The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-30

LuL STOOD WITH DowNCAsT EYEa
stole out of the sitting-rO into the hall
just as Ethring's door opened admitting
Margaret
She was middle-aged, gray haired wom-
On, kindly of heart. severe of aspect and
uncertain of temper.
Setting down the tray she was carrying,
Margaret looked suspiciOusly in the direc-
ton taken by the fugitive. whose boOt-heels
were heard Gathering down the front step
Her hard face softened somewhat as she
glanced at her patients thin, haggard feat
ures and deeply sunken eyes
Well you do look peaked, an that's a
fact" she said, sharply. And then set be-
fore him a bowl of such chicken broth as
only an invalid just coming to his appetite
could appreciate
sHow am ever going to pay you all for
30 much goodness?" said Ethring. grateful
ly, as he swallowed the last drop and re-
placed the bowl on the tray.
@Wait till pays talked about-we amt
heathens. was the curt reply.
Plunging he: hand into capacious peck
ct she produced an Oblong note-case Of
Russia leather.
That's yours, she began, in short, jerky
all right The photygraft was the only
thing that had any address we could write
to- That was on the back"
Ethring nodded and smiled dryly.
So you wrote Mrs Anstrable Well?s
ut was a fortnit fore she answered Miss
Lillian She was sorry to hear about Mr..
EthriDg How terrible to think he would
be a cripple. for that's what the doctor
thought first She wasn't strong, and
couldn't bear the sight of suffern' in any
shape. Mr.. Ethrings' frens should be no
titled If it was nes'sary some one of 'em
would come to Mapleton- All bills would
be paid-Mr. Ethring was well of. Hers
respectively. Rose Anstrath"
1T sounds like her" quietly remarked
Ethring. and took the photograph from q
compartment of the nOte-case. A hand
some. stylish woman, with somewhat gu
percilious face. with dark, mocking eyes
CHANGING at it with a shoulder-shrug, he
tossed it cOolly into the fire
grim smile flickered across Margaret's
face; but being wise in her day and genera
ton. she made no comment
You'll be better of in tother room,
she said, abruptly. And almost before he
knew 1t, Eshring found himself and his
chair before the counterpart of the fire.
place and fire he had just left
There's your letters" Margaret an
nounced, wheeling little table to his side.
Doctor said you warn't to see 'em till
you were strong enough" and left him
Well. MISS Australia had not written him
His lawyer had. also his partner, and there
were two or three other business commune
cationa That was all
Ethring managed to scrawl brief answers
to each Then leaning back with an air OF
relief. Eshring began glanciny about him
| with eager in crest
The large front room had been mo5ern-
lied to the ex tent Of two clumsy but
| roomy bow windows These were filled
| with plants A canary sang blithely in one.
LiiIs piano heaped up with music was be-
tween the two. The furniture itself had an
| air of ant.quated comfort There were
cleverly executed water colors hanging be-
tween old family photographs on the walls
Lll's work table and basket stood in cozy
| nook-hcr books looked down from an old
ash bookcase. Without the March wind
clustered boisaerously. Within was warmt tn
and rest and peace.
And SO Ethring sat browsing and dream
ing till with the twilight came Margaret
with lamps, Jack with boisterous greeting
| and Lii with a smile of welcome.
"A lilly maiden in very truth" was Eth
rings thought. as after the evening meal
she entered the room and stood by the
| piano for a moment half sbsently turning
| over the sheets of music
To an extent yes But without the fra
gility of the flower to which he had com.
pared her. She was tall and exquisitely
formed, with . sweet, serious face, dark
eyes of unfathomaDle d .pths, and broad
whits forehead crowned with soft rings of
chestnuthair. The glow of perfect health
just tinged the soft, white cheek turned
partly toward him.
do you like music, Mr. Ethring!" she
asked, half abruptly. But without awaiting
an answer. LII sc tied herself and began
playing. For LuI's soul was bound up. SO to
sp eak, in music. It was her iife-and love,
then So from her slim finger tips flowed
harmonies such as the fashionable drawing
room knows not Of Dreamy uocturnes
and bits of Bach or Listz, and the grandez
thoughts of Beethoven
And SO evening after evening, as Ethring
grew better and stronger, he listened to
Lilrs music. But more. The charm of her
presence. the magic of her voice, the at
traction of her beauty and purity, were all
throwing ABOUT INN Uue speu WHICH comes
in its reality but once in q lifetime.
1t SO happened that it was in the twilight
of an Easter Sabbath that Ethring tried to
express something of this to Lii herself
1 GIN not repeat his words, of course
But know that he told her that she. and
she alone, was the one woman in the whole
world for him, in such manner that she
felt intuitively 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, az 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"