Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-01

"DO YOU REALLY MEAN IT, DR. MASON!'
being once more SO near the little home circle
which held my happiness, rushed up to her
and held out both my hands, saying: 81 am
so glad to see you. I shall be grateful if you
are half as glad to see me-"
Her eyes opened wide, with look that was
part pleasure and part establishment, blended
with depreciation. She had the appealing
eyes which so often belong to the young who
are afflicted with deafness Something in
her look told me that she had not really I'M
derstood my words, but was honestly glad to
see me. So ratified on telling her how much
had thought Of all Of them while had been
away, still holding both her hands in a
hearty clasp.
Il wish you Happy New Year and many
Happy New Years. said finally. "Your
welcome makes me very, very happy. Now,
let US 60 and find Alma"
'Do you really mean it, DR.. Mason?n and
sho looked up at me with a strange, yearn-
ing expression on her plain face, W hich was
flushing with red, like an early morning sky.
Mean it, Mean it every word, with all
my heart" and l held her hands tighter than
ever in my enthusiasm. "Now let US find
Alma, for whom | have what hope may be
glad tidings."
She smiled, ard her smile was very sweet,
although she was SO plain. / noticed, too,
that her eyes had strange light in them
which made them resemble the eyes we some
times see in dreams, which speak SO much
more meaningly than do those we see in our
waking hours. This light was the light of
JOY and nothing else One does not see it
often in woman's eyes. Sometimes only
once in a life time.
She slipped her arm in mine and we walked
into the house down the wide, old fashioned
hall to the sitting room.
"Alma, dear,n said Laura, as we opened
the door and the tall, dark eyed goddess of
my heart arose and came towards US, dr.
Mason says l have made him very happy,
and he wants to tell you Of it at once, and SO
dol"
The goddess glanced at both of US, faint
pink color coming into her white cheek, and
smiled at US as she would have smiled at two
children, while was longing to take her in
my arms and tell her that adored her. In
stead of greeting me, or giving me chance
to greet her, she bent and kissed Laura, and
then turned to me, saying:
'You have won the sweetest heart in the
world, Dr.. Mason. l congratulate you. /
know that you viii return an equal amount
of good wishes when tell you that l have
promised to marry Mr.. Carey. We will be
married next month and go TO New York to
live a. r2cc.H
stood, as the aovelists say, 'trooted to the
spot" The wacse scene seemed unreal. i,
who few moments before was full of joyful
anticipation, now found myself engaged to
marry a woman whom l did not love, and
hearing the woman did love tell me that she
was soon to marry one of my rivals. At first
could not understand what Alma meant
thought that she and Laura were enjoying
some joke too obscure for me- At last the
beaming look in Laura's eyes enlightened me-
She, being somewhat deaf, had mistaken my
warm greeting for declaration of love, and
responded aflrmatively.
With Laura's arm still within mine !
walked to sofa and sat down, she by my
side. ! had not uttered a word since met
Alma. Speech had utterly forsaken me. And,
indeed, what could sayi Could | tell the
trusting creature by my side that it was all a
mistake; that she had misunderstood me;
that did not love her; that l loved her
beautiful cousini No; was too shocked and
dszed TO do anything but sit there in silence,
with the Precipitation standing in cold drops
ahead of me / think | could have
spoken had it rot been thar Alma stood
before me looking placid and even happy in
telling of her engagement to Mr. Carey.
accepted the situation in desperation The
whole face of life had been suddenly changed
for me and saw nothing but gloom ahead.
! thought myself g strong man, but Is II
any wonder that wept like any child on my
pillow that night What New Years that
wasl Whittier had my expected good luck
gonei
I put the best possible face on my misery
and went on in the dismal path fate had
marked out for me. Since | could net have
Alma. what did il matter whom l married.
Ugly little Laura would do as well as any
woman. 1t was fortunate that she expected
no extraordinary demonstration Of affection
from ne. Truly could not have given il
Ny heart seemed frozen or dead Yet
could not help seeing thst she SEEMED quietly
happy. Her plain face actually began TO
glow with new life, and there were times
when she looked almost pretty. II occurred
10 me that might forget my own misery BY
trying to make Der happy. The idea YVES
spark fror the mind Ct infinite love. fer il