The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-02-15
HELPED HIM PROPOSE.
And Promised Not to Tell, But It
Was Too Good to Keep.

Arthur Lyle was a. confirmed bach
elor. He was q tall, handsome young
fellow. with blue eyes and dark hair.
He was an artist by profession. He
had but few patrons, but that fact did
not trouble him much, as he was verv
well-to-do.
He was idly toying with his ~ atch
chain and watching the smoke of his
;igar as it curled upward in the air,
when the door opened and Mr.. Clifton
Wayne entered the room.
well, Arthur, how are you to-day?"
were his first words. s'ThinkinR of
your lady-love?"
Don't be q fool, Cliftonw was his
polite reply. ssYou know I hate girls
like-like-"
Softly, softly, my dear sir" inter-
rupted Clifton. laughingly; s.the trouble
is you haven't come across the right
one
And never will" interrupted Ar
thur. "But enough Of this nonsense.
/ heard to-day that your sister Clara
was about to give q grand ball. Is
that SOP"
"Of course it is, and you're to be in
vited. And say, Arthur, Cousin Nellie,
from New Orleans. is coming, too. She
will be a splendid catch for you"
There you go again, Clifton. You
know l am a confirmed bachelor. And
as for Miss Nellie-what did you saw
her name Isl"
.'Forsythe 49, Nellie Forsythe. But
good day! | have an experimentation
down." And he hurried away.
Years ago Arthur Lyle had felt that
he understood one woman. He had
even gone so farias to tell her that if
she so willed it h%enceforth his life
would be devoted equally to her and
his profession. And she had smiled and
looked so pleased that he had kissed
her, and supposed that she would at
some time, not far distant. be his own.
But he had supposed too much, as he
afterwards found out when she was
married q few weeks later to a dashing
young lawyer.
This hurt his susceptible and sensi-
tive heart to think thattshe had.so de-
ceived him, and he told her SO the first
time he saw her after her marriage.
And she, with n of her innocent,
surprised looks. answered his indig-
nant words by saying s'that he had
never asked her to marry him."
He had not met her for several years.
He went to visit his friend Clifton At
his beautiful villa in the suburbs.
He had been there but few days
when he walked out on the piazza, and,
to his amazement, saw his former
sweetheart walking around the grounds
of q neighboring house with a half
grown child-a little girl-who in many
ways rasembled her mother.
He walked on aimlessly, blind, deaf
to everything around him. Thoughts
Of his lost love and the fate that had
separated them were struggling to-
gether unanimously in his brain.
The sound of q horse rushing madly
down the road and a low, startled cry
reused him suddenly from the reveir1e
into which he had fallen. He looked
up and saw a young lady in great
peril.
He darted forward, and selling the
horse by the bit, stopped him.
What a gentle woman's heart she
had. this lovely girl with soft, brown
eyes and beautiful golden hair-aquiet,
little creature with charming, refined
face.
Where do you wish to gop" he in
CURED. respectfully. j
ITO Wayne villa" she replied, in a
sweet voice that thrilled his heart
81 found no one at the depot to meet
me, SO got a horse and thought I
would ride over. but my horse took
fright and / was thrown OF as you see,
but if you will assist me to remount I