The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-02-06
VERY PRECIOUS.

II did not give it to himl BE stole
it ont OF the mothers album. He didi
he dIdl he aidF' The speakers voice
rose with each repetition and her
cheeks got redder and redder. II
must know better than you, Rosie.
ss0h. Of courses you do not call it
giving. but ] do. You were standing
by. ] suppose, when he took itP Your
eyes we're cast down and You put your
most becoming pout onP And now
that Tom Crichton, with his ten
thousand d year. falls in love with
you and wants to marry you. You are
afraid that poor Geof Hamilton will
show him your photograph and talk
about your silly letters and make mis-
chief. You ineorrigible little flirt. 1t
would serve you right to be treated as
yon haFe treated others. How many
men have you made fools of, won-
derf a dozenap
The speaker spoke sarcastically; her
hearer was beginning TO cry. The
girls were sisters, SAYS story teller
In the 1ondon World, both young. both
pretty and charming; but Lefty. the
Younger was lovely, brainless little
hirt The elder, Rosalind, had plenty
Of brains, but scarcely experience
enough to enable her TO use them ju-
diciously. She was brilliant Great
IRE to look at-warm-hearted and inn
pulsive TO a fault There is nothing
She would not do or dare for one she
loved. and she dearly loved her be-
wftehing little sister, and rejoieed
with all her heart when the genial,
g0od-looking Young squire, Tom
Crichton, whoacame into the neighbor-
hood to take possession of IN unex-
peeted Inheritance, fell in love at first
sight with Lefty and proposed to her
after 4 weeks acquaintance.
But Tom was a quiek-tempered,
Jealous young fellow. and he had al
ready spoken his mind to Miss Lefty
about her love of Irritation. She
promised 10 mend her ways, but it
was more than she could do to keep
her promise when temptation came in
allnring guise.
Mireford was a garrison 1owne asd
one Of the gallant Dashshire regiment,
Geofrey Hamilton by name. had
quickly suecumbed to the fascination
Of the younger of the two daughters of
the widowed Mrs. Maitland, who
lived IN q pretty cottage on the Lon
don road about half a mile or so from
Mireford It was in vain that Rosa
lind warned the needless young CO.
~qE=-=e that she was treating poor
young Hamilton disgracefuily. But
in good truth the young man was very
wen able to take care of himself He
was not very deeply wounded, but as
soon as Crichton appeared upon the
scene he made up his mind TO punish
Miss Lefty. if possible. for her tricks
by pretending TO be broken-nearted
and desperately Jealous
He was, however, sufficiently in love
to be able to put fair amount of ser
fousness into his reproaches, and when
he fatty refused to give up the photo
graph Lefty ked given him and one
or two absurd little notes she had writ
ten to him and glove he had pur-
loined, the silly girl was thoroughly
frightened and firmly persuaded that
Tom" would hear all about It and
break of his engagement. Had Rosa
lind but known how slightly Hamil-
tons heart was touched she would
have quickly laughed Lefty out of her
fright; but when the girl solemnly as
sured her that Geof was so much in
love and 30 angry and jealous that she
knew he meant to have his revenge
b44G EG41S&g4G CA4CE 6kSGGE 1OGEOb t4lbb
she was not living in a melodramatic
age. and, moreover, she quite over
looked the fact that Hamilton, being q
gentleman, it was not likely that he
would act as If he were a cad.
So. on the whole, things were look
ing very serious when, for the fftieth
time at least, Rosalind tried to make
her sister confess whether she had
given Geof the photograph, or wheth-
er he had taken it from Mrs. Matt
lands album. She had her own opin-
ion on she subject, SO it was really
waste Of time to question the
naughty little girl, who was anxious to
keep peace between the old love and
the new.
81 think you are very unkind,
Rosie, she said at last; s.and if you do
not believe me, how can expect Tom
TO do It?
81 do not expect Tom to do It'll You
talk as if believing in you were a gym
nastic feat. ] know what should do
in Toms place if another man told me
he had a photograph of the girl ]
meant to marry, and gloves and
things -''
He has only one glove and nc
thingsp interrupted Lefty, whimper.
ing. Don't exaggerate; and l gave
Tom two photographs-one sitting and
one standing-and he has heaps and
heaps of letters.
Il hope the spelling is all right"
81 hope so. He is not much of 8
epeller himself"
He spelt .adored' with two DIS the
other day-.My addored one i
looked so funny"
ssMr. Hamilton is away just now, i;
he note" Rosalind asked presently.
ssYes. He went to his sisters wed
ding. I wish it was to his own"
He does not live in the barracks,
thinkas
mo; ne has rooms in Diamond Cres
cent, No. Is, and Gerard Townsend
lives with him."
He IS the woman -hating person
who is reading for something anC
never goes outP And now
suppose you are going to write t.
your saddored' Tom? / am going on
for d walk
ssAnd won't you advise me how t.
get back my photograph wish hae
not given it to him."
20, SO you did give itI'
Il am afraid did" sighed Lefty
ssBut he begged so hard and said h,
had never cared enough for any CIR
n.-to ask for her likeness before.
Poor fellow But he must give i
up. Now 90 and write your letter.
And Rosalind ran out of the room.
About an hour later a young lad.
with a macintosh on her arm knockes
4 r ~.