The morning call., 1891-11-15


woman, one OF her Practitioners. She was
detained longer than she expected, and
when she set forth for home the evening
had settled In dark and starless. Just in
front OF her ere two figures, man and
woman, walking leisurely.
Dolly WAS about to pass them when she
heard the woman utter her name. Tell me
honest, aren't you dead in love with Dolly
Sumner. Ray ?" said the sweet TEASING voice
of Ray Courtland's sister; and Dolly, afraid
to pass them now lest she be recognized,
heard the answer given Ia the deep voice she
knew so we'll. I'll l were foolish enough TO
be dead in love with her, Sissy, would still
be too wise to think of marrying her. even
II L could, which is, Of course, not possible.
Mss Sumner has never given me serious
thought, | am sure.
"Oh. pshaw. Rayl You know you could
marry any girl you wanted to; no one could
resist v0u," retorted his sister, 'And |
think Dolly IS so sweet, L would rather have
her for a sister than any one l ever saw.
Why wouldn't you think of marrying her?"
There came a pause which seemed an
eternity to Dolly. Then the mrlodious voice
continued: Because she is too pretty to
make good wife, my dear little sister"
ON. what nonSense! cried his sister;
that IS no reason at all, Ray. All the fel-
lows are wild about her."
Yes; they are all wild about her beauty
like hers stirs the senses of men always.
But no wise man would make her his wife,"
duShtitu may Livery great
gilt rObs the possesSer in some respect.
People who have great mental endowments
lack in Judgment reason, good taste or
morals. as rule. But when the gift is
great physical beauty it seems to Invariably
rob the heart. | would be afraid to marry
such a woman"
ION, but Dolly is just as unselish as she
can be, argued his sister; 81 never saw SO
kind a girl us she is"
q" confess she seems So" acknowledged
the young man. land L am surprised at the
education she seems 10 have acquired. But
it has always been my idea that man who
married beauty deserved to be unhappy,
especially beauty who is reigning belle
with a crowd of admirers about her 1t
spoils girl for a quiet. domestic" but
just here Ray and his sister turned the
street corner that led to the house where
Miss CORTLAND was visiting, and Dolly
sped on her way and up to her room, with
out encounterlng person, and turning the
gas on full blaze she sat down before her
mirror, stared at herself and then dealt her
beautiful cheeks fierce blows with angry
little clenched knuckles, and the sharp set
ting OF one of her rings dug any ugly hole
in her left cheek and brought the blood out
in three. big red drops. The sight of the
blood Gained Doily's fury and anger, and
she fell to weeping violently, and turned off
the gas and threw herself on her bed to sob
the night away.
Life had lost its SAVIOR; youth held moth
ing more for her. During those few terri
bic moments on the street she had learned
how much she loved Ray CORTLAND, how
utterly she had given her heart TO his keep
ing, and she had learned, toe, that he was
lost to her, lost through her pretty face,
which had always been her curse. All her
studious, prudent school days, all her faith
full adherence to her mothers teachings all
her sacrifice of pleasures in tue hope OF
earning the respect of PEG ple-what did they
avail now? Her beauty was still her bane
and now it had come bet ween her ard love.
Why had God cursed her with such a face
In the morning her bruised cheek was
swollen and purple and she was obliged to
tie bandage about it and complain of
neuralgia tooth, and this gave her an ex-
cuse to remain indoors two whole days
without seeing any one, when she
received a letter from one of her old
schOplmates telling Der that Belle Parker
had aStonished all her friends by marrying
a good for-nolhIng fellow, whom her
parents would be obliged to support The
letter closed with this sentence: "Isn't it
queer how seldom thess great beauties ever
make good marriages ="
Poor Dolly tore the letter into score of
fragments. and buried her fair, bruised
cheek In her hands IN a new access of NOR
LITIGATION and grief "0h, if | had only
looked like my dear, dear, dead mamma"
she sobbed, &" everything would have been
different
Mr.. Ray CORTLAND sent in his card while
Dolly was confined to her room, and she
sent back polite regret that she was indis-
posed and unab5 to see him. So she was
spared his farewell call. He left his hind
adieus with Mrs. Sumner.
Everybody IN town was amazed at the
sudden change which came over pretty Dolly
Sumner before she had been out" a year.
She gave up all her social life, stubboruly
refused to go to any place of entertainment
aud devoted her whole time to study and
charity work.
"AffectatlOn," her girl friends called it;
crank the young men declared her: and
Mrs. Sumner puzzled her match making
head vainy over the problem, but fnallV
gave ii up in despair
md one day, SIX months later, as Dolly
walked slowly along quiet country road in
the outskirts Of the town. where she had
been TO visit poor, bedrdden woman
carriage drove up behind her and some one
sprang out beside her and said Miss Sum-
ner, saw you from a distance and recog-
nized the Nun OF Hillside, as you are called
now, L believe. And | drove out to take
you TO your destination or for little drive.
II you Will go. L have something very inl-
porTaut to say to you-something | wanted
to say six months ago, and was so foolish as
to leave unSaid, and | have been perfectly
wretched ever since. and came back to Hill
side purposely to say. Will you let me say
it while We driver"
Strive as she might to be cold and calm
while Ray CORTLAND talked, she found the
tears choking speech, and no sooner was
she seated In the carriage than she fell to
sobbng softly under her veil, aud Raw
CORTLAND found to his amaZement that he
wa, the cause of the sudden change in
pretty DOlly's life, Of which he had heard 80
much since his arrival in tOWn-that is, hs
found this out after he had asked her 10 be
his wife, and had made her realize how
dearly he had loved her all these months
Dolly's stepmother insisted upon brill
liant wedding | to h.,
bride and groom went off in blazs of
light and lived happy forever afterward
But the fact is Dolly's troubles did not end
here. Her lover carried her off to beau
tlful home In distant town, and for three
months he was all thata devoted bridegroom
is expected to be. Then suddenly, and with
no explanation, his began to neglect her
he passed. his evenings away from home,
gave no eXplana alton OF his absence aud was
absent-minded and Indifferent at home,
After two months of this conduct Dolly one
day received lotter signed only with the
initials G. W. 1t read thus: 81 have never
ceased to love you, 10 watch over you.
have seen how your husbnad neglects you.
He is absent from you evening", he seeks the
society OF other women. one of whom he
loved before he met you. Turn about is fair
play. Many an errant heart is reclaimed
by little timely jealousy. May L not cali
and help you to pass some of your lonely
evenings You are too beautiful to pine
alone. L inclose addressed envelope for re-
ply"
The envelope was addressed to G. W.,
Lock Box "a, City. Both letter and en-
yelope were type-written, but tile initials
q. w. were familiar to Dolly as those of the
youth who had been desperately enamored
Of her, and whom she had recently under
stood had come to her present place of resi-
dence IN the employ of a railroad corpora
ton.
DOlly's eyes blazed with indignation as
she read the letter. Hastily taking pencil
she wrote under the signature: Coward
villain-I loathe you. Never dare to reeog-
nize me as long as yOu live" And plunging
the Insulting letter into the stamped and ad-
dressed envelope he had inclosed she hur-
ried il out TO the nearest nIail-box, only to
return and shut herself In her room and
weep Historically the whole afternoon.
She sent word by her maid that she
would be unable to join her husband at din
ner, and begged to be excused, on the plea of
n bad headache. She wondered if he would
go into dinner without coming to see her Ii
seemed to her that her cup of misery wonId