Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-10-12

looked wistfully into his face
"Clyde, there is letter on the table
at your elbow, which came while
you were out. / don't know why,
but it has made me uneasy. Read
it, my SON."
He dropped Elaine's hand, and
took up the envelope. As he opened
it, and read the inclosure, vaguely,
dimly he felt that, had it come bat
six hours before, the current of his
life would have been changed by 1t
the girl he had wooed would not
have said him nay so sweetly in the
moonlight.
"Mother," he said, lifting his eyes
from the sheet-burning, bitter eyes
they were-"this letter tells me that
I am sole heir of your Uncle Daniel.
Ny head swims as ! read of my
possessions-al beyond the A Atlantr
left me by man who never saw my
face, who knew nothing of me, but
boarded all his days, to leave lands,
houses, gold, for Il stranger to squan-
der. For we will squander it,,
mother. We will do no boarding. y
"Clyde, my son, you are rot
romancing"'
"No. | tell you what the lawyers
write me. Henceforth | may pu /.
chase what | will, of comfort, court
sey, kindness, love, even. And
you, Elaine"-he turned to her, the
bitter light strong in his eyes-"you
shall have luxury, jewels, raiment,
to set off your beauty. | will dover
you so well that you will not need to
ask, when II man brings his love t.
you, whether OF not he can gild it
with his gold. i
"HushW cried the girl, facing him
I'm burning Indignation, her eyes
aflame, her cheeks crimson. "My
friend, my brother, hush! do not
merit such words rom you, for you
know my past, and you know h W
very happy | have been without
rio 'es. If you think ] can be SO
Glad at thought of jewels or fine
lnlment-"
The words broke, sobs choked her;
and, turning from him, she hurried
10 the door.
"Clydc, clyde, how could yor?"
lis mother cried inpulsively. "Are
you blind that you do not know?
Elaine has loved you since she was
child"
Blind? Yes, he had been so; but
with what shock had sight come
to him. Well, all shocks are bene-
fetal to the man whose love dream
has but Knocked him; and hearts,
when they ache most sorely, may
he nearest the rebound
Clyde crossed the ocean, found all
as represented, sent for his mother
and Elaine. and remained for three
years la England. Then, wishing
for u sight of his native land, found
himself on board steamer bound
for America.
If he thought of Inez Lake at all,
rs he stood alone on deck, the first
night after they had lost sight OF
land, it was with half smile. And
yet, when he turned his eyes fiom
the water, and saw her crossing the
deck toward him, with the olden
grace la her every movement, the
olden smile on her red lips, his face
lost color, ald for an instant ii
seemed to him as though within his
heart the love he had deemed life
less stirred.
at is pleasant to meet again,
Clyde" she said, extending II soft,
jeweled haad. 1--WE are both re.
tJrnihg to America a'ter absence, ="
~ did moi know you had left ii, "
he said coldly.
"Oh, yes, when | married Mr.
Nane co3Xed him To take me
abroad, and he did so. We Travelled
for year, and then-you know he
died in Naples eleven months ago -
Clyde looked down upon her With
eyes as cold aud bard ms steel.
She had married Royal Nane; he
had idolized her, and she told of bis
death in foreign lend, as even of
voice, as elm of face, "a though she
spoke of n fading flower.
Aud such cold creatures could
break the hearts aai mar the lives
of men,
Nay, II was memory, not love.
that had stirred in his breast. His
love-his tender precious love-was
sitting beside his mo,her, sIrround-
ed by men-as she had been wherever
her dark face had been seen, since
she weat with him across the Sc -
aud he knew that no beat of her
he y, no smile of her lips, was for
any Of them; she was his, loyirg
and true, rs in the old days she had
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