The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-02-06
l MODERN JOHN ALDEN.
Aaron Penners Ruse Worked Like
q Charm.

q OASb1 LII
IF in all our lives you need me-if
there should be any thing that can do
for you'll swear to do it," said Julian
Hicks. "You can ask me nothing which,
at any personal sacrifice, l will not en-
deavor to accomplish. mean that when
say it. l beg Of you to remember it.
You are rich-I am poor. You are some
body am nobody. But the time may
come when the promise is worth some
thing, and, on the honor of gentle
man, will keep it,
An hour Def ore this speech was made
Aaron Pennel had saved Julian Hicks
sister from watery grave and brought
her safe in his strong arms to the very
spot upon the beach of Northtown where
the two men now stood together. And
Ada Hicks was in very truth pearl of
great price to her brother Julian-the
only one of his near kin still living,
younger than himself by ten good years,
and from her birth a pet and plaything.
So he made this VOW to the man beside
him, hitherto mere acquaintance, in
the fullness of his gratitude to one that
had done all that one could do for an
other.
There were never two men so utterly
unlike as Julian Hicks and Aaron Pen
mel The first, Woodworking profess
sional man, who had struggled for such
little success as Fate had melted out to
him, unaided save by his own hands and
brain; not handsome, not snowy; his
greatest charm a certain gentle sweet
ness, peculiarly manifested to women.
The other, man who had had Fortune for
his friend from his birth; who neither
toiled nor spun; who was very hand
some, very elegant, very charming, a
man of society, and one with whom fine
women might easily fall in love.
But from that day they were friends,
not only as the world goes, but in very
truth. And so it came to pass that walk
ing one day, arm in arm latter their re-
turn from the seaside to town. they met
Amy Atkins, that Aaron introduced her
to Julian, and that, few evenings aft
erwards, Aaron took Julian to call upon
her.
She was an heiress. She was beauti-
full or had the name of being so. Her
eyes were black and velvety; her hair,
own bright gold. All the en-
amel in the chemists shops could not
make complexion like hers. But that
tells you nothing about the woman-the
frank, sweet, sparkling, womanly wom
an with whom Julian fell in love before
he had known her month, though it
seemed to him that he must in some
way have known her ever
since he began to guess what love was,
since she did not seem SO much like a
new friend as one long loved and hoped
for.
Wrapt up in his profession as an
architect, engrossed by struggles for
bread and butter, which, while they
seldom prevent man from doing great
things, always unfit him for society,
Julian had known few women of Miss
Atkins position. He had no experience
by which to guide himself, or by which
to measure his own feelings. For while
he did not suspect he was in love, and
so was drawn nearer and nearer to the
whirlpool, until, when the truth at last
dawned upon him, there was no retreat.
He whose means were insufficient for
any thought of matrimony had lost his
heart to the heiress. He who, in his
alteration of human beauty, had some
times almost hated himself for being so
very plain, loved and worshipped the
loveliest woman the sun shone on!
1t was out of the question that she
should like him. 1t was impossible for
him now to cease to love her-to be
happy without her-to leave her and
see her no more! AS the moth, which
has iuttered about fame until it's
wings are singed, is still tempted to it's
doom, so he felt he must linger near the
woman who had his heart in her keeping.
That she could care for him never en-
tered his mind; that she did would have
been an absurdity too preposterous to
dream of. Butt was true, neverthe-
less. Amy Atkins, though too bright
not to keep the fact secret, had grown
fonder of Julian Hicks than she had
thought that she could be of any man.
So now the play began in earnest-a
drama oftener acted than most people
guess. Two hearts afire, while one
would think, from look and speech and
manner, that they were ice to each
other-love guarding itself with a shield
of calm good breeding!
Amy said: eff he care ever so little
for me l will make very sure that he
does not perceive care one whit for
him."
Julian said: ''She shall never laugh
at me though she does not love me. She
shall respect me and never guess her
power, whatever pain may have to
bear"
And so they met and parted, day after
day, and no one fancied that any thing
and only two-the same Aaron Pennel
and Julian's sister-saw how pale Julian
grew-hOw sad his sweet mouth came to
below at times hopeless look was in
his eyes. Poor Ada! who in her terror
asked Aaron Pennel one day if he
thought that her brother Julian was i'll.
HE is so unlike himself" she said,
with tears in her blue eyes. HE PAGES
the floor Of his room at night; he signs
bitterly; he works as hard as ever, but
he does not care to play at all am
frightened, Mr.. Pennel." ..@.
And Aaron had said: 81 think that
your brother can not be very i'll, Miss
Ada; and if any thing troubles him, that
the time must come very soon when
that trouble will pass away and be
changed for happiness" =.
But do you know of any thing that
can trouble Julian?" asked Ada.
And Aaron answered.: perhaps I
guess at something, Miss Ada, but l am
not certain of it Time will take care
of it. am very sure"
They were together good deal now,
Aaron and Ada. 1T had entered Juli-
ans head at times that this splendid
fellow liked his pet sister very we'll; OF
late, that it was possible that he loved
her. tBnt Ada, at seventeen, seemed .
child to him, and he thought of this
only as something the future might de-
velop.,
As she had said, he worked very
hard; but toll could not Danish the
haunted thought Of his life. It grew
stronger instead Of fading, Is he had