The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-06-27
FOUND AT DRURY'S BLUFF,
DY PHILIP JARVIS,

''Phil, my boy, wish me good luck
I'm going to ask Mildred Graves to marry
me before 60"
My God! wish him luck in winning
the woman who was all the world to me |!
The one woman whom | had loved from
my boyhood's daysl All the savage in
my nature was aroused into fury at the
thought that he dared to aspire to what
was mine, by the right of long years de-
votion. could have throttled him Us he
stood there-so handsome and debonair
so self-reliant and confident of success.
Yet what claims had l upon her affec-
tions7 The hot blood grew cold; my
fierce wrath died out. How could I be
sure she might not love him besta Was
he not tiner-looking, more agreeable than
I, a man in every respect better calculated
TO win girls fancy3
Mildred and had been friends from
our school days, the mostintimate friends;
and on my part that friendship had grown
into a part of life itself, I had no hopes,
no ambitions, which had not her happi-
ness for their object Yet no word or
token of love had passed between us. l
was shy and reticent on this one subject
that lay so near my heart. l shrank from
declaring myself her lover, doubtless feel
ing that if she could not return my love,
should destroy forever our friendly re-
lations.
SO matters stood between us, when she
was twenty, and l twenty-one, in the fall
OF 80 when Carl Maxam came to our
village, He and l were associated in
business and soon became friends, as
faendly intimacy goes between men. He
was live years my senior, and had read
and Travelled much, and had acquired the
ease and polish of man of the world,
while was shy and reticent in society.
felt he had every advantage in his favor,
IN his intercourse with Mildred, but until
to-day had never had a Jealous feeling.
In the spring of 81, came the fall of
Sumter, and the declaration of war
We both enlisted, though in different
regiments, and were ready to leave for
Washington. We had returned to our
homes for the final leave takings with
friends, in my plain suit with only a
Sergeant's chevrons on my sleeve, he in
the gilt and epaulettes of Lieutenant,
looking handsomer than ever in his fine
uniform.
On the morrow we were to rejoin our
regiments, and on this last afternoon had
met for final friendly chat. We had
talked on other matters of mutual interest
and at the last moment, as we stood at
the gate, he had said
'And now comes the toughest part of
it. Pm going to ask Mildred Graves to
marry me before l go. Phil my boy,
wish me good luck, can't you2"
Filled with surprise and anger could
make no reply; but it passed unnoticed
as he went on without looking at me-
81 have been half in love with her ever
since first met her, and long ago de-
cided she should be my wife if I ever got
ready to marry, that is, of course, with
nervous laugh, 'sif she'd have me. |
don't know, she always seemed to like
me, and l fancy I've the inside track
there; at all events Tn going to make
sure; I'm not going off for year OF two and
leave her for some other fellow to win.
II she IL promise to marry me, can trust
her to wait my return, if it were ever so
long"
AT that moment, to my great relief, the
captain OF his company drove by and
stopped to take Carl in.
"Well, good-by, old fellow, hope to
see you LATER" and with wave of his
hand he was gone.
"He shall never have her. I said
savagely to myself, as he was driving
away; 'at least, l will know first if there
is any chance for me-" and l hurried off
to Mildreds home.
But when once in her presence-fool
That was-l talked of everything else,
past, present and future, all save the one
subject that lay nearest my heart; my
tongue seemed tied whenever | ap-
preached that
A half-hour passed, other visitors
came and l rose to leave. Mildred fol-
lowed me to the gate.
81 shall miss you so much she said
as she held out her hand at parting.
There were tears in her eyes, and tremor
IN her voice. My heart leaped; surely
she must love me a little, and the words
L had tried so hard to utter came to nv
lips; but she added: 'you have always
been brother to me-" and felt as if a
cup of cold water had been dashed in my
face.
All! yes, brother! she had never
thought of me as a lover; could declare
myself one and lose all this friendly re-
gardf | observation-disclosures joined us,
and the opportunity to speak was lost
forever. l said ''good-by," and went
home, inwardly raging at my own stu
pidity.
but perhaps it is better So"
thought at last; ''she would remember
me as friend, love me as such, which
as rejected lover, she could never
do"
Then l thought of all her kindness
during the long years of our intimate
friendship; might it not be possible that
underneath all this sisterly regard there
iAS WV SSlluo Va Il lOfc.
And could l not awaken it to life by long
and careful wooings l would be so pa
tlent If there was only one spark of hope
that she would ever love me- | would,
like Jacob of old, serve seven years, oh,
SO willingly, could but win her. Was
not coward, after all, to yield my OWL
chance of success to another, by not put
ting my fate to the testl
Under the influence of this feeling ]
dashed off an ardent, impulsive letter
All the love l could never speak, founG
expression now.
"Can you not, dearest NIillie," / con
Guided, ''find down deep in your heart
underneath all this sisterly regard yo,
have given me, one spark of something
dearer, sweeter than a sisters love? Will
you not give me just one word of hop
that, In time, you may learn to love MI
better than brother or .friend!n
l sent the letter by sure messenger
and waited impatiently for reply. Nov
it was done, and had risked all on on
throw Of the dice, felt all the gambler
unrest. My blood was alternately at feve