The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-02-03
30 earnestly and seemed iilrd for Il mo

30 earnestly and seemed iilrd for Il mo
mcnt with the old, warm light
They sat together one day upon y
little rustic scat, chatting and resting
after walk. Fred had taken some
letters from his pocket which he wished
to show to Dora. a picture fcl! from
among them. Dora stopped to recover
it. Cousin Florry," She murmurcd,
and Fred began making SOM, common
place remark upon is correctness.
Then, glancng ut his companions $ face,
he was startled ut lis deadly pnllor.
DORA" he cried. "you are i'll. We
walked too far. You must rest"
mo. I'm not ill.," she said almost
sharply "How lovely Florence is."
"Ycs. indeed. She is wcil-nigh per-
feet. But there is only one Dora in all
the world, taking her little. cold hand
in his. "Without Dora the world is
meaningless to me-"
Dora's eyes were scanning the dis
tant hills. She made no reply She
was stccling her heart against him
"Hc wants to be true" she thought,
"but will have no such love"
"Dora, you are not happy
She started. Not perfectly SO. What
mortal is?'
at seems To nc would BE- if only
things could be as they once were be-
tween us.
This was the first allusion he had
made to the fact that he had noticed
any change in their relations.
Dora realized that II crisis was COM
ing. She simply awaited it in silence.
She would neither strive to avert nor to
hasten it.
II have sometimes feared that YOU
and | have been mistaken That is the
word, think. If so. love you too well
to ask you to keep promise which has
become hateful to you"
Dora rose from her scat sudden
fire famed in her pale cheek. She
held her hand out toward him-thc dear
little hand that wore his ring. Some
thing in her air bowildcrcd him. He
stood II moment motionlcss, then seized
the hand in both his own She shook
him Off impaticntly and drew the ring
from her finger Now he understood. o
without word, Dora?" he said,
struggling for sclf-command rs man
might battle for life against the waves
of II sea.
What is there to say?" asked Dora,
her voice clear as n silver bell, while
her eyes shonc like two stars And
again he told himself that lie: "Shc is
gladr'
And SO they parted. The tic formed
almost in childhood was broken, and
they went their separate ways.
Day after day Dora's pale, resolute
face bent over her canvas, and she
stcadicd her trembling hand for greater
achievements. She worked too hard,
they said. She was too ambitious; she
put too much of her lifc-blood into tho
strokes of her brush, and few months
ended the struggle.
He came again to tho dear old house
beside the river; n crowd of friends had
gathered there, but Dora gave them no
welcome. Pale and silent she lay and
stirred not II finger nor an eyclash for
any of thoir tears. He stood thcro with
Florence, and that still form between
them; its smiling lips were no More ST.
lent now than they had been in life. A
dumb patience was marked on the
sweet face, but they never guessed its
meaning.
"If she might only have lived" sobbed
Florence.
Fred spoke not, but tho bitter cry of
his heart was, IF could only know that
she loved mcr'
And they never dreamed, these two
her nearest and dcarest-that hey had
slain her.