Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1891-04-25


"Do not let your heart split upon the
rock of this, my final adieu. Brevity
must be my parting message. Cease to
hope. My heart is lost to you.
"You will ask why have not kept
my troth. l can but say that my IA
theirs will, opened after his death, has
reversed my life, into which now shines
the beam Of a new love.
II am to marry the daughter of Lieut..
Bodine tomorrow. OLEF OLSEN.
NY heart, torn with the anguish OF my
own sad life, could only sob and weep
over it. And then, as often woman
will do, | tried to lull my sorrow to
sleep by the strains Of melody. And as
played softly followed the lines of that
plaintive song, Drifting Apart" that l
remembered having read in "Broken
Barriers:
Drifting apart. as the cruel shades
or the years rise up 'twixt you and mel
Drifting apart.-two separate tides
Carry us out o'er the wide. wild seal
Drifting apart. for another's love
Hath blinded you to the love planned
Drifting apart. for that alien love
Hath frozen your heart and chilled your hand.
Drifting, Drifting and further astray!
Ny God. will we ever again one day
Meet in the passion Of life's hottest fray,
And love- as we did, in the good old wayf
Tor the first time since my arrival in
America-nearly one year now-my Un-
Gle Ivan began to show me warm atten-
ton. And embittered. weighed down,
CALLED by Olefs cruel letter, l had let
myself drift into closer communion with
ivan, and-yes, confess ito avenge
the past had given him to understand
that his ministry was not wholly re-
iected. He was not too old-thirty- y-seven,
seventeen.
From the moment of Vera'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 Conseryatoire to make her
home with me.
We walked good bit, Ivan and l.
And by this time his affection had
grown to fire. 1t was no mere assump,
ton, that love Of VANS. He was deeply
in earnest. am not the woman to read
a mans heart aniiss The name of his
wife, Vera, had faded into q mere mem
ory now, and received certain proofs
that Ivan would have stripped his heart
of all else in the world for me. What
were those proofsT" you ask. Oh, that
is but for woman to understand.
Imust say that returned the passion
measure for measure. l had come tc
honor, respect and love Ivan. His image
grew daily brighter and holier 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 oui
mutual affection.
"Why, you are uncle and niece-blood
relatives!'' she exclaimed one day.
"Bless you, no; not blood relatives
Ivan is my uncle by marriage, and only
great-great uncle at thst, his wife hav
ing been great aunt to my mother"
One night and once again, as we
walked beneath the heavy screen of the
park trees, shadow fell in front of US
the figure of woman, it appeared tt
me-and as quickly did it fit away
again. 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 thu
day. started, considerably frightened
Ivan Gained me.
"It was nothing" he remarked; "oniy
a branch Of that tall tree swinging
across our path"
But if it had been--if it could hay'
understood--if it could have spoken
that shadow would have heard oul
pledges!"
"And you are ashamed OF them. m!
darlingY'
"No! oh, no, Ivan. Only I am crea
ture of such silly suspicious. My natioI
my dear Swedish people-are Some
how imbued more or less with be.ie
in 'eerie things as the Scots say. l
NAV be q fault, but it was born in me
Even when was child my old nurs'
used to tell me tales of strange gnome
and hobgoblins, saying that they swarm
ed about us, and the lesson seems to hav'
followed me. SO do not chide mer'
His answer was that which he Away
gave when ] pleaded for grace.