The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-01-08

wished TO finish. and had plans 10 30
carried out which she felt would ID
sadly interfercd with by the necessary
arrangements for wedding. Now
she had this additional motive.
VERY well. came The answer, calm
and steady. No trembling In the quiet
tones 20 betray the hearts unutterablc
anguish A. Il whispered To itself:
How glad she i to BE- free even for q
year"
A. for Dora. her heart was saying:
" He does not care"
And then thcy talked Of Indifferent
matters. these two foolish ones, and the
precious hours in which they might
have undcrstood each other slipped
away and were gone forever.
Once more apart, their letters were
exchanged 1t regular intervals Fred 9
kind and loving. "Of course \ said
Dora, lit i his duty" while Dora's
were a curious study had her lover but
known. Each one little cooler. 3
q little briefcr than the last, until By
the time spring had dressed the fields
and woods in green again poor Fred
had wcll-nigh made up his mind that
Florence was right. Dora's heart was
all in her painting; she had grown
quite weary Of him.
"This suspense is killing me-" he
would say; ''but Ill wait-it y better
lit will soon be over"
And Dora. working herself TO .
shadow over her painting. would think:
'.Thc end can not be far of, He will
soon BE- free"
Early in the summer Fred found him
self again in the old familiar haunts-
but. alas the old Joyous lightwas want
| ing everywhere. A shade. = mist.
seemed hanging over everything. and
Dora Was farther away than ever.
There were no merry guests TO divide
| her attention: but. SO absorbed, 50
silent, did she seem. he could hardly
believe il was the same Dora he had
| known in other days
| A week passed by-a week Of mingled
| paradise and torment. Sometimes he
| would be on the point Of saying to her:
Dora, will stand in your way nc
| longer; but faint hope still fingered
and he could not crush ii so ruthlessly
| At other times he could almost believe
himself mistaken--all these months Z
| fearful dream-when her eyes met hi:
% earnestly and seemed filled for I
moment with the old, warm light.
They sat together one day upon |
little rustic seat. chatting and resting
after a walk. Fred had taken SONS
letters from his pocket which he wished
to show to Dora A picture fell from
among them. Dora stopped to recover
It. 'sCousin Florry." she murmured
and Fred began making some common
place remark upon its correctness
Then. CHANGING at his companion'
face. he was startled at its deadly
pallor. Dora he cried, you are i'll
We walked to far You must rest"
mo. I'm not ill.," she said. almos
sharply. How lovely Florence is"
| Yes. indeed She Is wellnigh per
feet. But there Is only one Dora in al
the world. taking her little, cold hanc
in his Without Dora the world i
meaningless to me-"
| Dora's eyes were scanning the dist
ant hills. She made no reply. Sh,
was steeling her heart against him
ssHe wants to be true she thought
..but l will have no such love-
Dora. you are not happy"
she started: Not perfectly 80
What mortal is?"
1T seems TO me would be II only
things could be IS they once wers
between US"
This was the first allusion be had
made TO the fact that he had noticed
any change in their relations.
Dorx realized that crisis was com
ing. She simply awaited it in silence
She would neither strive to avert mol
TO hasten il.
II have sometimes feared that YOU
and have been mistaken. That is the
right word. think. II 50, | love you
too well to ask you to keep a promise
which las become hateful to you"
/ Dora rose from her seat; . sudden
| FIRE famed in her pale cheek. She
held her hand out toward him the
dear little hand that wore his ring
Something in her air bewildered him
He stood moment motionlcss. Their
seized the hand in both Of his own
She shook him OF impaticntly and drew
the ring from her finger. Now he un
derstood.
..Without word. DoraP' he said
struggling for self-command as mar
might battle for life against the waves
of sea.
4 What is there 10 say?" asked Dora
her voice clear as silver bell. Will,
her eyes sh0ne like two stars. Ant
again he told himself that lie. '.She i
gladr'
And 50 they parted. The tic formed
almost in childhood was broken, and
they went their separate ways.
| Day after day Dora's pale, resolut'
face bent over her canvas. and sh'
steadied her trembling hand for greate
achievements. She worked too hsrd
they said She was too ambitious; sh'
PUT too much Of her life-blood into tn
strokes Of her brush. and a few month
ended the struggle.
He came again 20 the dear old h0us'
beside the river: . crowd Of friends has
gathered there. but Dora gave them .,
welcome Pale and silent she lay an,
stirred not . finger nor IN eyelash 70
any Of their tears He stood there will
Florence. and that still form between
them; it, smiling lips were no NOR
silent now than they had been in life
A dumb patience was marked on III
sweet face. but they never gucssed u
1