The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-04

hS usual
And when, three days later. Colonel
St Adams called, and was devoted to
the young ladies, and coldly courte-
Gus to herself, Miss Letitia met him
with stately grace, and no feature of
her face betrayed that any old sweet
memory of him lay hidden in her
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 absenee, 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" a home there.
When the snow fell and there was
sleighing, Colonel St Adams invited
party of his friends to the new
! house for 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 episodes" and Miss Letitia de-
cided not to give people any chance
! to talk.
| Isabel went with the colonel I'm 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, g. the air was thick with
flying snow. Somehow, in the dark
ness, the colonel's horse managed to
upset the sleigh, and in consequence,
a half dozen more sleighs shared the
same fate, and half the merry party
were mixed up together in inextrica-
BILE confusion.
The re- EN- barkat ton was of course
hurried, particularly on the part of
| Colonel st. Adams, who had q FESTIVE
horse, and one quite indisposed to
wait patiently for passengers in such
| furious wind as was then raging.
They had gone fully mile, the
colonel holding the reins with both
hands, when he heard a low and
tremulous voice say:
Pardon me, Colonel st. Adams,
but fear you have taken the wrong
passenger"
''Good heavenr' he cried. IN strong
agitation; ''Letitia!'
eyes. Do not be offended. 1 was
not to blame for it. The snow blind
ed me and 1 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 SONS uncontrol1a-
Bile impulse to speak what was in his
heart
s'Letitia" he said hoarsely, ''once
| we were not stranpersi''
''But that time is past"
eyes, he said, bitterly. ''Your ca
price ruined my happiness and made
me dissatisfied and useless wan
| derer.''
''Aly caprice!'' 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 L told
you that loved you-in which L asked
you to be my wife? 1 was coward.
Letitia. Love made me distrust my
self, else L should surely have spoken
to you instead of writing. But
| wrote, and 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, u
she said, family.
ut 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 cour> e
and went of in the very opposite di
rection from the right one, but St
Adams did not observe it. He sltc,
intent on Letitia to observe his horse
81 loved you, Gerard" she said
softly. MY answer could have beer
nothing but that"
my darlingi change. that form o
expression" he cried, eagerly: Say
I love YOU, Gerardr