Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-30

ipunu ne called me, although my name,
Ernest Wynter. was known TO hun. and
he himself had begun life as n mill
hand at six shillings u 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
or course | dared not 10 speak of my
love 10 her In my position, that was
out OF the question. ! could only try
10 kiss the dogs head, just after her
lovely lips had rested there, and ~ 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
remarked:
81 am SO unhappy, Mr.. Wynter. Papa
wants me TO marry Alderman Sir John
Westbury. lie is nice old thing, and
papa says shall be lady mayoress.
But 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 fool, stood and
stared ut 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 BARiuNoTog: don'tknow
whether you will think inc the most conceited
ass alive for supposng that few words OF
yours to-day encourage me TO tell you what I
meant 10 keep secrot--that ever since | nrst
met you, three months ago, ] have been so
madly Ia love with you that / can think Of
nothing else hut as my entire income does
not exceed two hundred and nifty year have
thought It would be presumptuous to talk OF
marriage TO you, even had felt hopeful Of
gaining your love Twin not venture into your
presence again until have heard from you
Only, entreat Of you, for the sake Of our dc.
lightful friendship II have made q mistake,
and II 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, will not intrude upon
70 again.
you wish me to be-your sincere friend or your
ERNEST WINTER"
suppose other men have watched for
the postnan before now, but surely no
man ever waited upon his footsteps as
did for three whole weeks.
Even at the end OF that time should
have gone on hoping, but for the fact
that, meeting Ella and her sisters in
the street, her manner toward me left
no doubt as to her decision, for, whereas
the younger members of the family
were as friendly as ever, Elias manner
was chilling to degree. She would
not even look at me, nor would she
shake hands when we parted.
| own | was thoroughly miserable,
and developed Il faculty for caustic
epigiams at the expense Of the sex in
general, writing several stories, enti-
tied respectively, "Jiltcd," "No Heart"
"A Coquettc's Conquest, etc.
Then, one dreary November day,
met MIR. harrington in the streets of
Richmond. lie was unusually genial.
and insisted upon my coming home to
dinner with him.
Never mind about dress" he said
lit Is quite an unceremonious oc-
casiun. And, to tell you the truth, |
shall he glad OF strangers presence
TO control the family weeping My
Ella leaves MS tomorrow, us | suppose
you know, upon her marriage with my
friend Sir John Westbury, the future
lord mayor Of London"
No, did not know, and could have
gone home and blown my brains out
But instead, went to dinner with him.
| feeling that must see Ella for the last
| time
She was looking very lovely, but ex-
| trcmcly pale, and her rcd-rimmed eyes
seemed TO dwell on me rcproachfully. |
could not congratulate her, the words
stuck in my throat Sir John West
| bury was there, a handsome, we'll.
hammered man, who hardly looked his
Gity years Of age.
| After dinner, Ella stole out To take n
long farewell to her precious Bull "
Sir John objected 10 dogs on honey
moon trip, and she feared she would be
| too nervous to attend to him in the
morning,
Suddenly, as Sir John ana Mr.. Bar
rington and brother Bob and | sat over
our wine and smoke, the dining-room
door burst open, and Ella ilew in, in
tremendous excitement, laughing and
crying Historically,
In her hand she held aloft some dirty,
crumplcd pieces Of paper, and at her
heels was Bull"
MIR Wynterl Ernest" she cried.
This letter. Is it from you2 When
| did you write II? When did you send IT,
Ball must have taken it from the hall
table and buried i'll 1t is dated n month
ago, aud have only just found itin the
| ground In front of his kennel. Oh,
please explain 10 papa and Sir joint
can't II thought you didn't care
about me, aud that is why was going
TO marry him!"
All this happened three years ago.
Bertha Is lady mnyoress this year, and
ella harrington is Ella Wynter, the
dol Of my ,,cart And installed In a
palatiil kennel in the garden of our
pretty home is my white, my only,
rival GERTRUDE WARDEN,
| Passenger elevators were In use In
Paris in the seventeenth century under
the name Of dying chairs"
WANTED - A good grade Jerse!
milch COW. Must be young. Inquir
at this o ice.