Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-09-12

Mis- lAkt. lou kAlOh AAtSA ~ Ntff
observation was taken up with Mr.,
MArdley. We are old friends, and
we had great deal TO say"
"Why, what are you thinking OF,
Margaret? 1t is Arthur lmean. Did
not tell you? gave you ample op.
portunity tomale his acquaintance.
And Bessie laughed her merry, JOY.
Gus laugh at her sisters astonished
countenance.
But Margaret rose up, fierce ANA
angry.
Il hate himr' she cried, and 81
hate YOU" she might have added, for
| the thought was in her heart. But
Bessie, pale and trembling, put her
hand upon the angry lips.
'Ohi tell me what Is the matter,
sister, darling sister, she pleaded, and
Margaret, frightened at her own angry
words, stood still and thought how
she could mend them.
HAS my Arthur done anything
wrong, anything to offend your"
Margaret made no answer; she would
have given worlds to recall the hasty,
breath but she was forced to tell the
| story at last. And her sister listened
with fearful eyes. Inconsistency seemed
such a terrible thing to this faithful
! heart.
Margaret, said she, ~ can never
marry Arthur NJ Ardley now"
But Margaret begged her TO forget
what she had told her, and they part
ed for the night with fond embraces.
Alone in her own chamber Bessie
thought till the morning broke.
He was Margaret's first love as he
was hers; but perhaps it had not been
as Margaret thought: perhaps it had
been but a boyish fancy, and Arthur
must not suffer ii his happiness depend
ed on herself. Come what might, she
resolved to do her duty unselfshly
and cheerfully Poor Margaret! she
! had had but little sweetness in her
life. 1t might be that Arthur had
| loved her truly in those early days
and only forsaken her upon compul-
/ sion.
So ended her meditation. Time
passed on and day by day she watch
ed the two, and saw, or thought she
saw, that they loved each other still,
and as this conviction forced itself
upon her, Arthur VI Ardley's image
faded from her breast.
He who knoweth all things alone
could know the secret OF that innocent
heart. II she suffered she gave no
sign, and Margaret, guessing nothing
OF what was passing in her sisters
mind, and believing her happy in
Arthur's love, felt all the old, bad
feelings return with double force, and
sets herself the task OF winning Arthur
NJ Ardley's love, scarcely thinking OF
the end OF her triumph, but resolved
to punish him in some way for the
unhappiness he had caused her. She
strove her best to fascinate and dazzle
him, and he, quite willing to be enter.
tanned by handsome woman, entered
with zest into a Irritation, all
| the while reserving such love
as he possessed for the one
who was to be his wife. But in all
this Bessie saw only the signs OF feel
ing that could not be repressed, and
/ one day when the two were sitting to.
gether she came and sat beside them
with a resolute look in her earnest
blue eyes.
Arthur" she said, ''the day that
has been fixed for our wedding is close
at hand, but must say what have
to say before that time"
She begged OF her sister not to leave
| them, and then, IN a clear steady
voice, she told Arthur M'Ardley her
feelings had changed. that she no
longer felt any stronger regard than
friendship, and that she hoped he
would try to forgive and forget her
She limited OF no change in him, OF no
reason for the alteration in her feel
ing, and Arthur, utterly abashed,
and knowing well what cause he had
given her, listened i'll silence, tongue
tied in Margaret's presence.
Next morning there came to the
door a missive in Arthur's hand, adj
dressed to Bessie Miller. AS the letter
was placed in Margaret's hand, she
stood in her dressing-room, holding
her sisters costly wedding. dress.
There was no question OF right or
wrong, only a mad determination to
| know what passed BETWEEN Bessie and
Arthur MArdley. Margaret opened
the letter, and read what was never
meant for her eyes-tender, penitent
words, warm with love for which she
would have bartered her existence
Pleading humbly for forgiveness, Tor
that heart which he had lost through
his own misdeeds, and through and
under it all hint, not anywhere
written but subtly expressed, that the
fault was not all his own.
A light step sounded along the pas
sage, and Margaret tore the paper
with an angry hand, and cast it at
her feet, crushing it under the folds OF
the snowy satin.
Bessie looked in and seeing what she
held cried out:
"Oh, Margaret, please put the
dress away, and never let me see it
again.
Margaret laid the dress and paper
away in an unused drawer. But for
the confession it involved Of her own
treachery she might even yet have
given her sister the letter; but as it
was, she said to herself that Arthur
MArdley might make his peace in his
own way.