Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-09-10
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TOM AND /. x.sA1


most sensitive lover any girl ever had. Not
Jealous and selfish as many lovers are, but
proper and punctilious In his bearing to-
ward me, and allowing nothing from me
that wore tho slightest appearance OF In
difference or neglect
Tom and were swcethearts and engag-
cd. Why we nevor married will toll you
also. Perhaps You would not have been
Interested In this story from tho start had.
J told you am spinster at whom men
no longer look. Yes, have lost the laurel
wreath Of youth and beauty and congo-
quontly have no friends among the otbor
sex. am spinster, loveless and lonely
and do not know In all the world where
Tom Is, II indeed no be I'm the world Mt ALL
Ills strange that / can control my heart
To speak OF all my woe and disappointment
and would not were IL not that others
may profit by the warning this love tale
will convey.
When wo had been engaged about six
months, Tom won't away to live In another
CITY with the hope Of making moro money
before asking me TO leave my fathers
home, In which I lived n life of ease and
luxury. At first we wrote to each other
every day, but of course that grew tire
some at tho end Of few weeks and by
mutual consent we limited our letters to
two week.
Now 1t was generally acknowledged
that was pretty and attractive girl and
certainly 1t was not my fault-either the
opinion or the fact. And was not TO
blame either that as soon as Tom left II
got out that we were no longer engaged.
This brought other suitors about me.
was modest and did not stand on the street
Ill A. -
shout: IT am engaged to Toni Don't
look at me or speak to mol" My love and
bctrothal were 80 sacred to me I never felt
inclined to discuss them with the world.
Moreover, my nature was human nature,
girl nature at that, and could not for the
life of me feel offended when men admired
me and asked my hand and heart. One OF
the hardest things q woman Is over called
ON to do Is to turn her back ON admiration
and conquest. They seam essentially q
part Of her existence and mission. God
has givon her quoenship; to abdioate her
throne Is renunciation not to bo asked nor
expected.
Now, evil has many agents and emis-
saries In this world, and they serve with
willing hearts and prompt action. There
fore 1t was not long until got letter
from Tom telling OF his great anxiety CO.
casioned by the reports which had reached
him of my interest In other men. He said
he had strong reasons for believing that I
was tirod Of him. Unfortunately for sew
eral weeks before the receipt Of this letter
had been prostrated with an unyielding
cold and on two dates had not written to
Tom Just on time. Putting this and that
together, he credited the rumors and wrote
as have described. I replied promptly to
his letter, denying that there was any one
In ell tho world beside himself to whom I
gave thought. poured out many sweet
things In that letter, which I would not
bo willing to repeat here. had the right
OF course to utter my whole heart to Tom,
and tried to make him believe how I'm
possible IL was that could be untrue to
him.
waited anxiously for the answer to this
affectionate letter, feeling much pain In
my own heart to think had caused Tom
suffering. When week passed and no
letter came from him, wrote again, tell
ing him Of my former letter and begging
an immediate response with assurance
that no still loved and trusted me. This
was the sweetest, most pleading letter
Tom ever got from me, and then waited.
Alasl am waiting still, though 90 years
have fed. heard through Me papers that
Tom engaged for service with q rich trad
Ing company and had gone away to India,
and that was the last ever knew OF him.
grieved and wept and prayed. That Is
all woman can do. What could have
taken Tom away from mep just those
silly, idle rumorsp That could not be- for
my letters oontradicted them all, and GER
tainly Tom knew would not tell a lie.
will not dwell on the anguish of that
year and of all the years that have fol-
lowed. People might say, as they often
do, that a woman Is weak and foolish to
love q man after he has been false and
shown himself unworthy. Tom was nei-
ther false nor unworthy.
From the moment that this great sor-
row fell across my life I believed that he
had reason for his mysterious silence and
action, and that some day 1t would be
made clear. 1t has been.
Five years had passed since that terrible
pain entered my heart, and from happy,
merry girl had settled down into sad
faced, thoughtful woman, who cared no
longer for society, for nothing indeed ex-
cept the companions love does not shrink
from, books, music and solitude. My par
ents died, and decided to part with my
old home and go to live with relative in
another city. The old place was dear to
mo, and before leaving 1t paid many low
ing calls to every nook and corner within
its precious walls. Passing one day
through the old attic, I opened the door to
an obscure little closet, into which had
not looked for years. Indeed had for
gotten its existence. There hung an old
coat, thick with dust and moth eaten.
took 1t from the hook, wondering who of
my loved and lost ones had worn It, 1t
was my BROTHERS coat, Robert, who was
how married and happy In his own home.
i dropped on little stool near by and,
womanlike, began TO rummage in the
pockets. o God to think what found
My two letters to my loverl In moment
/ was weeping and calling Toms name
aloud and begging him TO come back to
my lonely heart. Yes, I had given them
to Robert to mail, but here they were