Evening journal., 1889-07-25

10 look dJ utI do she hdb " hlo nAdt AS&N-
ing. He liked TO hear the tone Of her
voice and smell the perfume of the vio-
lets she always wore, and after while
her daily visit was what he lived for and
looked forward TO. When it grew
warmer he began to sit up by the win
dow IN an easy chair she had sent from
her own home, and she would come and
sit ON a stool at his feet and Salk with
him about herself and her daily life until
she made him her abject slave and he
loved her with a love that only such
people have who have never loved before.
She was the light of his life and he
forgot that he was poor and homely,
thing that he had never forgotten before,
that she was as high above him as the
heavens are above the earth. When he
held her little jeweled hand in his, as
she sometimes allowed him to do, he
would have been willing TO have died
for her a thousand times over.
Rachel was entirely forgotten. She
would come In sometimes to sec him, but
he would always be sleepy or watching
for Helen and would not talk to her.
One day Mary saw her eyes filed with
tears, and she put her arm around her.
"Don't cry, Rachel; he viii see the light
by and by, she said, and Rachel broke
down and sobbed. II used to think he
cared for me, but he don't now"
One day Mary said to him, "Willie,
don't think you treat Rachel just right"
but he never heard her. Willie was
long time getting well. Another man
had taken his car, but the superintendent
said he was at liberty to go back any
time when he was able The policeman,
too, was in hurry for Willie to get
we'll Mary had promised him that the
friendship begun last year over the onion
beds should terminate in happy we'd
ding, and he had been scanning intently
the house hunters directory for suit
able place to put his bride just as soon
as she would consent to become his.
One day Willie made up his mind to
| tell Helen when she came again just
| how much he loved her, and when she
came in and sat down at his feet and
looked at him with her great liquid dark
eyes, full of tender solicitude. and asked
him how he was, he took her hand and
attempted to speak, but could not.
"You are weak yet, aren't you, Mr.
Lee? How angry you ought to be will
me for having been the cause of all you
trouble But you'll hurry up and ge
well by Easter. won't your And sh'
childishly laid her cheek against tn,
hand she held. "Do you know, an
going to be married on Easter Monday
and want you TO come to my wedding.
"Go 10 her weddingl Go to her wed
dingr He said it over to himself, thel
the room grew dark and everything
seemed uncertain, and he tainted.
''It is warm and he is still 80 weak
and l suppose talked him to death,
she said to Mary, who came in answe
to her alarmed calling.
Mary was quick witted and she kne'
pretty nearly what had happened. an
she told "Teddie" all about it that ever
ing and said she loved Willie, of course
but she thought he had treated Rach'
1 badly, and may be this would be lei
/ son 10 him.
For several days Willie was too wea
to sit up again in the easy chair II
, seemed helpless and unconcerned as I
whether he got well or not. Helen ha
not been to see him since the night h
tainted. She was busy with her wec
ding preparations and just stopped a
the gate one day to ask II he was bette
and wondered if Mary thought he coul
come to her wedding.
r mo. do not think he can 60" Mar
said. and she said it coldly, and Hele
did not come again.
s 1t was the day of Helen's wedding
, Willie heard the carriages roll past o
I the pavement and he turned his face
the wall and the tears came into his eye
E that had been strangers 10 tears fC
, | years. Rachel had brought in a bouqu,
Of Easter flowers and placed them on h
table. There were violets among then
everything to remind him of her. Ju
in the dusk of evening Rachel herse
n came in. She paused a moment at Il
. door to see if he was asleep, and as b
: eyes were closed she concluded that
! was. She sat down ON the low sto
Il and as her face was partially turns
: away from him Willie opened his ey
|. and looked at her slyly.
4 He never thought Rachel pretty b
d fore. In fact, he had never thoug
o much about her, but now as she sat b
s tween him and the fading light he not
d the roundness of her cheek, her whi
throat, and the pretty curls of brow
d hair around her face and neck.
n Il wonder if she would do just
q Helen did had she been IN her place"
o said to himself. Would she have cor
a here and made me love her and tn
Y have cruelty told me she was going to
q married? Yes, / suppose she would "
Z men are all alike, coquettes, every o
10 Of them"
le Rachel was thinking over her life, al
10 by some strange, unexplainable M
q merle sympathy Willies mind went ba
pr over the past too. What a friend s
4 had always been to him and Mary, a
u how bravely she had fought her oN
battle Of life thus far. "She is a mol
ne little woman, he said to himself, "a
NJ [ wish was worthy Of her." Then {
I'd clock struck, and Rachel started up. S
lis drew half sighing breath, paused
moment, then stopped over him a
n. lightly touched his lips with hers.
or tore he was aware what he was doing
t. had nassed his arm around her neck a