The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-04
THE HAMBURGER COMP ANY.
MARKET STREET.
A LITTLE JEALOUS

"Ten o'clock-he will not come to-
night"
Bertha Weaver leaned her head bach
against the cushions of the sofa. Her lip.
quivered. her eyes were humid, for Lance
lot Wynne. who had paid Der the mos
devoted attent ton, had failed to keep his
appointment
She rose presently. and pushing aside
the heavy window curtains looked sadly
out, through gathering tears. into the rainy
darkness of the winters night. Just op.
posite gas lamp threw long path oil
Pickering brightness upon the pavement
1t was not cheerful outlook, and Bertha's
heart sank within her.
She was pretty. sunny-tempered girl
one of those fair. confding creatures who
seem to be born to be loved and petted.
Suddenly, as she stood looking out into
the stormy night. an exclamation escaped
her lips.
"Can it be possible?" she murmured,
bending forward eagerly. Yes. 1t Is
Lancelot!'
The keen glance of love is seldom de-
ceived. 1t was Lance!Ot Wynne who
stood beneath the ruined archway, talking
with passionate earnestness 10 woman
on whose face the full brilllance of the
lamplight streamed.
1t was wondrously lovely face-a face
delicate as an artists dream of ideal
beauty.
The woman chung with both hands to
Lancelots arm. and seemed literally to
hang upon the words he spoke, and the
look of eonfiding earnestness which her
features bore seemed to turn the blood in
Bertha's veins to ice.
Involuntarily she shrank back from the
W indow. covering her eyes with her hands
as if to shut out ali sense of vision from
those aching orbs.
False! Lancelot Wynne, false" she
whispered. 81 could sooner have believed
that an archangeI would sully his pure
wings. Oh, this dull pain at my heart
When will it cease?''
Once more. with irresolute, trembling
fingers. she drew back the curtain, but her
eyes fell only on FLASHING rain and muddy
roadway. Lancelot and his beautiful
COMPANION had disappeared.
"Oh!' she thought. 'why should fate
have grudged me the little CLEAN of sun
shins which gladdened my whole life +?
Heaven knows it has been dark enough !
My father and mother died before / knew
them. had no sister. and it is two years
ago since my brother JACK was forced to
fly from his native land. Uncle Joseph
is very kind to me, but-buE he does not
supply the place of my dear parents, and
JUST W ucD Was QCstUBlHE W lON6 Lance
lot SO very-very dearly"
She broke down in storm of hysteric
sobs and tears.
She was seated at the piano on the day
following when the servant announced:
mir. Wynne."
"My darling little Berthai" he ex-
claimed, taking her cold hand fOndly in his
and seating himself beside her.
She withdrew her hand quietly as she
said:
You did not come last night. Lancelot.
as you promised"
mo"
Was it her own fancy, oil did he seem
strangely disturbed by her words?
II had an unavoidable engagement " ba
added, which occupied the whole even.
Ing"
TT must have been very importantp she
said, bitterly. 'Ao
1T was"
de met her searching gaze with bright
frank eyes-eyes whose truthful light dis.
pelled every mist of doubt.
Bertha. my love! my own dearest can.
not you trust me % he asked, ienderiy.
AND she did what woman had done ave,
since the days of mother Eve-she forroi
and iorgave. and trusted without ouestion
or misglving. For was she not alone In the