The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-02-16

geni-miBded than usual After
appointing & rendrEvo rs with bis
young friends FIR midnight. he
avoided them. The many acquaint-
ancss whom be visited IN their boxes
during the evening rallied him on his
appsrsntindifIersnce g. the dual charm
Of Ssmbrich and Scalchi something be
was never known TO have exhibited
before Usually On such nights bis
/ glance was hN-d inmuiahly upon
the stage. aud the expression Of his
face one Of une incealsd delight nuslo
being the one thing be permitted him
self to grow enthusiastic about To
night bis eyes scarcely left the pearl
/ In the center Of his-shirt-iront and his
brow wore an abstraotsd puzzled as
peet that gave evidences Of some intri-
cats problem under consideration with
| IN.
To his beirothed. a swest-faced ysl-
loW-haired girl who sat with her aris-
tOcratic mamma In the center u the
parqustta. be was as usual dsfsren-
tisl. yet CAV; witty. but sub lued. She
had slWays. IS q matter Of eourss. con-
sldsrsd him the most brilliant ~ we'll
Is loVsabls Of men. and found no reason
TO change her opinion tonight When
he stood bareheaded Rtthe carriage WIN
dow and babe the two ladies good
night the big blue eyes Of the younger
shone In the glare Of the street lamp
hard BY with ell that lover would
have them do; and IS the vehicle
rolled away. leaving him there. the
yellow curls went down on the
mOlhsr's willing breast, as their owner
sighed forth the custOmsryi oh.
mamma can you wonder that I love
himP"
Uuaccountabls as II seemed to him
self the following day found RlthVen
at the hower-shOp on the little side
street lnwsrily critic sing that won
derful smile. Hs was well-knoWn in
the neighbOrhOOd. and the florist who
had read his verses and had heard Of
his repeated refusals 10 be led thitheE,
was = little surprised When the next
day passed without his appearance.
however. he concluded that
was the last she would
Sc Of him. which conclusion
Was very rudely shattered the ensuing
evening. when he walked in and or
dered six or seven dollars worth Of
lilies for his sweetheart And the
next day. and the next be came, quiet
synical and self-pOss ssed as ever
he ordered flowers at every visit and
the most PunetiliOus Of critics could
not have discovered the Vis.lge Of san
timent In his demeanor toward the
widow.
Aud she9 Well. she had not hlth-
erio numbered smong her regular
customers any one quite so dlstia-
gu she'd or quite 50 handsome. and she |
was hattersd. Any thing like famili-
arity on the part Of the young men about
town who were her patrOns-such IS
George. for instHnee-she rebuked |
with such unerring distino,nsss as TO
guard against any possibility Of Its
repetition. But Ruthven's indifference
piquei her. an Of course, as any |
wOmans will under such circumstances. |
her manner unbent 10 him just q trih |
on that account the consequences
Of which was that R1thven him |
self bent, fractionally aud seriously, |
he came oftener stin. His betrothed |
grew tired Of lilies, and babe him send |
her roses for a change. Be- sent her
rOses-sO many Of them that she de-
clarsd she was tired Of all sorts Of
flowers and begged him 70 cease send
ing her blossoms Of any sort and come
oftsner himse inst.al
To this day RIihven can not account
for the fascination the widow exsr-
cised over him Her conversation was
not exceptionally brilliant. though |
free from PlalitudeA 1t was her smile,
possibly. or perhaps. her good taste
the good taste which had led him to
bestow upon her that title Of "A
Symphony in Lilies"
Il was not strange that his conduct
shOul give rise Ia comment H.s two /
particular friends laughed hugely. and
then grew grave rs they thought Of
the yel'nw-haired sweetheart ten
blocks Way on the same street
NrW1s il strange that tale should
come 10 the ken of the young lady her
SELF But as often happens in such
cases the tale was 80 horrible. In the
EuIse thlt Il reached her gentle ears.
that being young lady Of impulslve
temperament ~ we'll sS almost Qua
kerish integrity Of purpose, she hesitst-
cd not an instant but wrote RuthYen .
letter in this way;
Il have long noticed the change IN
your demeanOr toward me. and have
been at a loss 10 account for Il until
now. l know every thing-hsye
learned il all from a source that could
not err Whether you love her or not.
there is du Y Won owe 10 her beside i
which that Of yourself to me Is very
slight, DO your duty by krr, what.
ever that duly may BE- To know you
false 10 me may Kill mo; but would
rather lose you, knowing you to be
false, than To retain you. knowing you
10 be a villain. They say you are to
marry her-that she expects H. III
you have broken your vows 10 me, 81
least keep faith with her"
Poor Ruthvenl
II elevated his handsome eyebrows
drew deel breath aud emitted long.
low whistle. Then he remembered sew
eral little matters he had MOI hereto
forc noticed. H. recalled certain words
OF b willow hat now .emed charged |
with deepest meaning. though at
the time they were uttered he
had not accorded them \ serious
thought. He RENE mberri that her
eyes were moist las night, that her
hand irembled as-H avens! he was
not vain, but-ihe woman loved him.
How stupid Il al was. to be sur.l
He SIT aud ponder d for a full hour.
He did not often display emotion, but
At the end Of that time his face was
very stern aud his teeth were olinched.
Then he sud lenly ARISE and went ont.
He saun'ercd into the hower-shon Z
As usual, he wss sctupnlously dressed,
and the widow tho ghi BE- had never
looked s, disling iiShed or so hand
some.
Good evening. Mrs. Fox"
Good evening. Mr. Ruihven.