Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-30


my happiness. And love, that most
selfish of the virtues, as my dear uncle
once called it, aggravated my disease.
But in my dark day light came finally,
and it was my uncle brought it. 1 was
pining; Ifrankly said had lived enough.
Very well, said my uncle once. Con
slider then your own life done. There, 1t
is over. Now live for others, for duty,
to help people. Help me for instance
and oh, Windward, he used to be so
tempted then!-'do church work, nurs-
ing, take any crotchet, live for anything
any body but self-that, we agree, is
dead and buried
"Oh, how I studied over these words!
Of course 1 had always been told it was
wrong to be selfish, and l supposed
was very good and unselfsh; so at first
couldn't understand what he meant, but
1 knew he meant something, for he
always does when he speaks at all,
so l brooded and brOoded, and final
IL 1 began to see what the words
meant, and 1 thought them brutal; re-
scented them; 1 almost hated him, and
with him everything good. But at last
was given a better mind
She paused, as if her story was fin
ished, and Windward felt he certainly
had no right to interrogate her further.
''YOur uncle is a fine man." he said; Il
like and admire him very much. a Gu
rious man, too. Tell me, was he always
so calm and laconic?'
HE has grown more so Of late years, ."
she replied, land I don't mind telling
you that it is largely due to the care ho
is obliged to take of his health. He SUI
fers from an affection of the heart of
such nature that any sudden extreme
of emotion, either of joy or sorrow,
would probably prove fatal. He has ac-
customed himself, therefore, to a stO-
icism, though to be sure it comes easil :
to him, as it fits his nature. His 'tele-
grap hic brevity,' as no doubt you have
heard him explain, Is due chiefly to the
value he sets on time and speech, but he
was always Il silent man. For years
and here the narrator smiled merrily-
"he pretended to be a little deaf, so as
the better to ward off volubility, and he
suffers from occasional attacks even yet.
1t used to be very amusing sometimes
The longer his tOrmentor talked the
deafer he would grow, till he got him
fairly shouting, and so actually wore
him out"
Quite a scheme, " laughed Windward.
Yes, I've had many a laugh over it.
1 could always tell when he was bored.
Excuse me- he would say, 4 am little
hard of hearing That would set me off
tittering. Alas, I'm past the tittering
age now!'
And I am glad of it." exclaimed
Windward. ''And speaking of tittering
reminds me of Miss Willis
"Why, Mr.. Bassettr' said Louise de-
murely, $50 soon? Remember, you have
a week"
"WeI, I don't care. She has a laugh
that is half way between a giggle and a
smoker. On, like it, thought he added,
resolved on sadness.
''You haven't told me anything about
it," said Louise, who no doubt felt she
had a right after her own confessions to
hear those of her friend.
"Why," said Windward, with a hang
dog air, ''she said she didn't suppose, and
so forth and so on, and hoped we should
always be friends, you know, and she
said she was engaged"-
"Engagedr' exclaimed Louise.
"Well, that was to be a secret; 1 for
got, said Windward, looking sheepish.
"Oh, a secret" Louise spoke so scorn-
fully that Windward looked at her for
an explanation.
why" ne asked, reading her express
sion, don't you believe it:'
"Oh, she may be, said Louise. ''She
is, off and on, most of the time"
''You ought to have told me more
about her at first, said Windward, color
ing deeply and looking down.
THAT is So" Louise replied frankly.
81 should; and own my fault. But /
hate gossip, and 1 didn't suppose till very
lately that you were in any danger. And
then when I, or rather my uncle, did
speak we-didn't think you were partic-
ularly pleased"
Windward was silent. He saw he was
no match for these people. He would
change the subject.
81 think, Miss Sheffield, he said. 81
will give up working the claim. My
trouble with Miss Willis unset5les me, OF
course, and want to leave town on that
account; but apart from that, 1 see I am
of very little use here, and l can do as
much by occasional visits as by con-
stantly DINING at congress. believe
there are a good many members like
your uncle; if youtalk too much to them
they are all apt to grow little hard OF
hearing"
Perhaps" said Louise with a smile.
'Wen, 1 shall be really sorry to lose you
Mr.. Bassett, but I understand better
than you do, probably, how sensible you
decision is-if you have decided"
mot yet" said Windward, ''but my
mind tends that way, especially after
last nights trouble. And 1 should &C
the more readily as our interests are Sc
well cared for" He accented the ''our'
as if to call attention to the word.
''Our interests" said Louise inquir.
ingly.
Yes" replied Windward, with care
less air, but watching her keenly. "You
know you have little interest in the
claims, too"
"What, I:' exclaimed Louise, Devil
dered. How SOP
''Oh," said Windward, rather con
fused, Il mean you, of-course, are inter
ested in the colonel's success, and he
would make handsomely if the bill
passed.
"Oh, certainly" Louise replied, as
Stunning a satisfaction in the answer sh,