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

SDe Idu kll0Wll HIN IOT IuIte years,
and for two outof the three she had
adored him. And yet May Desmond
was thirty-fve, though she scarcely
looked her age. Wherever she went,
with her red-Drown hair, her dark eyes
full of pathetic pleading, like those of
stag, and her white skin and tall, slight
figure. she was generally admired.
People said she was a sweet woman.
At thirty-five most of US have out
lived our illusions. quarreled with our
bread and butter, aud given our hearts
away till not the smallest particle re-
mains. Nav Desmond was an eXcep-
ton. Naturally cold, she was change
able, capricious, hard to please. and,
while rOuSing violent feelings IN the
men who loved her, felt little or nothing
herself.
But the advent of Capt. Jack Hamilton
changed all that-the irresistible JACK:
the possessor of laughing blue eyes, OF
cunninglv curled. hair like sunshine,
of the proud hard face with fine chiSeled
features, sometimes irradiated by the
sweetest of smiles, passing like
flash of summer lightning. Nay en-
couraged him. liked him, admired him,
finally worshiped him; and when
woman once wOrShips there is no know
ing what she will do next. However,
no talk of love passed between them.
They called it friendship, a pleasant.
familiar. brotherly and sisterly inter
course. Jack, of course, knew his
power, knew that May was his humble
slave, ana liked the feeling. In a per-
feet dream of happiness May drltted on,
bliSSfully undiSturbed by any th0ught
of the future, forming no plans, afraid
almost to breathe, lest she should dlSpel
the peace and cOntentment> thaC haq
fallen upon her.
From this dream she was suddenly
awakened by the stern fiat Of heart
less government. Jack was a soldier,
and was peremptorily ordered to serve
his queen and his country on the arid
plains and under the cruel sun OF India.
Naturally, he hated the idea. Regimental
paw is so small that it is scarcely to be
conceived one should give up every
thing for the mere fun of soldering.
The announcement hit the pair hard.
They sat together on the sofa,
with the open letter on their laps,
clinging to each other in helpless misery
like two children, May striving to
be brave and keep back her tears, Jack
voiceless and choky. Face to face with
love. May, hiding her face on his
bosom, told him she would gladly die
for him, and could not, would not, let
him go.
Neither spoke of marriage. Jack was
DOOR, and May possessed only pittance
grudgingy left her by her late hus-
band, who inconsiderately never con-
templated her marriage with a penni-
less successor. A wife would, she
knew, be heavy burden and
impeachment i'll the path of
Young soldiers career Jack was
ambitious), and, in addition, May was
seven years older than her lover, and 1t
behooved her to be the prudent and wise
one. So, III much anguish and with
many tears, sorroWfully on his side and
despairingly on hers, they parted. She
looked after his creature comforts to
the last, provided him with the best of
rifles and the biggest of silver-topped
TASKS, and saw that he had a fur coat
and warm rug, and plenty
of the daintiest white silk pocket
handkerchlets embroidered with his
i FAIR hands. Then ne0 he took her in his
arms, strained her fondly to his heart,
and kissing her as if he could never
kiss her enough, swore that she had
been more to him than any other woman
in the world, and he should never, never
forget her.
May felt very sick when the door
closed on him and his beautiful sun
shiny presence was gone from her
sight. Like brave woman, she tried
to go about her business and keep
good countenance before the world;
but deep down in her heart
the pain was always there
E-aching, aching. Should she ever see
Shin again. her darling, her king, her
sideal? Who ever rode like Jack, or
sdanced like Jack. or sang like Jack?
She drew better than any amateur she
ever knew groteSque caricatures full OF
the fancy of a Leech or CaldecOtt, or
lovely tinted bits of cloud and hill, and
dainty men and women i'll the fore
ground. He could talk. too pleasantly,
Senslbly,. intelligently, by the hour. Her
memory wandered back to the days they
had spent together, which had
flown like minutes-long days on
shine, where the may hung i'll
heavy perfumed garlands on the bank.
and the yellow iris grew in rich pro-
fusion among the reeds and rushes;
when, gliding home in the red sunset
hour, the boat heaped with load of
t1owery branches and river stuff. the
gentle plaSh of the oars formed grace
full accompaniment to love-murmured
tones. Was that heaven? Or was
it not rather the quick, breath
less galop over grass fields and
high banks to the joyous music of the
hounds voices, side by side, their horses
straining every muscle, the fresh wind
tanning their faces, warmed by de-
,.l.>, - fl,A
slow ride home in the damp twilight,
and the quiet evening, languid with
fatigue and pleasure, by the fires glow,
when gentle melancholy inclined them
TO sentiment? Or was it not. rather, at
the theater. entranced by the divine
harmOnieS. or carried out of themselves
by the sublime acting of some great
player, to which every fiber of Jacks
artistic nature thrilled in unison? May
could not tell; she only knew that the
past two years had been unutterably
happy, that she and Jack had always
been together-One in spirit, in thought
and in feeling. Sometimes she had
wished for death to carry her away in
the midst of her enchantment, but
Death never comes to those who long
for him, and She had lived lived to see,
with aching eyes, Jack leave here-and
to remember! Time seemed to have
stood still now, when she endured
years of agony in few minutes. Thus
is it always with us; every moment of
Joy has its equivalent of suffering, mer-
cilessly eXacted by fate.
One only comfort May had: she had
promised land she meant to move
heaven and earth to keep this promise)
that she would come out to India in a
years time and spend a few months
with her lover. How this plan was to
be accomplished she knew not; miles
of sea and land lay between them, OBJ
stacles innumerable, expense, difficulty
and the objections of friends and rela
tons, who would naturally demur at
such an eScapade on the part Of a still
youthful widow; but all must be con-
quered, and as May pressed her lips to-
gether tightly-the lips Jack had kissed
so often-She murmured softly, Zee
que femme veut. Dieu lie veut."
Meanwhile, how Jared it with Jack?
A gay and talented young soldier could
never be dull. Even on.the voyage out
,1ro++y, ,roman couUhf IN nonSnln him