Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1890-09-27
CHAPTER ".


- $500 s9sss.7r.zs
One night as loe qrdlkcd SHADOW fell in
front Of us.
The Thingvalla, which was expected
to arrive at the end of the following
month, would have given Olef time to
convert my securities and reach New
York
Just eighteen days after posting my
letter | received a cablegrara dated at
Stockholm which told me that Olef's
father had died, and that visit to the
States would be impossible This cable
gram bore Olefs signature, and as | read
" my spirits fell beneath their load Of
sorrow. | refused all offers of consola-
tion, and in spite of the fact that my
musical examination was to occur the
following Monday | resolved to return
home at once.
Il hardly think that would lose your
opportunity to carry off first prize if |
were in your place" urged Ivan. BE
side, Olef's detention can be but mo-
nentary."
| remarked that it was strange Tia
had not received my regular weekly let
ter from him. But Ivan soon turned my
course of thoughts by saying That no
doubt Olefs du!ies at home had crowded
upon him so fast that he could find no
time to write. and especially while
watching at the bedside Of dying IA
Their. And this argument, together with
the stimulating hope of winning the
prize, won me over.
"Bide your time, Oesca," Ivan Went
on. The next steamer may fetch good
news"
waited week, and in the meantime
my sorrow had been somewhat assuaged
by my receipt of the first prize for vocal
honors at the institute.
One morning Ivan handed me letter
postmarked Stockholm. 1t was in
Olefs handwriting and yet it did not
seem the same. | turned it over ard
over again, upside down and then held
it between me and the light of the sun.
Here is a double cross made with a
pen upon the lid Of the envelope l
wonder what he could have intended
that to mean" | asked, showing the
cross to Ivan.
He might have made it to reveal to
you any attempt that should be made to
open the letter" he suggested, looking
at the mark
tore off tie envelope and read:
do net let your heart split upon the
rock of this, my final adieu. Brevity
must be my parting message. Cease to
hope. My heart is lost to you.
NNn11 will ISL y1-l,,, l,,,,o
my troth. can but say that my IA
theirs will, opened after his death, has
reversed my life, into which now shines
the beam Of Z new love.
ii am to marry the daughter of Lieut.
Bodine tomorrow. OLEF OLSEN"
My heart, torn with the anguish of nv
own sad life, could only sob and weep
over 1t. And then, as often a woman
will DO, | tried to lull my sorrow to
sleep by the strains Of melody. And as |
played softly followed the lines of that
plaintive song, Drifting Apart" that l
remembered having read in Broken
Barriers:
Drifting apart, the cruel shades
Of the years rise up twixt you and me:
Drifting apart!-two separate tides
Drifting apart: for anothers love
Hath blinded you to the love planned
Drifting apart. for that alien love
Hath frozen your heart and chilled your hand
Drifting! Drifting and further astray!
LILY God! will we ever again one day
Meet in the passion OF life's hottest fray
And love, as we did, in the good old way?
For the first time since my arrival in
America-nearly one year now-my I'm
Gle Ivan began to show me warm atten.
ton. And embittered, weighed down,
CALLED by Olef's cruel letter, had lei
myself drift INTO closer communion with
Ivan. and-yes, confess ito avence
the past had given him to understand
that his ministry was not wholly re-
jected. he was not too -thirty-seven
| seventeen.
From the moment of Vera's sad death
Ivan had taken every precaution tc
throw about me the barriers of protec
ton, in order that any possible attempts
to criticise my abode at his house nigh,
be set at rest. He had engaged an elder
Iy housekeeper. in addition to whom
had induced one of the young woIner
from the Conseryatoire to make hel
home with me.
We walked good bit, Ivan and l
And by this time his affection had
grown to fire. 1t was no mere assump
ton, that love Of VANS. He was deeply
in earnest. | am not the woman to read
aman's heart amiss The name of hi:
wife, Vera, had faded into a mere mem
ory now, and received certain proofs
that Ivan would have stripped his hear
Of all else in the world for me. ''Wha
were those proofs?'' you ask Oh, tina
is but for woman to understand.
Unjust say that returned the passion
measure for measure. had come t.
honor, respect and love Ivan. His lmagt
grew daily brighter and holier III n!
heart. And as we walked together
wrau1ed in one an0ther's confidence. tn