Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1895-02-08

y
heart.
Nobody minded her, and after the
first polite greetings St Adams did
not address her. She was very glad
of this, inasmuch as it saved her
from the necessity of talking, and
she knew that there would be sus-
picious tremble in her voice; and, be-
sides, she wanted to soothe her sore
heart with watching st. Adams.
He had grown very handsome in
those five years Of absence, but she
saw that there were wrinkles around
his eyes, and white hairs among the
brown on his temples. Time had not
left him untouched.
This first visit was like all the
others, SO far as Letitia was con-
cerned. He was courteous to her,
but never friendly, and some fine
self-consciousness of her weakness
for him made Letitia avoid him.
He visited at Mr.. Marsh's fire.
quently, and Miss Isabel Marsh was
very generally supposed to be the at
traction. Indeed, the young lady her
self was very sanguine Of her success
! in winning the gallant colonel, and
on one occasion she was gushingly
girlish enough to assure Aunt Letitia
| that when she was mistress OF the
new house which the colonel was
building at Salisbury Point, nothing
could afford her more pleasure than to
| give her dearest aunt home there.
! When the snow fell and there was
sleighing, Colonel St Adams invited
q party of his friends to the new
house for a sort of ''house warming"
supper, Letitia among the rest. At
first she thought she would not go.
| but Isabel declared it would look
odd" and people would think that
she had not forgotten that ''old ro-
mantle episode" and Miss Letitia de-
cided not to give people any chance
to talk
Isabel went with the col onel in his
own sleigh, and was as happy as a
queen, and all the other girls were
ready to die of envy. The sleighing
was none of the best, for new snow
had fallen and the weather had not
vet cleared The wind was blowing
furiously, and the air was thick with
flying snow. Somehow, in the dark
ness, the colonels horse managed to
upset the sleigh, and in consequence,
half dozen more sleighs shared the
same fate, and half the merry party
were mixed up together in inextrica-
BILE confusion.
The re- nbarl1a ton was of course
hurried, particularly on the part OF
Colonel st. Adams, who had FESTIVE
horse, and one quite indisposed to
wait patiently for passengers in such
furious wind as was then raging.
They had gone fully a mile, the
colonel holding the reins with both
hands, when he heard a low and
tremulous voice say:
Pardon me, Colonel st. Adams,
but I fear you have taken the wrong
passenger.
Good heaven he cried, IN strong
agitation; "Letitia"
eyes. Do not be offended. I was
not to blame for it. The snow blind
ed me and thought surely you were
brother john
Through the robes he had wrapped
around her, st. Adams was sure he
felt her tremble. He drew closer to
her side, moved by some uncontrolla-
BILE impulse to speak what was in his
heart
s'Letitia' he said hoarsely, ''once
we were not strangers"
ssRut that time is mast "
eyes," he said, bitterly. s'Your ca
price ruined my happiness and made
me a dissatisfied and useless wan
derer."
my capricer' she said slowly. 81
do not understand.
Letitia was growing dizzy, and the
world of snow spun around before
her bewildered eyes. He turned upon
her sharply:
''You do not understand? Then let
me explain. Why did you not answer
my letter? The letter in which told
you that loved you-in which asked
you to be my wife? was a coward,
Letitia. Love made me distrust my
self, else l should surely have spoken
to you instead of writing. But
wrote, and I asked you to answer me
as you felt, and told you that if you
rejected me, you need only keep
silent. And you kept silent"
THAT letter never reached me-
she said, family.
cit did not! But if it had? If it had?'
His hand sought hers, all unmind-
full of his horse; and the animal took
the liberty of deciding his own course
and went off in the very opposite di-
rection from the right one, but st.
Adams did not observe it. He wasstoo
intent on Letitia to observe his horse.
~ loved you, Gerard" she said,
softly. ''My answer could have been
nothing but that"
"My darling! change that form of
expression, he cried, eagerly. Say
Il love you, Gerard"
And she said it, with his lips hold
ing hers SO close they dared not make
a mistake in the words he dictated.
But she added, Immediately;
ct is too late to dream these
dreams, Gerard. l am too old!
He laughed gleefully.
Just four years younger than your
Methuselah of lover!' said he, press
ing her closer to his heart. sit is all
right now, dearest, and I thank
heaven for sending me the wrong pas
senger, for she is the right one, after
all!'