St. Landry democrat., 1888-03-31

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JACK, EXCITED. DASHED INTO THE ROOM
world for him, in such manner that she
felt intuitively that this was NO passing
fancy.
Trembling with strange confusion, Lill
stood with downcast eyes and crimson
cheeks, as her lover, who had ventured to
take her slim hands in his own, plead, az q
man might plead, for his life
But have known you SO short time,
MI: Ethring," she said, In a low and rather
troubled voice, IT can not tell my own
heart in this thing"
Il do not ask your answer now,' he said,
gravely. "God forbid Perhaps I should
not have spoken SO soon You know COM
paratively nothing Of me save that have
been In business and met with heavy losses
But let me say this Tomorrow I go back
to the world Six months hence will ask
your answer II you say, come-that is
enough. Shall it be sof''
| There was silence in the room for a mo-
ment Ethring fancied he could hear the
quickened beating Of the young girls heart
as she stood motionless before him in the
half darkness.
sit shall be as you wish" she said And
softly withdrawing her hands from his clasp
she glided away.
ILL 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 of
her life. Yet at the same time it was as
though life itself was taking on new bright
ness and beauty. As she sat at the old piano
in the twilight, sometimes her lips would
shape into the tender smile which is the re-
fiex OF happy thoughts. And then from the
white keys came improvisations of wonder
full sweetness and beauty.
Before leaving her Ethring had spoken
briefly of Bose, the original Of the photo
graph she had seen His deceased father
had been anxious that Ethring should
marry her to unite the two estates and
drawn from him half promise that he would
@think of it . But the more he thought
of it, the more distasteful the idea To Rose
herself it did not seem to matter much
either way A rioh marriage was the desire
| of her heart-love quite secondary con-
| sderation-
81 am entirely alone in the world now,
with no one to please but myself have
written Miss Anstrath to consider herself
free to marry the man of her choice" he
said That was all
April and May with bud and promise
gave way to their sister months of blossoms
and fuldllmcnt One more month and-her
letter would come?
It was Mrs Merrick, the rectors wife,
who handed her the New York paper con-
tanning rather extended notice Of the
marriage of Robert T. Ethring, the young
millionaire broker, whose successful recoup
hic last
be remembered. to Mrs Rose Anstrath, the
charming society belle
so strange he shouldn't have sent you
cards DEAR" she said, innocently. And Lill,
who had summoned all her pride and cour-
age, very quietly replied that it was per-
haps an oversight And having completed
her neighborly call went home
When Lill got to her room and had locked
herself in she did not cry or faint She
came from different stock Lii only threw
off her hat and fell on her knees by the
bedside, burying her white face in her
hands The agonizing cry which went up
to Heaven was only Ineligible to Him
whose ear is always open.
A little paler-a little more quiet, ILL
went about the everyday, commonplace
paths of life which must be taken up
whether the heart carry its direct ache per-
petually with it or not For the blow she J
had received served first to show the
strength and depth Of love now remain |
ing only to be crushed out
One pang was still to be ad ed. Six |
months from the time Of Ethring'g depart |
ure came letter-containing the delayed |
cards as Lillian knew by the size, shape |
anW feeling of this missive. This she at |
OF 5e reinclosed to the printed address on |
thfslqrner of the envelogfv adding merely
these words:
@Irs pm your sys,gsr and contents with
Of whatssifSdatR1s from you, ME- Ethring,
will meet with like return
u sLnLLAs SrANFoRTH
Now. on Intervening when Ethring had |
declared his love, Jack, who had entered |
the room unobserved, heard goodly share
of what was going On, before he had pres |
ence OF mind enough to beat noiseless re-
treat.
He was an honorable, manly boy, and |
kept his knowledge to himself That Eth
ring had written Lill at the expiration of
the appointed time filed his heart with |
exultation But when he knew she had re-
turned the letter unopened, Jack felt that
something was wrong.
What, he had no conception until late in
the following winter. Bobby Merrick hap
pened In conversation to speak of Mr.
Ethring's marriage And being nasty sort |
Of boy, alluded In q haunting sort of way to |
the fact that folks said Lii Etanforth was
breakin' her heart over it
am happy to say that Jack administered
. thrashing then and there to young Merrick
which he remembered for many day And
then boiling over with wrath Jack went