Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-05-24


front OF as.
watching at the bedside of dying IA
ther. And this argument, together with
the stimulating hope of winning the
prize, won me over.
"Bide your time, Cesca," Ivan went
on. THE next steamer may fetch good
news"
my sorrow had been somewhat assuaged
by my receipt of the first prize for vocal
honors at the institute.
One morning Ivan handed me letter
postInarled Stockholm. It was in
Ulefs handwriting and yet it did not
,4em the same. | turned it over and
over again, upside down and then held
it between me and the light of the sun.
"Here is double cross made with a
pen upon the lid of the envelope. l
wonder what he could have intended
that to mean?" l asked, showing the
cross to Ivan.
"He might have made it to reveal to
you any attempt that should be made to
open the letter. he suggested, looking
at the mark.
tore off the envelope and read:
"Do not let your heart split upon the
rock of this, my final adieu. Brevity
must be my parting message. Cease to
hope. My heart is lost to you.
"You will ask why have not kept
my troth. / can but say that my ia
theirs will, opened after his death, has
reversed my life, into which now shines
the beam of a new love.
81 am to marry the daughter of Lieut.
Bodine tomorrow. OLEF OLSEN"
My heart, torn with the anguish of my
own sad life, could only sob and weep
over it. And then, as often woman
will do, l tried to lull my sorrow to
sleep by the strains of melody. And as
played softly followed the lines of that
plaintive song, Drifting Apart" that
remembered having read in "Broken
Barriers:
Drifting apart. as the cruel shades
| OF the years rise up 'twixt you and mel
Drifting apart!-two separate tides
Carry us out DER the wide, wild seal
Drifting apart! for another's love
Hath blinded you to the love planned.
Drifting apart for that alien love
Hath frozen your heart and chilled your hand.
Drifting! Drifting and further astray!
My God! will we ever again one day
Meet in the passion Of life's hottest fray,
And love- as we did, in the good old wayi
For the first time since my arrival in
America-nearly one year now-my I'm
Gle Ivan began to show me warm atten-
ton. And embittered, weighed down,
CALLED by Olef's cruel letter, | had let
myself drift into closer communion with
Ivan, and-yes, confess ito avenge
the past had given him to understand
that his ministry was not wholly re-
jected. He was not too old-thirty-seven
| seventeen.
From the moment of Veras sad death
Ivan had taken every precaution tC
throw about me the barriers of protec
ton, in order that any possible attempts
to criticise my abode at his house might
be set at rest. He had engaged an elder
ly housekeeper, in addition to whom
had induced one of the young womer
from the Conservatoire to make hel
home with me.
We walked a good bit, Ivan and
And by this time his affection hat
grown to fire. 1t was no mere assump
ton, that love of Ivan's. He was deepl,
in earnest. am not the woman to reat
a mans heart amiss. The name Of hi
wife, Vera, had faded into mere mem
ory now, and received certain proof
that Ivan would have stripped his hear
of all else in the world for me- "Wha
were those proofs?' you ask. Oh, tina
is but for woman to understand.
must say that returned the passion
measure for measure. / had come +
honor, respect and love Ivan. His imag
grew daily brighter and holier in m
, heart. And as we walked together
wrapped in one another's confidence, tn
, very soul of joy lighted our pathway
OF course Irene, my con. .lnion, had nj
ticed it. She seemed astonished at ou
mutual affection.
, "Why, you are uncle and niece-bloo
relativesr' she exclaimed ne day,
ITO BIZ ooNTINUED.i