Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1893-10-26
ONLY A PRESCRIPTION.
BY L. cREsw1cKE.

~ 'uo nv liy lACQlCtl dlleuudnUs he
was not even friend. On the first day
we met, and as we sat side by side in the
kensington Museum, he scrawled it on
the following paper which lies before
me.
At that time / was very Young,
scarcely more than child, but no one
would have guessed it; my pale, atten-
uated face was lined with grief, and the
eyes, which but a few months ago had
been likened to velvet, had almost dis
appeared behind their swollen and dis
colored lids.
And the reason for the change was
a grieyous one. had loved and been
beloved again. A stern, father had put
his veto'on all correspondence-he had
forbidden US even to hope!
Certainly Leslie Blount's prospects were
not good; his few years of soldering had
brought only debts and no promotion,
| and his expectations, such as they were,
were shadowy in the extreme On his de-
parture for India three years back had
been but child was startled therefore
when, on his return, he rashly yet pas
sionately declared he had loved me all
along! could not own to loving him
in return; | had not learnt what love
was, but had vague, indefinite feeling
that 1t meant what the sunrise does to
the flowers color, light, expansion!
l hid nothing from my parent, but
told him in shy and loving accents of the
new experience which had dawned. He
was furious; had never seen him so be-
fore. He swore that no penniless infan-
try subaltern was fit for his daughter,
| and muttered something about ''con-
founded cheek of the rascally sub. to
| propose, etc., etc. /! | wept and en-
treated he ranted and raved, and finally
wrote off to Leslie an Infatuated COM
mand never to darken his doors again.
Then /, heartsore and wretched at
this abrupt termination of loves young
dream, timidly entreated permission to
write one last epistle. My request was
granted, but only on condition that the
communication should first be submitted
to my enraged parent.
1t seemed a terrible ordeal, but de-
termined to risk it. My dear unlucky
lover should at least learn his love was
returned and that my constancy should
last still death do us part" This |
wrote and more still-pouring out all the
feelings OF my young awakening heart
over four sheets of note paper, and beg
gipg him to work at anything which would
bring riches, as dross seemed to be the
only "open sesame to paternal hearts.
With trembling hands l intrusted my
first love letter to my father. 1t wrung
my heart to watch his methodical mode
of rubbing his glasses before adjusting
them to read the confessions of love.
could not face him, but glanced
away across the landscape till imagined
he had scanned the whole, and then
turned. Was it possibles Could it be?
Did |, indeed, see tear trickling down
his venerable nose across which his spec
tacles looked dim and opaque.
had not intended to be eloquent or
even pathetic. had written only as
my soul prompted, and this crude his
tory of my early grief had thus moved
him. ! rushed into his arms and i'm
plored him not to refuse to send the
missive.
Il will give it to the impairment
young dog myself" he exclaimed, and
bolted from the room. In an hours
time he returned, and / scarcely dared
ucuanu Ieply.
''He'll bring his own answer" was all
he vouchsafed.
What was my establishment as l
dressed for dinner--weeping love.lorn
tears the while--to hear Leslie's we'll
known knock at the door. Down the
stairs fled ! with winged feet. He might
meet my father, words might end in
blows, and then
Terrible thoughts coursed like light
ming through my brain. Yet another
shock awaited me.
| found my father and Leslie hand
shaking, not formally, but with warmth
and etfusion, in the hail. In a short
time all was explained On receipt of
furious letter from my irate parent,
warning him off the premises. Leslie,
but just recovered from Indian fever,
had taken to his bed with ague In
this state my father had found him when
he had called to deliver my letter in per-
son, and there and then, had asked him
to dinner.
There were, however, conditions at
tached to the invitation. Leslie might
come and dine but once more-iust to
say farewell, 4 but on his honor be must
promise never to attempt to see me or
write unless some more promising change
took place in his prospects. Should any
stroke Of luck bring him reasonable
sum to marry on then be might venture
to correspond.
After all this state Of things was pre-
ferable to the first, and Leslie parted
from me with q heart full Of hope which
love made infectious.
Before very long my father received
letter informing him that having OBJ
tsined the post of special war correspon-
dent 70 daily paper at a salary which
seemed 70 me enormous, Leslie was on
the eve Of starting for Constantinople.
The Russo Turkish war was the theme
in III Rouths at the time, and my lover,
who had long been painting fos activity,