The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1888-03-29


stole out of the sitting-room into the hall
Just as Ethrings door opened admitting
Margaret
She was middle-aged, gray-haired wom-
an, kindly of heart, severe of aspect and
uncertain of temper
Setting down the tray she was carrying,
Margaret looked susp.ciously 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
We'll you do look peaked, an that's a
fact, she said, sharply. And then set be-
fore him bowl of such chicken broth as
only an invalid just coming to his appetite
could appreciate.
How am l ever going to pay you all for
so much goodness?" said EJhring, grateful
~, 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 hec hand into a capacious pock-
ct, she produced an oblong note-case of
Russia leather.
sentences you'll find your money in it
thing that had any address we could write
to- That was on the back"
Ethring nodded and smiled dryly.
So you wrote Mrs AnstrabIe. Well?"
" 1t was a fOrtnit fore she answered Miss
Lillian She was sorry to hear about Mr.
Ethring. 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 sufferin' in any
shapa Mr.. Ethrings' frens should be no
tiled Ii it WIS nes'sary some one of 'em
would come to Mapleton. All bills would
be paid-Mr E5hring was well of. Hers
respectively. Rose Anstrath." "
1T sounds like her." quietly remarked
Ethring, and took the Photograph from 4
compartment of the note-case A hand
some, stylish woman, with somewhat sa
psrcilious face, with dark, mocking eyes
Glancing at it with 4 shoulder-shrug he
tossed it coolly into the fire.
A grim smile fiickered across M1rgaret's
fIce; but being wise il her day and genera
ton, she made no comment
You'll be batter of in tother ROOM"
she said, abruptly. And almost before he
knew it, E.hring found himself and his
chair before the counterpart of the fire
place and fire lie had just left
4H61S , your l0tGeTS, MIgdISG an
nounced, wheeling 4 little table to his side
doctor said you warn't to see 'em till
you were strong enough" " and left him
Well, Miss AnsTath had not written him
His lawyer had, also his partner, and there
were two or three other business communi-
cations That was all
Ethring managed to scrawl brief answers
to each Then leaning back with an air of
relief, Eghring began glanc.ng about him
with eager interest
The large front room had been mq5ern-
lied to the eX tent of two clumsy but
roomy bow windows These We're filed
with plants A canary sang blithely in one
Lfs piano heapad 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
LiiI's workable and basket stood in a cozy
nook-ier books looked down from an Old
ash bookcase. Without. the March wind
blus.ered bois5erously. Within was warmth
and rest and peace.
And So E5hring sat browsing and dream
ing till with the twilight came Margaret
with lamps, Jack with boisterous greeting
and Lii with smile of welcome
"A lilly maiden in very truth" was Eth
rings thought as after the evening meal
she entered the room aud stood by the
piano for moment half GbSently turning
over the sheets of music
To an extent. yes But without the fr2-
gility of the flower to which he had COM
pared her. She was tall and exqusitely
formed, with a sweet, serious face, dark
eyes OF unfathonaDe .pths. and a broad
white forehead crowned with soft rings OF
chestnut lir 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 selted herself and began
playing. For Llrs soul was bound up so to
speak, in music 1t was her hfe-and love,
tnen. 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 grander
thoughts of Beethoven.
And so evening after evening, as Ethring
grew better and stronger, he listened TO
LIlfs 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 him the spell wnich comes
in its reality but once in lifetime
It so happened that it was in the twilight
of an Easter Sabbath that E5hring tried to
express something of this to Lii herself
1 c1n not repeat his words, of course
But know that he told her that she, and
she alone, was the one woman in tn. 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 his own, plead, as a
man nigh plead, for his life
But have known you so short time,
Mr. Ethring,' she said, in low and rather
troubled voice. Il can not tell my own
heart in this thing.S