Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-04-12

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JACK, EXCITED, DASHED INTO THE BOOM
| world for him, in such manner that she
felt intuitiyely that this was no passing
| fancy.
Trembling with strange confusion. LII
stood with downcast eyes and crimson
cheeks, as her lover, who had ventured to
| take her sim hands in mis- own, plead, as q
| man might plead, for his life
But have known you SO short time,
Mr. Ethring," she said, in a low and rather
troubled voice, II can not tell my own
heart in this thing"
II do not ask your answer now" he said.
gravely. God forbid Perhaps should
not have spoken SO soon You know COM
paratively nothing of me save that have
been in business and met with heavy losses
But let me say this Tomorrow go back
to the world Six months hence I will ask
your answer II you say, come-that is
enough. Shall it be SOL"
There was silence in the room for q mo-
ment Ethring fancied he could herr the
quickened beating of the young girls heart
as she stood motionless before him in the
half darkness
1T shall be as you wish, she said And
softly withdrawing her hands from his clasp
she glided away.
Lii was not one to wear her heart upon
her sleeve. She took up her burden of duty
as of yore, but as the days went by after
Ethring had gone. LII was vaguely con-
sciOus that something was missing out of
her life. Yet at the same time it was as
though life itself WAS taking on new bright
ness and beauty. AS she sat at the old piano
In the twilight, sometimes her lips would
shape into the tender smile which is the re-
f1ex of happy thoughts. And then from the
white keys came improvisations Of wonder
full sweetness and beauty.
Before leaving her Ethring had spoken
briefly of Rose. the original of the photo
graph she had seen His deceased father
had been anxious that Ethring should
marry her tn unite tie two estates and
drawn from him half promise that he would
think Of it" But the more he thought
of it, the more distasteful the idea. To Rose
herself it did not seem to matter much
either way. rich marriage was the desire
OF her heart-love quite o secondary con-
sideration-
L am entirely alone in the world now,
with no one to please but myself have
written Miss Anstrath to consider herself
free to marry the man of her choice" he
said That was all
April and May with bud and promise
gave way to their sister months of blossoms
and fulfillment One more month and-her
letter would come?
1t was Mrs Merrick, the rector's wife.
who handed her the New York paper con-
aiming rather extended notice of the
marriage of Robert 7. Ethring. the young
millionaire broker, whose successful recoup
from his tremendous losses last winter will
be remembered. to Mrs Rose Anstrath, the
charming society belle
So strange he shouldn't have sent you
cards. dear" she said, innocently And Lii
who had summoned all her pride and cour-
age, very quietly replied that it was per-
haps an overs ght And having completed
her neighborly call, went home
When Lii got to her room and had locked
herself in she did NOS cry or faint She
came from different stock LII only threw
off her hat and fell on her knees by the |
bedside, burying her white face in her |
hands The agonizng cry which went up |
to Heaven was only Ineligible to Him |
whose ear is always open.
A little paler-a little more quiet. LII |
went about the every day, commonplace |
paths 81 life which must be taken up |
whether the heart carry its direct ache per- |
petually with it or not For the blow she !!
had received served first to show the |
strength and depth of love now remain |
ing only to be crushed out
One pang was still to be added Six |
months from the time of Ethring's depart
ure came q letter-containiug the DELAYED |
,rdS 7 h. h.
and feeling of this missive This she at
once reinc.osed to the printed address on
the corner of the envelope. adding merely
these words:
81 return your letter and contents with
out opening Any further communications
Of whatever nature from you, Mr. E.hring.
will meet with q like return.
LILLIAN STANFoRTH
Now ON the evening when Ethring had
ieclar mis- love. Jack, who had entered
The 70 n unobserved, heard q goodly share
Of VIII was going on. before he had pres
ence of mind enough to beat . noiseless re-
treat
He was an honorable. manly boy, and
kept nis knowledge to himself That Eth
.ing had written Lii at the expiration of
The appointed time filed his heart with
.xultation But when he knew she had re-
turned the letter unopened, Jack felt that
was wrong.
What. he had no conception until late In
he following winter. Bobby Merrick hap
pened in conversation to speak OF NJ
ethring's marriage And being nasty sort
u boy, alluded in tsunting sort Of way to |,
he fact that folks said LII Etanforth was
,reakin' her heart over It
lam happy to ssy that Jack administered |
J ttHashfnG then and there to young Msxxick |,
ghicA - remembered for many dsy: And
Aen. hotling over with wrath, Jack vet
49, md ap to his chamber Thea n Co. h