The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-12-30

fined and lovely and fairy like being
rs Ella
Before the gates of Darlington hall,
as he called his brick and mortar mon.
strosity, we paused. We were friends,
dear old friends, by this time. knew
that she was nineteen. and that she
loved nothing in the world so much Us
her bull terrier pup, except her father
and her brother Bob, and she knew
every detail of my uneventful life OF
seven-and-twenty summers.
She asked me to come in; papa would
want to thank me, she said.
/ found papa genial enough, albeit
somewhat condescending. 1.-THE young
man from the bank" I afterwards
found he called me, although my name,
Ernest Wynter, was known to HIM, and
he himself had begun life as a mill
hand at six shillings week. Still
was allowed to visit at harrington hall,
and to play tennis with the girls, and
every day grew more abjectly in love
with Ella, whose unaffected charm of
manner no parvenu surroundings could
impair.
OF course dared not TO speak of my
love to her. In my position, that was
out of the question. / could only try
to kiss the dogs head, just after her
lovely lips had rested there, and to de
tain her hand as long as possible in
greeting and parting from her.
Yet she must have guessed something
of what felt; for she took me one day
into the kitchen-garden away from the
children, and there. looking at me with
lovely, tear-dimmed eyes, she suddenly
II am SO unhappy, Mr.. Wynter. Papa
wants me to marry Alderman Sir John
Westbury. He is a nice old thing, and
papa says shall be lady mayoress.
But 1 think he is quite as fond of my
sister Bertha as he is of me, and-l am
in love with some one else"
The look with which she accompanied
her last words was revelation. She
grew very red the next moment and
began rapidly talking of something
else, while l. like a fool, stood and
stared at her until her wretched young
brother Bob came bawling down the
garden after her, and so took my
chance of speaking from me.
For the rest of the afternoon Ella
avoided me, and, cursing my own stu
pidity, went home and wrote her the
following letter:
my DEAR MISS BARRINGToN: don't know
whether you will think me the most conceited
al fNY o{xnx g.
yours to-day encourage me to tell you what
meant to keep secret-that ever since I first
met you, three months ago. / have been SO
madly In love with you that I can think Of
nothing else. But as my entire income does
not exceed two hundred and fifty year have
thought 1t would be presumptuous to talk of
to you, even had / felt hopeful of
gaining your love Twill not venture into your
presence again until I have heard from YOU
Only, 1 entreat of you, for the sake Of our de-
ightful friendship. II have made q mistake,
Ind 1t is some one else whom you love, not to
write to tell me what fool have been shall
understand and respect your silence, and.
much as may suffer. / win not intrude upon
1ou again.
Always, my dear Miss Darlington, what
'ou wish me to be-your sincere friend or your
most devoted adorer,
ERNEST WINTER"
suppose other men have watched for
;he postman before now, but surely no
nan ever waited upon his footsteps as
did for three whole weeks.
Even at the end of that time l should
,ave gone on hoping. but for the fact
hat, meeting Ella and her sisters in
he street, her manner toward me left
10 doubt as to her decision, for, whereas
he younger members of the family
we're as friendly as ever, Elias manner
vas chilling to a degree She would
lot even look at me, nor would she
hake hands when we parted
/ own / was thoroughly miserable,
md developed a faculty for caustic
pigl ans at the expense of the sex in
'eneral, writing several stories, enti-
led respectively, "Jilted, ""No Heart"
"A Coquette's Conquest" etc.
Then, one dreary November day,
net Mr. harrington in the streets of
He was unusually genial,
nd insisted upon my coming home to
inner with him.
"Never mind about dress" he said.
1t is quite an unceremonious oc-
asion- And, to tell you the truth, I
hall be glad of a strangers presence
0 control the family weeping. My
lila leaves us tomorrow, as suppose
on know, upon her marriage with my
riend Sir John Westbury, the future
ord mayor of London"
No, l did not know, and could have
one home and blown my brains out.
mt instead, / went to dinner with him.
ceiling that must see Ella for the last |
me.
She was looking very lovely, but ex-
remely pale, and her red-rimmed eyes
semed to dwell on me reproachfully. l
ould not congratulate her, the words
tuck in my throat. Sir John West
ury was there, handsome, we'll
lannered man, who hardly looked his
fly years of age
After dinner, Ella stole out to take a
ing farewell to her precious Bull"
~1~ IL A.