The Portland daily press., 1891-12-12


all I had expected her to be from her
face. and became more in love than ever.
I told her that was stranger, having
recently come to live here, and she was
kind enough to invite me to call.
81 had no time to lose-I could only
ATTEMPT to take the fortress by storm, a
dangerous thing to do, but there was no
opportunity to try the safer plan of a
masked seige and stratagems. Ihad one
thing in my favor; / was on the spot and
the other fellow was away.
IT soon availed myself of her invita-
ton to call and spent very pleasant
evening-one of those moments of de-
light that are at once so sweet and so
painful to remember in less happy times.
"What made it especially pleasing to
me was that Miss Lyndon seemed to en-
Joy it as much rs did. remember
that you have often laughed at love at
first sight, but think that my expert
ence demonstrates its truth. And that
evening suggested another question
which / endeavored to solve, but could
not. / will ask your opinion. Not only
did I feel pleasure in being with the wo-
man loved, but had also feeling of
being thoroughly en- rapport with her,
as if she felt the same pleasure and there
was some subtle and mutual sympathy
between us. Now, was that feeling a
creation of my own brain, independent
of any similar feeling on her part, or was
it what it seemed, and could therefore
know because I experienced it that she
was similarly impressed.
'It would tire you to read the de-
tails; it is enough to say that I made the
most of our acquaintance. / called as
often as possibly could, oftener than I
had any right to, met her at receptions
and any other entertainments where she
was likely to go; went with her to the
theater and to the Beethoven club, at
one of whose meetings | had first made
her acquaintance short, took every
opportunity could find or make of see
ing her.
FINALLY went with her, her father
and a party on an excursion in private
car to new city, where he was working
up real estate boom.
son our return | seized favorable
opportunity and told her that I loved
her-how did it / cannot tell even you
and of course Ireceived the reply that
she was engaged. But she said it very
sweetly, and made me love her better
than ever. Then said, How I wish
had knpwn you sooner and she said, 4
wish soetoo.'
"'Then, darling, if you do wish it you
need not; if it can be that you love me
ah, you do, / see you do-you can marry
me in spite of ALL
"'No, l will not break my promise, and
/ will have to give up your acquaintance
unless you respect it,
Ipromise; was too happy at finding
out my love returned to care very much.
1t could not be kept of course, and I
very soon broke it by asking Ethel if she
did not think it wrong to marry q man
who she did not love.
"I think it is wrong to break faith
with one who is faithful to me- she
said,. 'and so would you if you were
treated that way yourself
eyes, know that, but as I am the
one to profit by it think that it is all
right and the other fellow ought not to
care. certainly think that you ought
at any rate to tell him that you love him
no longer
"'Yes, ought to do that, and I will;
but / will offer to fulfill my promise,
though it was made principally to please
my parents, as see now, and, without
the love that could alone Justify it,
"This she did, and soon thereafter re-
ceived letter from her fance, in which
he thanked her for her frankness, and
told her that she had relieved him from
a similar embarrassment, as he had
lately discovered that his affections were
engaged elsewhere, but had felt in honor
bound to her. Such are the curious and
inexplicable workings of the human
heart, but l did not quarrel with them,
for they brought me my hearts desire.
"One day asked Ethel if she had ever
been in Tennessee.
eyes, she said; two years ago in o.
tober, on visit to my grandparents
"'Were you on the Nashville, Chatta-
nooga and St. Louis train, and did you
get off at Uxton station?
eyes
"'Then you are, as have believed, the
woman ] saw on the train then. Darling,
/ fell in love with you then, and have
been hunting for you ever since
"'And you are the man who stared at
me so hard on the train and followed
me off, leaving his hat behind; l recog-
nized you when we were first intro
duced.'
"We were married, very quietly, al
though in church, just month before
the time originally set for Ethels in
tended marriage, and we are now on our
wedding tour.
$50 you see did find my ideal, and
have won her, and you will have to i'm
agine how happy am, for it is beyond
the power of words to tell you.'
EAM A ~ Mrn EDg@