The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-03-30

love for him, there was certain
amount of fear. / am morbdly sensi.
tive, and he wounded me day by day
lie is sensitive, too, In different way
and my wish to have him all to myself
10 rob him from his numerous lady
friends. seemed absurd in his thinking
lie refused 10 believe in the depths oi
my feelings, because | was timid H.
expressing them. | wanted him tc
understand me by instinct, and a man
so often lacks that"
''Ie is very clever and has plenty of
tact"
Isabel stopped short and faced her
companion. Tact is an elastic thing.
In his case Ii was one-sided and only
applied to his deal ngs with certain
natures. AS | said, he made a mistake
about mine"
well d." Lillian smiled and then
sighed again ITS oil over now"
And | remember" continued the
other, as If she had not heard, "thc
first time | saw him. | remember the
curious thrill. the curious certainty
that came over me that he would play
some Iargc part in my life. l wonder
If he remembers, too | wonder if he
remembers his first impression of me.
| was horribly shy-and l knew he
thought me pretty"
"He is great admirer of female
beauty certainly" admitted Lillian
dryly.
"Will you-shall you see him much
nowy"
Surely, my dear Isabel, you can't
expect ne to give up an old friend
just because you have quarrelled with
him"
But, still, he might talk of me-"
81 don't think so. And If he did
can decline to discuss the subject"
The other suddenly knelt down be.
side her friend. In her small face, IN
her gray eyes, there was a hungry.
wistful expression that Lillian could
not be blind to and it gave her an un-
easy pang.
lii dear Tell me. Do you think
have been very unwlseY
mo. WhyT
Because my heart is aching till
can scarcely breathe. Because l am
longing just to know what he is doing
not to be wholly shut out of his life
Because Ii am miserable"
"Oh! This is only for tonight. You
will soon get over it,
With childlike submission the other
asked simply: Shall II"
"Of course you will"
'Lil, do you think l should be very
stupid if | tried to make it upT'
Her friend laughed harshly and Il
little nervously. Quite mad" she
said.
DO you? l am not sure 1 am SO
terribly lonely. He seemed my des-
tiny. | miss him every hour of the
day, and his letters by every post"
You are quite maudlin, Isabel"
WHAT The woman sprang to her
@eet. What did you sayy'
II meant that you are too ridiculous
over this man, who didn't love you.
and who never will; who never under
stood you and who was never appre-
ciated by you in return. The sooner
you forget him the better"
II can't forget him."
You must"
There was another pause. Isabel
walked to the window, drew back the
curtain and threw IL open.
Il am suffocatingr' she cried.
The other rose and stealthily seized
her cloak from the bed
Il can't forget him." Isabel repeat
ed. II love him. 1 want him now
always. l must write to him at once.
| must-Lillian, what Is the matter?"
You are n little fool. The man is
sick Of you. You can't have him back"
why, how do you know? What do
you mean? How dare you''--
Il mean that he proposed to me to.
day and | accepted him.
She slipped on her cloak and tripped
down stairs, and the other woman.
who had been her friend. knelt silently
by the open window with face thar
seemed to be slowly growing Old
Black and White.