Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-10


and pride The Indian merchant was
clever as yell as a prosperous man, ne was
an authority upon most things that came uiF
der his notice, and he was to give a Lecture
on something or other connected with lndla,
which she did not quite understand. Nouid
Miss Marsden go with her. Miss Marsaen
hesitated for few moments; she was very
busy, and. as she was not in the least CURIOUS
or excited about Mr.. Smith. she was more
than half inclined to say Sc, when the plead
ing look in the old lady's eyes, fixed so
eagerly upon her, conquered her resolution
II viii CO." she said, feeling that 1t was
duty she owed to her dear old friend.
On their way 70 the hall where the lecture
was to be delivered she thought neither OF
Mr. Smith nor of Janet, lying far away in
her quiet crave, nor of Janets mother by her
side nor of Janet's little son, whom she had
left a quarter of an hour before in the rosy
sleep Of healthy, happy childhood. Although
as 8 rule she thought but little OF her own
affairs. on that particular evening her mind
was full Of thoughts of her work and her last
subject, lady who was neither young nor
fair and the expression Of whose withered
features she had some difficulty in catching.
While they were sitting in the hall waiting
for tn. appearance OF the lecturer she was
thinking of this, and wondering fretfully if
her skjllfulness of hand and correctness of
eve were leaving her-thinking not at all Of
what was going on around her-when Mrs.
Saunders touched her arm, and whispered:
There he is!'
With a startled air, as if she had been sud-
denly reused from steep, she turned. and with
careless indifferent eyes looked to~nrd the
platform. Then suddenly, at the sight OF the
lecturer, with a wild, shrill cry she sprang to
her feet. She tried TO speak, but her voice
failed her; only hoarse, cultural cry came
from her pale lips, and with gesture of
despair she threw up her arms wildly and
then fell down in a swoon.
She was removed Immediately; but it was
more than an hour before she could be taken
home, and then it was not her own house,
but to Mrs Saunders that they took her,
and laid her on the couch II the pretty draw
ing room while Mrs Saunders, having done
all that was necessary for her conn ort, sat
down beside her, wiping her old eyes from
time to time, for she was very much agltated
and strangely exercised in her mind. She
kept saying to herself almost incessantly IN
an undertone:
"He is trustworthy man, if he is anything.
Oh, yes, surely he is a trustworthy man, and
my Janet is past trouble and at rest
From time to time she looked wistfully
down at the gentle face which had become SO
dear to her, but it was as it had ever
been, like closed book: she could only see
that it was strangely changed-vfyid emo
ton had transformed it, as if by miracle.
The passiouless calm which had been its dis
tinguishing Characteristic was gone, the
sweet, sad eyes were cleaning with wild,
strange light, and in the pale cheeks thtve
was feverish flush of color that changed ut
every sound, while every passing footstep on
the pavement outside made Helen tremble.
Oh, how long those two hours seemed in
which ne did not come, and, oh, how strange
it all was to Mrs Saunders when he did come
at last! He was not the stately, proud, cold
man he had always appeared to her, but
eager, excited, bending forward, as if he
would rush headlong into the room. He did
not notice her at all; she was only of second
aTy importance-she belonged to Janet and
his marriage of convenience, not to the pas
sionate past, the memories of which were
overmastering him now. So the old lady
thought; and momentary pang Of jealousy
pierced her heart. He had eyes only for the
he went, and throwing himself down upon
his knes5 beside her, he clasped her hand in
both his own.
"Helen, Helen," he cried in q voice shrill
with excitement and hope.
He thought only OF her, saw only her: but
she had caught glimpse of poor Mrs. Saun-
ders' peTplexed face, and springing up from
the sofa, grasped her hands.
" 9TH - 81, i
we were one in heart and soul |
Now, we II set after years of hopeless separa-
ton; it is as though he were given back to I'd
from the dead You understand"
Mrs. Saunders did not understand at all. |
but in due time and after many explanations |
it was made plain to her. The two before |
her had been engaged to each other in Helen's |
girlhood long before but they were poor, |
and be had resolved to go to India in quest of |
fortune. The ship in which he sailed had |
been lost with all on board as was sup |
posed; but he and three others had been
saved. Meanwhile the aunt with whom
Helen lived had died. And, alone in the
world, almost broken hearted at the loss of
her lover, she had wandered forth from the
home of her childhood, with every tie broken
that had once bound her to her fellow
,reatureS.
81 must have died, William" she sobbed,
in that dreary time-yeS, | am sure l must
nave died-if il had not been necessary for
lie to work. and if | had not found work
which could do"
It was a simple story-straightforw
and without complications; and Mrs. Saun-
lers, having heard it, went up stairs to her
yrandchildS nursery, and left the two alone.
They had their plans to think of, their future
o talk about; they did not need her They
lad to take up the thread of their life where
t had snapped so suddenly; and they found
t marvelously easy to do so, for their hearts
had never ceased to beat in sympathy with
,ach other.
I'VE have dropped out of the account
Janet and land she is in her quiet grave;
@, after all, it is only me that it is hard
Ipon," said good Mrs. Saunders to herself,
Is she stopped over her grandsons cot From
he moment she understood the situation
learly she had seen how it all must end. and,
although she cried little, she was glad, and
lid not regret that she had gone out with
loiseleSS step and left them alone "She will
'e happy" she said TO herself, with a sob;
and can say from my heart. Heaven bless
Ter and make her 500 although she is to fiji
ny JanetS place Boston Herald
Powde-ing Her Nose.