Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-10-26
ibid you know he loved meg' l ques-

toned.
He bowed his head.
| :" So well, that could have laid down
my life instead of his, that he might re-
turn to yon, / would have done it.
8 How good you arer'
Not SO. ! had nothing to live for,
livedl' laughed he rather bitterly.
You will come and see me often"
impored. You are the last link between
me aud him. .
If you wish, was his curt reply.
must return to the class" ex-
claimed lingeringly.
And injure your eyes fereverl Stay
said he, drawing note from his pocket,
from which he tore the spare half sheet,
II will give you something for them
He wrote some mystic lines compre-
hensible but to himself and the chemist.
| stuffed them heedlessly in my pocket
and returned TO work.
Many times after that we met, for my
father took fancy to him, and encour-
aged his coming. He imagined the doc
tors visits cheered me. | scarcely liked
to own they did Looking into his
gloriously handsome face, regretted my
| pallid shrunken features for the first
time.
began to wish for the looks which
had been so promising but short while
back, but they returned not The glitter
had gone from my eyes as the CLINT Of
loves gold from my heart But had it2
A red blush of shame overspread my
features as | questioned with myself if
| the memory of the dear dead waxed
fainter in the presence of the living.
A year crept slowly by, and l lost my
father who had tecome dearer to me
since my grief. Armand Daintry became
my friend. He was more gentle, less
abrupt than when we first had met.
BY instinct rather than anything else,
| felt | had brought peace into his life,
as he had into mine OF love / had
never thought 1t was thing stillborn,
buried before the breath of life could
come to it. | believed my art was sufii-
Gent for me, and knew not it was glori-
fed by the continued presence of one
who had become dear friend an almost
brother. Wherever | went, whatever |
did, felt that the thoughts ofone being,
like guardian angels, lowered round me.
Was | unhappy, he comforted was |
undecided, he advised was ambitious,
ne supported me!
Month after month passed. | was no
longer student, but an artist, and my
first little picture, entitled "Outside
Adrianople"-of dead horse and his
rider, had been commended on the
Academy walls. But nothing endures
here below, and change came at Inst.
Armand Daintry called. His face was
pale and grave.
What ails you?" Inquired at once.
Nothing, but that | must leave you
l shall volunteer for Egypt tomorrow"
"Ahl" A strange tightening of the
throat hushed my words.
cts no good hanging about in Eng
land doing nothing"
"Why not? Why not2' | asked i'm
pulsively "Are you not happy here?"
"Happy? Too happyl Camilla, lis
ten. The first day saw you knew it
would be all up with me- l had seen
your photograph, and said to myself that
is the girl could have loved. / dared
fate in vcnturing to meet you. / have
dared fate in trying to continue friend
ship with you while my heart was mad
with love. That you have no thought
of me | know. That is why | will not
remain, but go where man may do his
duty and forget
A flame-red blush caught my cheeks
and lit up my eyes, then | turned icy
cold. Gould my pulses beat, my heart
leap with JOY, with rapture, while that
dear dead man lay far away in a lonely
grave meath the blistering Eastern sun?
And Armand had been his friend There
seemed treachery in hearkening to words
of love from him.
"And when you returng' | asked with
unnatural calm.
He smiled bitterly.
s'If return may be cured'
$50 easiy?' l could rot forbear ex-
claiming.
He grasped my hand.
Would you not wish it so9 Is it
possible that if live you would let me
devote my life to giving you the happi-
ness you have lost, that | might teach
you the difference between real love
and the ideal one you pictured?"
His blue eyes shone like a sunit
heaven, and his hands, the hands which
unfalteringly bound the wounds of the
suffering amid shot and shell on the
battlefield, trembled like those of man
drunk with wine.
With one great bound my hearts love
went out to him, then l remembered.
What would he think of love so easily
foresworn2
"Have you no answer for met Will
you try and forget the past9'
"Neverl"
My voice was harsh and unnatural. l
dared not show the emotion that almost
mastered me.
"Good-by then,'' he said, holding out
his hand.
Something that was very like sob
rose in my throat, but ] strangled it.
Strangled it until he was gone. Then,
oh, then dared to weep, calling him
back to love, to bless me, for he could
not hear
Armand. my beloved, stay p moaned
through The long days and nights which
followed, but neard no more Of him. If
only he had refused to 90 and waited,
how different life might have been!