Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-09-18
m1neIe with the world.

again her eager admirers and suitors
thronged around her
Among them was, and ever had been,
Fred Hammond, the handsome, dashing
fellow whose admiration for her in the
past had led to that fatal quarrel
To him she was always colder than to
any other man in tho whole circle OF
acquaintance, yet her GOODNESS did not
daunt him from trying again and again
to win the love he had vainly sought
before her marriage.
"You must learn to look kindly on
my suit in time" he urged once more,
after many failures. HE is gone, and
1t is foolish, nay, it is terribly wrong,
to waste your whole life in useless
mourning for him Oh, Mrs Dunstan
Zoe, dear Zoe-try to forget-try to
care little for one who has loved you so
long and faithfully as l."
Zoe sighed YEARLY.
How often she had told him the same
old story-that s. he never could forget
the one she had loved and lost
But she was on the eve of starting on
long journey throughout Europe and
the East with some old friends-Mr.
and Mrs. Seymour-and perhaps this
would put final end to the annoyance.
"You are asking still in vain, Mr.
Hammond" she answered, calmly,
with the usual touch Of GOODNESS in her
voice. ''And it must ever be in vain,
were you to ask the question every day
to the end of our natural lives. l have
no love to give to you'll never had /
loved Earle Dunstan only, and l shall
never forget him or cease to love his
memory. L But here comes Mrs.
Seymour; let US say no more about it.
Only this-you have my final, irrevoc-
able answer. Never mention love to
me againl"
"Ah, my dear Zoe" murmured Mrs.
Seymour, half-reproachfully as Fred
Hammond bowed himself away with a
white, despairing face, I'm afraid you
are really doing a foolish thing. |
heard enough to know that you refused
that poor fellow for the fiftieth time,
and he absolutely worsh!ps you Don't
you really think that you have mourned
poor Earle long enough2 1t can never
bring him back, you know" she added,
gently.
mo, it can do nothing but prove the
love he doubted when he left me"
sighed Zoe, drearily. but that man"
and her dark eyes turned, with flash
of scorn, toward Fred Hammond's dis
tant, retreating form-''why, his pro-
fessions of love but seem like sacrilege
to mel 1t was on his account that we
had that fatal quarrel which drove my
husband to his death. No, no, dear Mrs.
Seymour, no living love-much less his
shall ever take the place of my poor
Earle's memory"
For months the little party of tourists
wandered about tho Old World, and at
length found themselves in one of the
famed picture galleries of an Italian
city.
AS they strollcd slowly along, stop
ping now and then to examine some
work of striking merit, Mrs. Dunstan
happening to turn abruptly, came face
to face with a han isome, noble-looking
man, whose proT'l, stern face and sad,
blue eyes ch2aEel at sight of her, as
though she had b,on = ghost,
And she2 She grew 50 deathly WIFI to
and faint that Mrs Seymour. who stood
near and saw it all, thinking her about
to fall, hastily passed her arm around
Zoe's slender waist
But the young widow did not faint;
the very strength of her emotion re-
vived her and kept her up.
''Earlel' she gasped, in strained, IN
natural voice. sob, is it you? IL
thought you dead!"
Did you2" he retorted, with the old
bitterness, mingled now with a sad
pathos indescribable. oh, no, have
merely been dead TO you. left you for
your own happiness, you remember.
And you--you have secured it, | sup
pose? The law would not refuse de-
serted wife her freedom and the right to
marry again By the way"-glancing
about him with proud disdain In his
blue eyes-"shall have the honor"
Earlier broke in Zoe, proudly
There is no other-never has been, and
never will be. / mourned you at dead
for years. for believed you lost at sea
with the rest who went down on that
doomed ship. 1t was a mistake. Oh.
the Joy"
Her sweet voice wavered, and again
Mrs. Seymour thought she was going to
faint But this time Earle Dunstan
took his wife by tho arm and led her
still farther from the small crowd, who
had not perceived the little drama GO
ing on so near them.
And you have never married, be-
lieving mo dead all these years?" he
asked, his low, deep voice filed with
wondering tenderness. "Oh, Zoe, for
give me-forgivo mo, my darling! But
l never know that you thought me dead.
dear | was rescued from the wreck,
but was i'll and senseless for long weeks
afterward. did not know that | was
reported lost, but | should not have
cared thought you would seek your
freedom in time, and so have wandered
about, asking no questions, and only
trying to forget. And on, Zoe, you did
love me, your husband, instead"
well, if you had heard her refuse a
certain gentleman, as / did," smiled
Mrs Seymour, whom they had rejoined,
you would never doubt that fact again,
Earle Dunstan.''
God helping me, | never will, Mrs
Seymour" he answered, fervently
But you had some apparent cause
to doubt me then. Earle" added Zoe;
and then, with passionate earnest
ness: GOD helping me you never shall
sgatn. Family Story Paper.
France receives a yearly revenue
of over fifty million dollars from its
monopoly of the sale of tobacco About
two pounds per inhabitant are con-
sumed yearly there