The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-02-05
THE EBONY BOX,

Could help it that was young and
she faded and past her youth and new
81 pretty?
| had no idea of doing he: any harm
when l came to her FINE y ansion to
spend a summer month With her.
She told me that she was engaged to
be married and wanted me to meet
her betrothed husband. 1t was allhcr
own doing,
came, we saw each other, and he
gave me his heart on the instant. "
He had never given her that; her
money had won him, but now his pas
sion for me made him feel that it was
worthless.
One day he told her all. I had fled
back to my home in terror, thinking
that When she knew the truth she
might hate me.
1t seemed so treacherous to come as
her guest and rob her OF her lover. l
telt that if she struck me, or even kill
ed me, she would only do what was
lust and right. But shortly Edwin
wrote to me:
My darling Bella-Miss Ellen Win
throp is the best and sweetest of wom-
an; an angel could not have been
kinder.
Bella is much better suited to
you than l am, she said. Give her
my love and tell her Hope you will be
happy. | have long felt that, though
we may always be friends, we were
never meant for lovers J."
The letter had much more in it, but
nothing that | need to write here.
| was so glad that she had forgiven
me, so thankful, for now could be-
gin to forgive myself a little; and yet
| had done nothing but what Heaven
had made me, and the sort of woman
Edwin Hunt liked.
had not made an effort to win his
love, only when it came to me, like
dew to the roses in the summer eve, 1
could not refuse it. We were lovers
now, we were happy.
tried to make myself believe that
Esther Winthrop was happy also, but
she looked pale and worn.
When | met her in the street her
yeshad a slmken look and she seemed
lost in reverie; yet when she saw me
she smiled and took my hand, and
told me that I must ask her t O my
wedding.
At least, however, she would have
been a strange bride for handsome
young Edwin Hunt. Strangers might
have taken herfor his mother. She was
one OF those women who, as soon as
early girlhood ispassed, look hard and
withered. Yet knowing that she had
been so kind and dignified, so forgiving
to me, Isaid to myself that Iwould new
er Judge any woman by her face again,
for Esther Winthrop deserved to be
the lovliest of living women.
Oh, what a blind idiot was l! Saint
ly forgiveness never gave such a cold,
evil look to a woman's eye, or wrote
such tigress lines abont q woman's
mouth.
But l believed in her then-I almost
wOrshipped her. When she babe me
come to see her, went timidly, won
dering at her sweetness and courtesy,
which never seemed to fail her.
She came to my wedding; she gave
me the handsomest OF all my presents.
She won golden opinions Of all who
met her.
The night OF our wedding we spent
at hotel in the city; on the following
day we were to take an ocean steamer.
There would be large party to see us
off, and Esther had promised to be
one of them.
''To-morrow!" How lightly we ut
ter the word, never thinking what it
may bring forth or that we may never
live to see it.
That night messenger brought a
letter to Edwin He read it with O.
smile and took up his hat.
you must suffer from curiosity I'M
til l RETURN" he said, laug Ching, as he
kissed me. ''-As they say in novels,
the secret is not mine but another's."
Then he ran gaily down the stairs,
whistling as he went. All night l wait
ed his return. In the morning he was
still absent. He never came again.
Where he went, why he went, what
late had befallen him, remained a
mystery
Those werenot wanting who nodded
and shook their heads, and said that
murder could not be hid so complete
ly. That any accident must have
been known, and that he who had
llted one woman might be untrue to
another.
He had broken his engagement with
Esther Winthrop to marry me. And
tale was told of how he had been
seen with 81 beautiful Spanish girl the
day before, and that both seemed agi-
tated.
''Liesn' I cried False tales that
have no foundation; whatever may
have happened, he was never false to
me-"
But the days passed on, and the
months and years, and nothing was
heard OF him, and surprise gave way
tohopeless misery
l had impoverished myself in fruit
less feeling OF detectives, in useless
Journeys to and fro. My parents were
dead; was quite alone in the world,
and theu 1T was that Esther Winthrop
came to me.
L!NTy bio house Is a. vor1y docolo+o