Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-04-06
A TEST OF LOVE.

eyes flashed fire, and as he laughed May
sizes anger grew.
II hate her so can't sleep at night,
and all because she is making q fool Of
you, John Stratton, the-the white faced
witch" Now, that was different mat
ter to what he had looked on as only a
pretty ebullition Of jealousy on the part
Of Maysie Bruce most gratifying to his
vanity, but to be told that another wo-
man was simply making fool of him
was hurtful to that same vanity, and it
was now his turn to feel the blood rush
to his sunburnt cheek.
"Miss Lawrence is a refined and cul-
tured woman whose society enjoy, and
who is good enough to seem to enjoy
mine, was his stiff reply to poor Maysie,
who felt singularly rustic and ignorant
as he said it and fell to stirring up the
snow with her pretty foot. A moment
before she had been 80 pleased to meet
John, for it had been long week since
he had come to see her, and she had
heard from 20 busy tongues like so many
pin pricks Of his visits to the big white
house on the hill, where the beautiful
Miss Lawrence, the belle of youngstown.
was staying with Mrs. Ross. the judges
wife. But Maysis was loyal and put
aside the pain in her heart to smile at him
when he had overtaken her on the way
from the village, hoping to vile him back
to his allegiance by the winsome ways
that had bound him before.
She had been gay enough little Co
quette until now, but all the joyous ca
price and fascination was gone with the
coming Of this sorrowful conviction that
John was growing away from her. At
his sharp words now the tears rose to her
eyes, and she grew intent on her task of
stirring up the powdery snow, but John
paid no attention to the small, well
booted foot which he had praised in hap
/ pier times, nor, what was worse, to the
tears, but turned back pettishly with
short goodby, leaving Maysie to go on
her way home alone, while he walked
hastily up the hill to where his enchant-
ress waited in the warm scented draw
ing room, beside glowing fire of Goals,
and who welcomed the stalwart young
fellow with languid smile that yet had
in it something of appreciation of his
handsome face and well knit figure.
Miss Lawrence had grown blase in the
several years that lay between her and
her school days, and had struck most of
the chords in mems hearts, but even her
jaded fancy was taken by John STRAIT
toms admiring blue eyes and his gentle
Difference to her as a creature too fair
and dainty for everyday life, and she ex-
erted herself with an anxiety that sur
prised her more than any one else to keep
him by her side. She had heard of May
sic, and with all the cruelty that turks
in the feminine breast had found new
zest in the affair in consequence.
While John sat and talked and ad-
mired in that warm parlor beside Miss
Lawrence, poor Maysie walked slowly
home, finding the world q sad, sad place,
and feeling for the first time in her short.
bright life that death was not terrible
thing after all. With pathetic honesty
she acknowledged that the woman that
had stolen her lover was very fair and
did not doubt her many charms to hold
him by her side, and as she thought of
the pale golden locks of that rival and
the violet eyes she felt that she hated !
her own soft, brown hair and her eyes,
that John had once said were like wood |
land pools. AS she choked up at this re-
membrance voice hailed her: "Why, |
Maysie, going to walk right over fel-
low? On your way home? Well, think
l had better go with you or you will be
getting lost if you are so oblivious of
6-footer like me-"
Maysie started guiltily with cry. The
speaker was Trueman Ellis, who wor-
shipped her ever since her babyhood, |
through tyranny and encouragement on
the part of his ladylove. She had ac.
cepted his devotion as she had other of
the good things of life, without thought |
of what it cost, and today, with petu-
lancy foreign to her sweet nature, she
tore her arm from the one in which he
had placed it and cried:
"Oh, how you startled me! No, |
don't want company, thank you" Then
as she saw his face fall her tender heart
prompted her to add: f'I-I am not
very we'll, | think, and would be poor
company for you, Trueman. Goodby"
The young man stood still in the path |
where she left him, his own heart sore
for the little creature who had been SO
brigif. and gay, for he, too, had seen
how often John Stratton had gone to the
judges of late, and he knew why poor
Maysis was mot very well, and would
be poor company" for the first time in
her life. But what could he do? So
with sigh he stood and watched the lit
tie figure in the brown cloak walk weari-
ly on to the old farmhouse by the river,
where she was the petted darling Of the
elderly father and mother, who had only
her eft Of the crowd of little ones that
had once made bright the low, wide
rooms and old fashioned garden.
That night the judges home was bril-
liant with many lights, for Miss Law
renee had organized amateur theatricals
to enliven her time in Cloverdale, and the
elite of the place was to assist in them.
To John Stratton had been given a part
with the beauty herself, and he was full
Of pride and pleasure with never a
thought of the pathetic face that had
looked into his that snowy evening. In
the old farmhouse Maysie sat disconso-
late, with her thoughts far away at that
bright scene in which she had no share,
picturing Miss Lawrence more beauti-
tnl than ever, and in Johns blue ewes