Wichita eagle., 1888-12-27

path end seeing her In tears ne had made
step back and then she had flown to meet
him. Oh, heavens! how she loved him then
Unconsciously rising to her feet, Anna ran
forward little way, as she had done OF old,
her arms outstretched, the tears running
down her face, her breast heaving with sobs
ran forward as far as the turn Of the path
to come face to face with Basil himself,
who, in very melancholy mood, was toiling
upward.
Her first impulse was to fly past him before
he had time to notice her; but Basil, looking
up quickly and divining her intention, placed
himself in the narrow pathway in such
manner as to bar her progress.
How dare your she .cried, shaking with
sobs and her eyes flashing through her tears
''Have you come here toto insult meW
Basil was silent, his face study Of wonder
and admiration, through which there ap-
peared to struggle certain dawning hope.
Let me passi" exclaimed Anna, furiously,
making a step forward and then Basil
stretched forth his hand and taking hers
said authoritatively:
you must wait little; you cannot go
down to the town like that"
She suffered him to lead her back to the
bench, where, being seated, she endeavored
with all her might to obtain her self control
But this was at first impossible, the strain
which had SO long upheld her having relaxed,
and the violent emotion of little while ago,
together with her present sense Of humiGa-
ton, causing her to break down altogether.
What are you doing hereF' she sobbed.
''How dare you be here2 You said you were
leaving yesterday"
fs( mr. m ~ ha GO il tfoDd fhoy, 7 fboupht
would wait and say quiet good-by to the
old place before having done with it, and all
belonging to it, forever"
why don't you go now, then7" she cried,
vehemently. How can you bear to stop
and seq me like thisl Go; if you had spark
Of gcntlemanly feeling you would not require
to be told to do So"
But Basil did nothing Of the sort; on the
contrary, he deliberately drew near the bench
and sat down beside her, while the hope in
his face grew and frightened till it became
positive triumph. Anna gazed at him for
moment, one hand at her throat, in the fruit
less endeavor to save her sobs, then a fiery
blush swept over her brow and cheeks
"Do you think" she said, bitterly, ''that
I am crying for you; that l regret what
said to you yeSterday-do you dare to think
500 Oil surely nothing is wanting to com
plete my humiliation! Ohp-in passion of
shame and anger. ''Oh, why cannot / con-
troll myself better than to lead you to sup
pose such thinga Listen-do you know
why came herea came that, by remember
ing your baseness and treachery, l might
despise you more, loathe and detest you even
moro than did already
She broke of suddenly, for, quivering
under Basils mustache, she caught sight Of
tender triumphant, but distinctly amused
smile.
Furious at the sight she tried to speak, to
express her scorn and Indignation more
fully, but conflicting emotions choked her ut
terance.
Basil waited quietly; he could afford to
wait now, for, after what he had seen, he
felt himself master of the situation.
At last she grew calmer, and then he
spoke.
Anna" he said, 81 thank heaven that
was prompted to como here this morning;
had gone as l intended yesterday should
all my life have remembered you as sort of
iceberg-and now"-
''Now~ she repeated, drawing up her head
in the endeavor to regain her old stateliness
Now, have found you-a very womanly
woman; you deceived me once, Anna-you
can never do SO again"
st is like you to twit me So" she replied,
quickly. "Only you would be unmanly
enough to take advantage of weakness for
which shall despise myself all my life. Do
you suppose am breaking my heart because
love you-youa No; 1 am crying because
have no heart to break am crying for
myself, for my youth which you spoilt, for
that power Of loving which once possessed
and which is now gone forever. Yes, lied
yesterday when l said my love for you had
been child's play; it was as true and deep
and tender love as woman ever had for
man. But it is all gone-gone! and 1 shall
never love any one any more"
anna, do not believe you. / believe
you love me still"
She looked up at him, mastered by his
tone, but still endeavoring to fight against
him and herself.
And so it came to pass that when, sudden
ly abandoning his calm argumentative tone,
he fell to pleading earnestly, appealing to the
memory of the love that had once been-that
was still-so strong within her, all her
stern resolves melted away.
'If cannot love you, BASIL" she said, cat
least-I can love nobody elsel"-M. e. Fran
els in Time