The morning call., 1893-12-10

=
at that time | was very young. scarcely
more than child. but no one would nave
guessed it; my pale, attenuated face was
Lined with grief. and the eyes. whlch pu'
= few months ago had been likeped to
= velvet, had almost disappeared oehind
=: their swollen and dIseolored IDS.
'.::And the reas3n for the change was a
: grieyous one. l had loved and been be-
loved again. A stern father had put his
-'vete on all correspondence-he hao Tor
bidden US even to hope!
:. Certainly Leslie Blount's prospects were
not:pood. his few years Of soldering had
brought only debts and no promotion, and
his expectations, such as they were, were
!: shadowv in the extreme. On his departure
for India three years back / bad been but
j.. q child. was startled, therefore. when. on
his ratprn. he rashly yet passionatelv de-
clared he had loved me all alOngI [ could
not own to loving him in return: Ihad not
Iearnt what love was. but had vague.
Indefinite feeling that il meant what the
sunrise does to the tiowers-color light,
expansion.
| hid nothing from my parent, bat told
hm in shy and loving accents of the new
experience which had dawned. He was
furious; had never seen him so before
He swore that no penniless infantry sub
tered something about confounded
cheek of the rascally sub. to PROPOSE"
etc.. etc. | wept and eutreated-he ranted
andTaved, and finally wrote off to Leslie
an infuriated command never to darken
his doors again.
ABRUPT termination OF loves young dream
timdly entraated permission to write one
in st. eDistle. My request was granite d. but
0nly:on condition that my communi cation
should first be submitted to my enraged
parent.
- 1t seemed terri bic ordeal, but deter
mined to risk it. Ny dear unlucky lover
should a least learn his love was returned
and: that my constancy should last It'll
death us do part" This wrote and more
still-pouring out all the feelings of my
young awakening heart over four sheets of
note paper, and begging him 10 work at
anything which would bring riches. as
dross seemed to be the only ''open sesame"
TO Maternal hearts.
With trembling hands | intrusted my
first love letter to my father. 1t wrung my
heart to watch his methodical mode OF rub
bing his glasses before adjusting them to
read the confessions of my love.
could OF face him, but glanced away
across the landscape till | imagined he
had scanned the whole, aud then | turned.
Was il possible? Could it be? Did l, in
deed, see a tear trickling down his venera-
BILE nose across which his spectacleS looked
dim and Opaque?
| had not intended to be eloquent or
even pathetic. l bad written only as my
soul prompted, and this crude history of
my early grief had thus moved him.
rushed into his arms and imDlOred him
not to refuse to send the missive.
Il will give il to the impertinent young
dog myself" he exclaimed, and bolted
from the room.
In an hours time he returned, and
scarcely dared demand reply.
He'll bring his own answer" was all
he vouchsafed.
What was my astonishment as dressed
for. dinner-weeping lovelorn tears the
while-to hear Leslie's Well-known knock
at the door. Down the stairs | fed with
winged feet. Hs might meet my father,
words might s.s1 in blows, and then
Ter e tfieughts conrsed like lightning
tfy brain. Yet another shock
Z found NY father and Leslie handshak-
li0g not formally, but with warmth and
efflsisn, il the hall. In a short time all
was explained. Ga receipt of furious
letter f-aa 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 person. and there and then
had asked him to dinner.
s mere were, however, cO0utLlOnS at
tached to the invitation. Leslie might
come and dine but once more-just to say
''farewell'-but Oh his honor be must
{ promise never TO attempt to see me or
write until some more promising change
took place in his prospects. Should any
stroke of luck bring him reasonable sum
10 marry on then he might venture to cor
respond.
=. After all. this state of things was prefer
able to the first and Leslie parted from
me with heart full Of hope, which love
made infectious.
Before very long my father received a
Letter informing him that, having obtained
the post Of special war CORRESPONDENT to a
: daily paper at salary which seemed to me
enormous. Leslie was on the eve of start
ipg for ConstantinOple. The Russo Turk
ism war was the theme in all mouths at the
time. and my lover. who had long been
painting for activity, had determined to put
his military experience to some more prac-
tical use than lUafiDg in garrison towns for
meager pay aud tardy promotion. My
father was extremely pleased with what
be called the "smartnesS of the young
tascal," and agreed that at so safe a dis
: tance a correspondent might commence.
A new happiness came into my life, and
when thetravel- stained letters from my lit
erary warrior arrived from the seat of war,
full OF animation. OF anecdotes and
sketches, and lastly of trusting affection.
my JOY knew no DOunuS. j Ills dQueQ new
Zest to nv education, for | was not yet
finished" according to the scholastic
term-in fact, by comparison with my
talented lover [ often felt an ignoramus of
the most kind. In details of the war,
however. / was quite au fait. l daily
. read every word which came from his
brilliant pen, and in this way hoped to
improve my acquaintance. not only with
life, but with my suitor, of whom. per-
flaps, but for the opposition of my parent,
;. might never have thought again. This
d oes The heat of paternal ire often expand
=. into blossoms the immature shoots Of
love which might otherwise know no de-
vel6pment
!" One morning as usual opened the pa
per and at once commenced reading the
columns headed From Our Special Cor
respondent" The account was more ex-
citing than usual-there was a description
of Turkish artillery, of march under try
ing circumstances without food or water,
and many other adventures graphically told.
l forget them now. for what next read
effaced the immediate past from my mem
ory forever!. Under the head OF special
telegrams" was one line:
Lieutenant Boun;, our special corre-
. spondent, died Yesterday of enterlc fever.