Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-09-21


HWhy nOt2' cried he, surprised,
though at the same instant an an
sWer flashed into his brain.
young gentlemen cannot ask
beautiful young ladies to be their in
structOrs, said Connie. ''H not for
your sake, Gerald, be wise for hers.
Suppose she fell in love with your"
Gerald whistled .cOlOred and prOmis-
ed TO reHnquish the Italian lessons
Though merely out Ofdeference to
you, my sage sister. For that and
that alone I am not such 81 vain
fellow as to dream that lovely Miss
MarstOn VIII break her heart for my
sake while I should be numbering her
soft mother tongue. No matter;
have your wish! GoOd-by to the
Italian lessons; only managetOmake
it up to her in some other manner. J"
''GOOd, dear bOyl" exclaimed
Connie. "That 1 viii do you may be
sure.
With an easy heart she made all
arrangements for the lessons, and
(incited by her brOther) ordered three
borders for chimney-pieces. Delphine
had abundance of work now; but as
she sat at her embroidery she thought
how much she would like to see Mr..
Oakley sometimes. He had said he,
too, would take lessons, but he never
appeared.
And Gerald? He also lOnged to see
again that lovely, Incompatible
young creature who had so moved
his interest and pity; but how could
he break his word to Connie? No,
he would not do that, but he had
more than once strOlled at dusk
down the street in which Delphine
was located, and on two occasions
fortune had favored him so far that
lie had obtained distinct view of her
once as she entered the baker shop.
and at another time as she passed
out.
How he wished to go forward to
exchange a word with her! He dWelt
continually on her image, and that
which his sister dreaded had come to
pass. Love had blOssOmed in his
soul for the Denniless Delphine One
evening, when December S SHOWS were
falling, he sat late in his own room,
dreaming of his future. The young
man was restless and i'll a6 ease,
knowing that it would give pain to
his family if he asked the hand Ofthis
friendless girl, Of whose antecedents
he know nothing. Ought he not to
think something OF his mOther-Oi
Connie? And might not happiness
fly away when the irreVOcable step
was taken; but more and more he
thought that he would take that
step, confess all to Connie, fall on his
knees before Delphine and whisper to
her that he had loved her ever since
he and she met in the Gloomy LOH-
don street.
Midnight sounded This night was a
sort Of era in his life; for the cousin
from whom he had inherited his
wealth and who had died five years
ago had left with his bequest aIetter,
enjOining his heir to open it after the
lapse OF five years, on the anniversary
of the testatOr's death, at midnight.
when in complete solitude
The hour and the time had arrived
tonight; the secret he was to learn
would soon be in his possession.
The life of his relative, now dead and
gone. had been a fair and open career,
full Of kindness and courtesy. 1t
could not, then, be a dreaded deed he
was to learn from the hand now in
active for ever. Nevertheless, the
young man opened the envelope with
q certain thrill Of emotion
poor HOraceP' murmured he, 81
wonder if am to learn a love secret!
He never married %
His eyes were fastened on the page;
his cheeks flushed, his brow knit.
hi l70r n q
81 wish to let some time pass be
fore you read this, for time sOftens
us and gives future possibilities.
Besides, you are so impetOus, you
might refuse to take my request un-
less you hadOppOrtunitv first for re
Election and for seeing that you are
the person who ought to administer
it when I am dead and gone"
Citizen there is a secret - broke
from Gerald's lips, when he had read
thus far.
Yes, there was indeed. And as he
read on he learned that Once-When
bOyhOOd trenched on manhOOd-at
an hour when sOrely, cruelty tried,
his dead cousin had yielded to temp
tatiOn and had used the sum OftWenty
pounds belonging to his employer,
and intrusted TO another, a sum he
knew he could replace within a week.
This employer was then absent; it
was the most unlikely thing in the
world that the fraud would be dis
covered.
But the unlikely thing occurred.
His employer came home three days
before he was expected. Gerald's
cousin was absent for few hours
accounts were called for-the twenty
pounds were missing. In vain the
young man to whom this money had
been intrusted insisted on his innO-