Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-03-30

Doctor said you warn't to see 'em till
you were strong enough" and left him
Well, Miss Anstrath h I'd not written him.
His lawyer had, also his partner, aud there
were two or three other business communi-
cations That was all
Ethring managed to scrawl brief answers
to each Then leaning blck with an air OF
relief, E,hring began glancIng about him
with enger in crest
The large front room had been modern
lied to the eX tent of two clumsy but
roomy bow windows These were filed
with plantS A canary sang blithely in one.
| LilPs piano heaped up with music was be-
tween the two. The furniture itself had an
air of ant.qunted comfort There were
cleverly executed water colors hanging be-
tween old family photographs on the walls
Lills work table and basket stood in a cozy
nook-her books looked down from an old
ash bookcase. Without the March vino
clustered bolsterously. Within was warmth
and rest and peace.
And so Ethrlng sat browsing and dream
Ing till with the twilight came Margaret
with lamps, Jack with bosterous greeting
and Lii with smile of welcome
"A lilly maiden in very truth, was Eth
rings thought, as after the evening mea
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 fra
| gility of the flower to which he had com
pared her She was tall and exquisltsly
formed, with n sweet serious face, dark
eyes of unfathomaDle d pths and broad
VIII to forehead crowned with soft rings of
chestnut hair. The glow of perfect health
just tinged the soft, white cheek turned
partly toward him
"Do you like music, Mr. Ethring?" she
asked, half abrup ly. But without awaiting
an answer, LII sc tied herself and began
playing. For Lill's soul was bound up so to
| speak, in music. 1t was her life-and love,
then. SO from her slim finger tips flowed
| harnonies such as the fashionable drawing.
room knows not of. Dreamy nocturnet
and bits of Bach or Lstz, and the grandeI
| thoughts of Beethoven.
And so evening after evening, as Ethring
grew better and stronger, he listened To
Llll's music. But more. The charm of her
presence the magic of her voice, the at
traction of her be Iuty aud purity, were all
throwing about him the spell which comes
in its reality but once in a lifetime.
1t SO happened that IL was Ia the twilight
of an Easter S ,bbath that Ethring tried to
express something OF this to ILL herself
1 can 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, Dill
stood with downcast eyes and crimson
checks, as her lover who had ventured to
take her sim hands in mis- own, plead, as O
mnn mi ght nj end for his life
But have known you so short time
Mr. Ethrlng," she said, In low and rather
troubled voioe, II can not tell my Owl
heart in this thing"
II do not ask your answer now" he said
gravely. God forbid. Perhaps should
not have spoken SO soon. You know COM
paratiyely nothing OF me save that have
been In business and met with heavy lossea
But let mo say this. Tomorrow go back
TO the world SIX months hence Twill ask
your answer II you say, come-that Il
enough, Shall 1t bs soi"
There was silence in the room for mo-
menL Ethrlng fancied he could he r the
quickened beating of the young girls heart
us she s.ood motionless before him in the
half darkness.
1T shall be as you WISH" she said AMI
softly withdrawing her hands from his clasI
sue Rliueu hWhy.
Lii was not one TO wear her heart upon
her sleeve. She took up her burden OF duty
as of yore, but as the days went by after
Ethring had gone, LII was vaguely con
scious that something was missing out oi
her life. Yet at the same time 1t was ~
though life itself WAS taking ON new bright
ness and beauty. As she sat at the old piano
in the twilight, sometimes her lips woult
shape Into the tender smile which is the re-
fiex of happy thoughts And then from tn,
white keys came appropriations OF wonder
ful sweetness and beauty.
Before leaving her Ethring had spoker
briefly OF Rose. the or g,nal of the photo
graph she had seen. His deceased fathe
had been anxious that Etnring shoult
marry her to unite the two estates an6
drawn from him half promise that he woult
-thiak OF it, But the more he though