St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-20
AN EMPTY HEART.

| ocean, cllarddeS ana actlnS, III Wntch he
was prime mover, all added to the
cheeriness of the days passed on board
ship, until Jack was positively sorry,
| forced to part with the new friends,
/ both men and women. who had proved
themselves such goo sort. -.
| A few days wea Is me journey up
country, and Jack reached his destlna-
ton, IA large and lively station. Here
he began to reflect, and to make good
| resolutions for the future. No woman
was really SO nice, or SO true, or so de-
voted, as May His poor little girl she
must be very dull at home without him,
for he knew what the past. two years
had been to her, and he knew as posi-
! lively as if he had been omniScienU that
she would continue true TO him. Strange
the trust some men have in women, and
to the credit oil their judgment be it
said, they are hardly ever deceived.
Such men are like Schoolboy on parole
| the sense of being trusted keeps them
! straight. SO Jack wrote long letters to
| May, telling her what keen soldier he
| had become, and how he meant to stick
| to real work, and how he believed there
! was "tide in the affairs of man that,
| taken at the flood, leads on the fortune,"
and such like old platitutes, and May
answered and approved and encouraged
| him, and said how proud she was to
| think he still remembered her. And
+! for little she rested in sweet content
ment, and indulge1 in day dreams of the
| time when she would see him again,
| perhaps VIC, perhaps with big staff
appointment.
The cold weather passed without adj
venture. Capt. Hamilton was courted
of Inn bn
! was voted insensible by all the women,
i though one lady eXerted her influence
to get him made an A. ID. c. to gener-
al of division, and succeeded in obtain
| ing him the post. AS the sun grew
! fiercer and the cool evenings shorter,
and tweed gowns were exchanged for
the daintiest of white frOcks. and pun
kahS became in general request, every
body began TO talk of their move
ments. Such and such a man was
] going to Cashmere in search of big
game; So-and-So preferred the manly
sport of pig-sticking at Agra, with the
! thermometer at 120 deg.-'quite mat
ter of habit, you know, my dear fellow;
when you're taking exercise you don't
feel the heat''-while fair women bah
bled of the charms of Smla, and hop, d
/ they should meet Jack there. Their
husbands, alas! must stay in the plains.
but were too sensible to keep their
wives away from the hills. Ango,In-
| dian husbands are wonderfully I'M
| selfish.
| Capt Hamilton had planned shoot
| ing expedition for himself with
| couple of good fellows; but his general
settled to go to Sima, and commanded
attendance, so, nolenS volens, Jack
was forced to obey, and was presently
installed in comfortable house at
Simla, that fatal Capua of soldiers.
The change seemed delightful at first,
after the scorching heat and
a bracing, clear atmosphere,
to hear the crackle of wood fire, to
I live in room with a regular English
ceiling and doors, and feel that you
were no longer at the mercy OF every
stealthily gliding, eavesdropping SER
want, was indeed good, 1t reminded
him of England, and the thought of
England brought back his yearning for
| Mays society. If she were only here,
to ride with him round Jaklo,
to crunch chocolates at Peliti's, to
gaze at the gorgeous sunsets, and
all by the fireslde in that sweet silent
hour before dinner, when soft little
songs are sung and tender little moth
| ings are talked, and sentimental aspira-
tons exchanged.
But May was not there. She sat fer
away in the dim vista of a London fog,
with the gas lamps making little sick1y,
rings on the muddy pavement, and the
! postman's tramp echoing sadly outside.
Alas that she was not there! His
heart felt so empty and warm and low
ing; his arms stretched themselves so
longingly toward her. What man ever
stretched arms lOnglngly OF ever hati.a
fond empty heart in vain? Some onelis
always ready to fill the void and calm
the longing. Adelaide Ripley was
worthy of the occasion. She was a
large, luscious person, with big.
dangerous eyes and Southern
blood in her veins. She was ma,
ture, but she was clever in the manlpu-
/ latlon of men-So many had passed
| through her hands. She had a position,
too; nice house and a comfortable IN
come and husband who was sensible
i the euphemiStic term for q man who
was every reason why she should wish
to gain Capt. HamiltoD's affec-
tons, and no particular cause lex
cept May why he should not
reciprocate her fancy. Of course
he did not put it to himself in this crude
way. Nobody does, But he just drifted
| gently, imperceptibly, uncOnsciously
into her tolls, hugglng the sense of his
| safety and heart Wilderness, for was he
not devoted TO the far-Off but much
beloved May? 1t began with those fatal
rides which promise the maximum of
solitude fresh air and the vast horizon
of hills all around and the
minimum of publicity "a few
friends greeting you at arrival
and departure). 1t continued with tea
the lady's boudoir, and eliminated at
little dances and the depths of luxur-
ious box at the theater. People began
to talk. to chaff. Adelaide's eyes grew
more eloquent, more languOrOus, her
flattery more pronounced.
just then came letter from May to
say she had arranged everything, and
| was prepared to sail in November for
India. Would Jack be pleased to see
her? Would he meet her in Bombay?
Capt. Hamilton's brow clouded. He
loved May, of course, and now he was
almost sure he loved Adelaide. too!
What was to be done? He could not
put off May; besides, he wanted
could not tell the truth to Ade-
( laide; indeed. he did not wish it. Was
ever any one in so awkward dilemma?
| Capt. Hamilton decided to do what most
| men prefer-nothing He waited for
events. He did not meet May at Bonn
bay. but he sent her nice letter, and
| he stayed at Simla with Adelaide.
When he left Simla she would forget
him, and all would be right, he thought.
But Adelaide did not intend to forget
him, and as the time for her departure
drew near she informed Jack. quite in
| a casual way, that her destination was
going to be his, and that her husband
was ordered to the same station. No
body ever knew how it was managed,
but the fact that their rides and their
teas and their dances might all be con-
tinued on the same footing. and ''iuSt