Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-02-04
THE GIRL HE LOVED.

fignt long years sue H;iu not seen HIS
face, but when last she saw it,
through mist Of tears as bitter as the
brine of the seat was white with the
pain of their parting.
''If conld take you with me, my
love, my lifev' he had cried ont, as hc
held her in his arms; and she, with
sobs rising in her throat, had coun-
selled him TO be patient-had whisper
ed to him that she would wait until he
could come for hcr-that she would bo
true to him in thought aud word-that
when he came he could find her there,
oil his own, just as he left her.
ALI. not as he left her would Roy
Jameson find Vala Lee; for long and
terrible illness had blanched her checks
and sunkcn them. The eight years Of
waiting, of separation. of loying
thought for the absent one had left
their mark on the girl whose soft hps
had shyly returned his kiss Of farewell
80 long ago in the gloamng.
She had stood long | IRE her mir
ror. scanning her altered face and her
frail slight figure, before going to the
window TO watch for the first glimpse
| of him; aud she had turned away at
last with a smile.
..My heart Is just the same" sue
said to her herself, thrilling all over
with gladncss. "and my old bloom
will come back 60 me when Roy is
here. Oh, the long, long years! But
now--now they are behind me, and
only love is before; for he writes that
he Is succeeding at last and will come
| for his bride"
/ She cclored from throat to brow as
/ the murmur passed her lips. Such n
| glad soft glow stole over her delicate
/ face that for moment il was - fair
"a it bad been when Roy Jameson,
looking on it. told himself that no man
had a sweeter beacon to light him to
/ success.
! Tben she saw. in the amter light Of
/ departing day, a shade Of swiftly-mov-
! ing darkness afai off, and knew that in
very few moments her lover would
/ be with her. Aud she turned from
+ the window and ran like child
/ through the short corridor, and down
| The stairs and ont To the little rose
| wreathed verandah.
There. where the branches climbed
/ and wreathed, he had bidden her
| goodbye; there should he receive her
! greeting.
! Aud she drew back to the shadow of
the rose-bushes, every pulse in her
body beating in time to the fever of
her gladness.
She scarcely heard the light footballs
Of her young sister Ina; she did not
heed the pretty girlish figure that
/ passed her and went down the steps.
/ She was listening. heart and ear, soul
aud sense. To the ho0f-beats that came
aearer, nearer. and paused at last be-
/ fore the gate. She was listening, with
A thanksgiving To God upon her lips.
to the quick light step which would
! have made her heart beat, she thought,
! should it pass by the grave where she
waited-her lovers step!
And when it paused below, she
leaned forward from her concealment
to see wherefore.
Ain. was it because for so many years
4 she had made of y creature an idol,
/ that such blow was dealt her there
the woman full of love and longing.
who for years had yawned for sight of
/ one face. sound of one voice, touch of
/ one hand?
The voice, the face. the hand, were
there; but the face. alight with love.
was bent over Ina; the hand held Ina S
! closely in its own; the voice called
| Ina every tender and endearing name
"Oh, hush!" she heard her sister
say. in her merry girlish voice. "You
are so dreadfully mistaken. MIR. jane
son. am not Vala, but her little sis
ter. and Nala expects you. Sec. she is
there among the roses.n
The girl drew her hands from his,
and ran lightly down the path; and
Roy Jameson lifted his wondering
eyes to the face and figure of Fala,
crimson stain on either dark cheek.
That the girl he loved. was pledged
to-lhat white-faced, ashen-lpped
woman. with checks as colorless as her
dress, and such still steady light in
her great hazel eyesy
He mounted the steps slowly; all the
speed of the love had left his step;
| the love-light had died from his eyes.
Surely it was Vala who had laughed
in his face and left him-Vala as he
remembered and loved her! This pale.
still. stately woman, who waited for
him so quietly, could not be the bride
for whom he had come.
Dazed, chilled, cold with a nameless
| disappointment, he reached her side,
and put out his hands TO her.
''Vala?" he asked, half enquiriIgly.
And she laid her cold fingers in his
/ palms-no more.
Yes" she answered. in a voice that
sounded strangely in her own ears: IL
am Vala, but tho years have changed
me; they have been kinder to you Roy.
Ina is just what was when you and
last met here. / am almost as a
stranger 10 you. 1t will take us some
time to recognize each other"
How her heart pulsed and pant
ed for one tender word-one word that
would let her know how dear he held
the faith and truth of all those years =
how much more to him would be the
love of the woman than her beauty!
But no such word came, and when Ina
returned to them, she found them
seated sidc-by-side, but with nothing
love-like in their position, and Roy's
eyes followed the younger sisters
merry face, and tlwclt ON it again and
| again until il grew warm under his re-
gard; and Vala saw, but matlc no sign,
although in this whole world OF aching
hearts none achcd so kccnly as that of
the woman who, having waited for
/ eight years for her lover, saw his face
at last, and found it cold to her no
love-light ON il.
The moon peepcd through the
branches before Roy took his leave
and won't to his Lomo--,hc sim,le
humble home which he had left that
he might lind better fortune in the
/ world abroad.
And as he rode under the moon
beams. more than once he sighed. A
bright glad face had been with him ia
all his wandcrings; n worn white one
had met him ON his return. He had
forgotten that years and paiu could
fade aud change his girlisll love; and
| now
Hc sighed again. and Mt that moment
a dark object fitted over the roadway.
and his horse sprang to one side. The
leap would have done no harm. but
that deep trench had lately been dug
10y tho roadway, and the startled
horses hoofs struck tho edge of it,
slid, recovered. slid again, and horse
and man were flung prostratc into the
| trench.
A struggle, fierce and short. and the
horse scrambled to his feet and up the
Il \