Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-08-29

hearts out in the passing!" @z
How goes the school, Miss Van
Dykee" he asked, curious as to the
queer frown that -knotted itself upon
her forehead. Il
''The school? Bah-I'm sick CT the
school-tired, tired, tired!' q little
vengefully. but it goes along smooth
~ enough, of course, and will con-
tinue in the dull, monotonous tenor of
its way, until
Until what?' the surprise all real
now, a little anxious at her hesitation.
"Well, until my cousin arrives; she
may put me out some." -
Your cousin?" Ainging etiquette to
the dogs. Y
Eyes, sir; an orphan, if you please. ="
Philip Lee did not seem to please.
The coming of this orphaned child
meant to him a breaking in, in some
way, of his study of her. She was q
charming study to him; and, when he
was just beginning to turn the leaves
OF this interesting book, in must come
some stranger to break up his lessons
piece-meal.
''How old is she, Miss VanDyke?"
feeling as if he was expected to say
something on the subject of the inter-
loper.
Indeed, ! can not tell; somewhere
between ten and twenty, I should
judge;'' this followed by q dolorous
Sigh.
care you not we'll" All, what
would he not have given to have been
free to allow that blessed little word of
endearment slide from its perch on the
tip of his tongue? ''You seem i'll or
sad"
Il am weary. This teaching is tire
some work for other reasons besides
that of it's monotony; and it is lonely
here on the hill when-''
He turned those perverse eyes of his
that eOould mirrow his soul in spite OF
himself toward the opened door and
awaited the conclusion of her sentence.
But she did not finish. They sat
there in quiet, these two, with chances
wide apart. It pleased him that this
shy being should show her preference
of him before he spoke of sentiment.
OF course there was reason for
this, and what that reason was is
quickly told.
He had few short years ago loved
with a young mans fiery passions a
creature cold as ice, keen as a lawyer,
and heartless as a sphinx. But the
passionate fame burnt high and the
incense surrounded the adored one and
clothed her in halo of glory.
And when the vision spoke and the
altar tumbled at the touch; when the
incense lifted from before his blinded
eyes and his soul saw her as she was,
the flame in his heart smouldered and
died, leaving naught to show for it
save scar. And the old axiom of the
burnt dog dreading the fire proved a
verify in his case; for in his dealings
with Miss VanDyke he had ever chung
to the main land of facts and steered
clear of the dangerous ground of fan.
cies.
They had known one another for
some half-a-dOzen months, and he had
called upon her in this same fashion
on an average of twice each week, and
sometimes oftener-for on Sabbath
evenings he walked beside her to and
from church, and sometimes there
was a lecture attended in the little
village. He had come to unravel q
little tangled thread of her inner life
and of that fine skein he wove web
around and about himself, from which
he could not escape. He, in truth, did
not care to escape, but kept weaving
the threads, with which she unwitting-
ly supplied him, like d human cocoon.
On this evening of which l write, he
had come to her with a plan in his
head. 81 can get her to speak out,
now," he thought; and, so thinking, he
said, hurriedly, as if waiting longer to
hear what she might say were thing
impossible.
''By the way, MISS VanDyke, l am
going away. May l hope that you will
not forget me?''
Away! She had never thought any
thing could change in this dull, sleepy
suburb-and now the greatest change
that could happen had come to her
going away! There was no out
cry, though the heart buried under the
flaming calico autumn leaves went
throbbing on as if it were hammer.
Into the eyes crept a look of infinite
yearning; but he saw it not, for wom-
amy pride came to her rescue and her
glance went rowing over the faded
flowers in the three-piy carpet beneath
them.
YIN / l;@M(