choice. Frank was
aware of a wild exultation when he realized
the fact that he was once more free agent
In the first flush OF liberty poor Elsie's image
faded out of sight and that O: the siren took
its place. Now, without wrong, he might
follow his inclinations. He determined to
write to Elsie, but knew hot what to say and
put it off till the morrow.
There could be no harm in going to the
house of his fascinator; it was pleasant to
think that he might speak, think, LOOK with
out any mental reservations. There would
be no longer any need to watch his actions or
to force back the words which would tell her
that she exercised deadly power over him,
The girl received him with winning smile,
yet when he touched her hand he did
not feel his brain throb nor his blood
rush madly through his veins as he had
expected. He called to mind that when
he was abroad for the first time he had
been served with a peculiar dish, which
he remembered and often longed for when
unattainable. After several years he visited
the same cafe and ordered the same dish The
same cook prepared it and the same waiter
served it, but the taste was not the same; eX-
pectation had heightened the favor, and the
real was inferior to the ideal.
So it was with Frank. Before, when the
siren had seemed unattainable, he had lu1ur-
lated in her beauty, admired her grace and
genius and reveled il her wit; now, when he
felt that he might call her his own, his eyes
began to detect deficiencies. The girl noticed
his critical attitude, and chafed at the calm
ness of his keen, watchful glance. Where
was the open admiration she used to read in
his eyes: Piqued at his Indifference she grew
silent and irritable; and when he babe her
farewell both were conscious that an ideal
had been shattered.
He buttoned his overcoat, and prepared for
a long walk to the lonely chambers where he
lived the usual careless, comfortless life of a
bachelor whose purse is limited. All the way
home he submitted himself to a deep and crit
zeal examination. He felt as if he were sit
ting by the ashes of failing fire which he
had no means of replenishing; the night was
coming, and he must sit in the cold. If pas
sion died out, where was he to look for SYM
pathy, the respect, the true frerdlineSs which
alone can supply its place in married life?
Then he thought of Elsie He had made a
mistake, but a very common mistake. He
had thought that the excitement of his inter
est, the enchanting Of his fancy and the en-
thralment of his senses was love, and lo it
was only passion He analysed his feeling,
more deeply yet and getting below the sur
face currents which are stirred up by the
winds, saw that the quiet waters beneath had
kept unswervingly on their course.
When he reached his chambers he sat down
by his table and drew paper and ink toward
him. Il viii not accept your dismissal, !
Elsie" he wrote hurriedly in answer to her
piteous letter. Il should be very shallow if 1
could not read the motive which prompted
your letter | shall come down as usual, and
we viii talk it over TIL we understand each
other fully. Till then you must believe Inc
when tell you that love You all the more
for your act of sacrifice, and that love you
more now than | have done before"
Frank and Elsie have been long married,
and are content. There is no fear of his
swerving again; but the event described left
its mark on Frank. He knows now that he
was on the verge of committing a grievous
mistake, and one which might have darkened
all his future life. For it is not great events,
involving tragedies and tears, that impress
themselves most deeply upon the body of our
habits and thoughts: but the tendency of our
life, as in the case before Us, is often most
deeply affected by what is no more than IAN
every day occurrence. Chambers Journal