Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-08-11

YOU Jessie? 10 me it is the sweetest
name on earth-Jessie, Jessie, don't
you know love you?"
Jessie grew pale under his gaze, and
looked so panied and startled that he
at once repented being so hasty.
Forgive me. Jessie. for startling
you so; but, oh! my darling, if you
| only knew"
Jessie put up her daintily gloved
hand as if to ward off blow.
"Ohl Mr.. Lawrence, never dreamed
of such thing. 1 am SO sorry" And
tears gathered in the dark eyes and
fell lnheeded, on the small gloted hand.
Why. darling, why are you sorfy?"
said Walter, gently, trying hard to con-
troll his feelings.
oh! | am so unhappy" said Jessie.
Walter Lawrence, you have done me
q great honor, and although l can
never be your Wife"
"Oh! Jessie, do not say so. 1 will
wait, only give me one word of hope
at can never be, Walter" answered
Jessie, sadly. Had l met you first,
before"
Here Jessie broke down completely.
Before what, dear?" questioned
Walter. "Is it true, then, that you are
engagedP Jessie, can not believe It,"
an justice to us both will EXPLAIN"
said Jessie. "Three years ago 1 was
engaged to a good and noble man,
whose greatest fault was loving me too
we'll. He was at that time established
in business at Clayville. At that time
1 was a willful, thoughtless girl of
seventeen, and one day when he spoke
of our marrying and settling in Clay
vile declared I'd never marry and
live in such dull place. and insisted
on his starting in business somewhere
else; sc, for my sake, he sold out his
prosperous business and went away.
For the first year [ heard from him
regularly; but going into a new place
as he did, without influential friends,
he found it very discouraging. AS
nearly as could make out by his let
tiers he lost good deal of money and
nearly two years ago he wrote me say
ing he was going to Mexico, and /
that is the last have heard from him."
After Jessie finished speaking the
silence was unbroken for several min
utes; then Walter Lawrence took her
hand gently in his and said:
"Jessie, thank you for your con-
fdence, and you shall never regret tell
ing me. l love you more than ever
faithful woman. We can at least be
friends, if no more, and L shall live
only to see you happy"
Jessie thanked him through her
tears, and they turned their horses
head toward home
Three weeks later found Jessie
safely at home in Clayvil1e.
Somehow she felt she could not re-
main longer with her sister and meet
Walter Lawrence daily; for, knowing
his love for her, she felt sad when with
him, although since the day of their
ride he had not once mentioned the
subject of their conversation. but with
brctherly solicitude awaited her slight
est bidding.
Another year had fled on the wings
of time, and Jessie was just entering
her twenty-tirst year.
If she was pretty at seventeen. she
was beautiful now, tall and stately,
with her dark hair in heavy coil low
on her neck, her clear, soft complex
ion, her bewildering dark eyes and be-
witching little dimples peeping into
view, making the small, rosebud mouth
appear smaller, if that could be posi-
BILE; and as she stood in the arched
door of the summer-house, framed in
by overhanging honeysuckles and wild
roses, swinging her wide sun-hat in one
small hand, she made pretty picture.
The scene before her was beautiful
one, but its picturesque beauty was en-
tirely lost on Jessie.
She was in deep thought. trying to
realize the possible truth of remark
she had heard no less than do en-
times that morning, g hester Culver is
coming home"
over again; then she remarked that he
was nothing to her; that she had no
right even to think of him.
Perhaps he was married, she told
herself Possibly his wife would come
with him.
This last thought was little too
much.
Jessie put on her hat and hurried
out of the summer house, down q wind
ing path leading to her favorite nook,
and throwing herself down beneath
the very tree where she mad parted
from Chester four years ago, she rest
ed her head on her hands and burst
into tears.
At length, when her grief had ex-
hausted itself, she lay perfectly quiet,
watching, with deep concern, a bright
eyed little squirrel-happy and con-
tented, eating wild nut, and appar-
emily much delighted with things in
general.
Sven the squirrel is happier than
l." said Jessie, aloud.
Her thoughts were suddenly inter
rupted by hasty step, and the bushes
were parted, revealing the handsome
face of Chester Culver.
"Jessie, my own, have l found you
at last, here where we parted four
years ago."
Jessie neither screamed nor tainted,
but sat perfectly quiet.
Chester knelt by her side, and said,
softly:
"Jessie, have you no word of well
come? Have you forgotten me?"
forgotten? Oh, Chester!" Jessie
had found her voice at last, and, for
getting for the time that he might be
married-that things were not as they
were four years ago-she lifted her
FEARFUL eyes to his face and said: