Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-05

s'You have had several visits from
new friend lately, TiIda,' she said, with
a pleasant smile: sis he relation:
Tilda looked conscious, and crimped he'
apron hem uncomfortably. 1t was mo
ment before she spoke: ''Das been yoong
man com sometime hare, but deys good
man; dey's all time to de shursh
AS the Swedish church was VIGOROUSLY
the one common place of meeting OF all
the young working people OF that nation
in the city, Mrs. Loring had her doubts
as to the singleness of motive which IN
f1uenced the young mans devotion TO the
sanctuary; but she kept this question OF
casuistry to herself, and also withheld
anv comment upon Tilda's ignoring OF
her question as to relationship, and aimed
directly al the point OF what she came 10
say.
/ II have no fault to find with the young
man, Tilda, but / was thinking OF that
nice lover of yours in Sweden. You
mustn't forget him."
Tilda laughed .'Oh, das all right,
Meesis Lo'ing," she said, ''yoong gels
must hev sometime lettle foon. He'll
trus' me''-with little head toss. ''Das
all right"
Mrs. Loring looked and felt doubtful,
but she remembered the many girls In her
own circle who also had "a lettle foon, y
and feeling, like the Vicar Of Wakefield,
tired of being always wise" threw out
some word Of general caution and retired
from the field.
Again the weeks ran On, bringing such
sequel as we may have guessed. Nj
Nielsen, as Tilda' new friend was named,
could not have been very amusing per
son. for it took more and more frequent
visits, until finally he came nightly, to
afford her the ''lettle foon" which she
claimed as her right Mrs. Loring en-
postulated until Tilda became sUllen, and
then, making up her mind that the matter
was out of her province, dropped it, short
IL after which Tilda gave warning.
You are going TO be married, Tilda?''
Mrs. Loring said
Tilda's face hardened, and she stood
silent.
Mrs. I.oring continued. 'I have no right
to your confidence, Tilda, if you do not
choose 10 give it: but you have been with
me a good while, and | am attached to
YOU. and am so anxious that you should
do what is right'-the last words with
manner so winning that it broke Tilda
down.
II kenenty halp EN-, Meesis Lo'ing,"
she sobbed. ''NeekluS hey been gone
longer time, an deys fader donnotty get
tin veil an donnotty die, an | Eenenty
always wyatt Cor man wut kere more for
deys fader an moder II dey kere for me. ]"
Mrs. Loring was silent, and seeing alb
solutely no soil in which to sow her store
of good seed, remained so, rejecting, as
she retreated, upon the difficulty of graft
ing one persons actions upon another S
motives.
So Tilda left at the expiration of her
month, and soon after was married.
Mrs Loring employed another cook, and
Tilda slid into the past.
II was the new cooks ''evening out, "
about a month after Tilda's marriage.
Mrs. Loring was reading Iii the library,
when a loud knocking reused her TO a
sense that gentler one had preceded it.
1t seemed to be at the kitchen door, and
she went herself to open it. AT first she
did not recognize the man whom she
found standing there, but in an instant ii
came TO her that it was Tilda's old
lover, and in that same instant she re-
allied with gathering indignation that
Tilda with the cOwardice characteristic
of weak and ignorant nature, had
faithlessness and had left the result &c
distance and chance What should she
do? All this while she pleasantly wei
coined him back TO America. and asked
him in. dishonest face, which had aged
more than was natural in year and d
half, betrayed the disappointment he felt
when Mrs Loring, and not Tilda, opened
the door.
''Ees Tilda gone out?'' he asked.
eyes, - she answered; that is" Gong
ing to gain little time ''she left me
over a month ago" Here she paused
and the pity that was in her heart crepi
into her face, and Nicholas perceived it. =
..Fes awning com at hare" he asked
in an awe struck tone. ''EeS she died;"
no, my poor fellow" answered Mrs
Loring. laying her delicate white hanC
kindly on his big red one. ''Sit down {
minute. and try TO be brave and strong
for / have something very hard to tel
you"
Nicholas obeyed. his weather heater
cheeks blanching under the brown, ant
his honest blue eyes holding so mucl
wondering distress III them that Mrs
Loring's task became indeed hard
1T is better TO know the worst than t.
wait" she said ''Tilda has been yer.
crnel and untruthful to you, and she i
married to an A heavy groan ar
rested her words She had spoken wit!
averted eyes, shrinking from gazing upon
the pain she was giving. Now she saw
that he had sunk forward in limp heap
head and shoulders buried in his arm
UDon the table Perfect silence FOLLOWED
the yroan and Mrs i4oripg respected il
but as minutes passed, and he neithe
moved nor made sound, she spoke L
him. Receiving no answer, she touches
his shoulder; he did not move. Then sh
knew the big man had tainted. There wa
ice water in the dining room, and Quickl
getting a glass, she turned his head so a
to bring the face outward, and dashed
little in it. The effect was immediate II
opened his eyes and lifted his head. FO
a moment he was quite dazed: then al
came back to him, and ne staggered To hi
feet.
Il will go,'' he said, heavily, half feel
. ing. half looking about him for his hat.
. NO. indeed. my poor fellow eS
claimed Mrs. Loring not yet You mus
let me warm you some tea before you z
out; | am afraid you are moi well. An
she niotioned him to sit down. Then h
, saw the splash of water on the table an
, the front Of her dress for she had spille
il in runLing) and putting his hand to hi
, shirt collar felt it there. He thought a
, instant ana the meaning came To him.
, ~ hev mex trooble, he said, hnmbly
81 hey trayvel SO far, an ] hev sometm
not eat mush, an max heart dey, gone,
and his voice broke.