The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-17

plaintive song. Drifting Apart" that
remembered having read in Broken
| Barriers:
Drifting apart! as the eriial shades
OF the years rise UP tn 1t yoa and me-
| Drifting apart!-two separate tides
Carry us eut Ger the wife, Wild seal
Drifting apart fer anseher's love
Hath blinded you % the 1--we plaHhed.
Drifting apart for tfi at alien love
Hath frozen your heart and chilled your hand.
Drifting Drifting and further astray!
Ny Ged! will we ever AGAIN cue day
Meet IN the passion of lies hottest fray,
And love, as we did in the good old way!
For the first time since my arrival in
America-near1v one year now-ny I'm
Gle Ivan began to show me WARM atten-
ton. And emLittered, weighed down,
CALLED by Olef's cruel letter, had let
myself drift into closer communion with
Ivan, and-yes, confess ito avenge
the past l had given him to understand
that his ministry was not wholly re-
jected. He was not too old-thirty-seven,
seventeen.
From the moment of Vers's sad death
Ivan had taken every precaution to
throw about me the barriers of protec-
ton, in order that any possible attempts
to criticise my abode at his house might
be set at rest. He had engaged an elder
ly housekeeper, in addition to whom
had induced one of the young women
from the Conservatory to make her
home with me.
We walked good bit, Ivan and I.
And by this time his affection had
grown to FIRE. 1t was no mere assump-
ton, that love of Ivan's. He was deeply
in earnest. am not the woman to read
a mans heart anliss The name of his
wife, Vera, had faded into mere mem
DRY now, and received certain proofs
that Ivan would have stripped his heart
of all else in the world for me. What
were those proofsf" you ask. Oh, that
is but for woman to understand.
must say that returned the passion
measure for measure. l had come to
honor, respect and love Ivan. His image
grew daily brighter and hoher in my
heart. And as we walked together,
wrapped in one anOther's confidence, the
very soul of joy lighted our pathway.
Of course Irene, my companion, had no
ticed it. She seemed astonished at our
mutual affection.
why, you are uncle and niece-blood
relativesr' she exclaimed one day.
BLESS you, no; not blood relatives.
Ivan is my uncle by marriage, and only
great-gr t uncle at that, his wife hav
70 INV
One night and once again, as we
walked beneath the heavy screen of the
park trees, a shadow fell in front of us
the figure of woman, it appeared to
me-and as quickly did it fit away
again. l remember having twice re-
marked it to Ivan. On the second occa-
sion the shadow came just as we were
replighting our troth and naming the
day. l started, considerably frightened.
Ivan Gained me.
at was nothing" he remarked; "only
a branch of that tall tree swinging
across our path"
but if it had been-if it could have
understood-if it could have spoken
that shadow would have heard our
pledgesr'
''And you are ashamed of them, my
darling?'
''Nol oh, no, Ivan. Only am crea-
ture of such silly suspicious. My nation
my dear Swedish people-are some
how imbued more or less with belief
in 'eerie things, as the Scots say. 1t
may be fault, but it was born in me.
Even when Twas child my old nurse
used to tell me tales of strange gnomes
and hobgoblins, saying that theyswarm-
ed about us, and the lesson seems TO have
followed me. So do not Glide mel"
His answer was that which heaalways
gave when pleaded for grace.
He kissed me.
The shadowy figure had faded into
space.
As it was his custom to confide all Of
his little adventures TO me, he found it
quite in his turn of fancies one evening
to relate little incident that had that
morning leaped into his life. 1t hap
pened fully fortnight after my receipt
of Olef's letter. Ivan had returned home
long a4L6r MS usual nOuI.
What kept you so long, IvanY' l asked
as he came down to dinner.
"a most peculiar circumstance, my
darling Cesca," he answered. i was
passing along Broadway, near Canal
street, to my Office when young man
met me- He carried travellers bag IN
his hand and had evidently just arrived
from a Journey. As our eyes claehed he
stopped suddenly, checked. 1t seemed, by
a T1omentary pang In his head-verigo
it looked like TO me--threw up his hand,
quickly passed his fingers over MS brow,
clutched at his throat as if he would tear
open his collar to relieve a straDglng
sensation, and losing consciousness he
reeled and fell. As he came to the
ground 1 supported him, and with tho
aid Of a passerby we carried him to
little shop in Canal street. But as he did
not survive | had him conveyed to the
hospital"
But that did not keep you all day.
Come, Ivan, confess now.
All he answered, sit took up three
or four hours of my time, and IS my
office duties require a measured amount
Of attention each day l was obliged to
stop there until got through with my
correspondence"
accepted his explanation
But the mans name? added. You
did learn that
How could I? He had not come to
his senses when left him
But he must have carried papers,"
IF he did they were locked II his bsg."
How old was he:-'
: