Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-09-26


II loved him." she broke In with a
sob, half shame, half sorrow, as she
bent lower and lower TO avoid his re-
proachfui eyes.
For a moment he stood passive. his
face as white as the bent face before
him: the muscles of his close mouth
twltchlng. Then he stopped and drew
Lefty to him, clasping her closely,
tightly, as one who would not be de-
MED.
Forget him, Lefty" he whispered.
softly. let my love fill the pace Of
his in your heart. He is not worthy
Of You, dearest =
The tiny ormolu toy on the man,el
struck twelve. and finished with u
silvery, tingling cadence. 4 second
later. and the sonorous peals of Fen
more bells came clearly sounding over
the snowy fields They had been ring
ing the old year out. but 80 softly and
sadly. that the music in Mr.. l.eigh's
tiny drawing-room had drowned their
chimes. They were ringing the aaw
year in 80 loudly and joyously. that
their peal penetrated even the quiet
of the summer parlof, and Lefty rails
ing her white. stony face with shiver
from the breast where 1t had lain
passive for few moments. and tax
ing Ernest Deyereux's first kiss upon
her lips. knew that the old year and
it's bright dreams had. indeed. died for
her forever. And with the new year
new life. bleak and bare. and I'M
speakably desolate, opened before her.
MAY this be a happy new year to
you, my own love-happier than any
year that has gone before it, said
Ernest Devereux, gently, pushing the
heavy dark hair away from over her
brow.
THANK YOU" she answered, AS gen
tly; but no blush rose on the dark
face under his tender gaze M luiyer
troubled the sweep Of her long flashes
as they rested on her Cheek. though
his hand. firm and strong, and loving
withal, was being softly passed over
her heated brow.
THANK your The low. even words
Jared upon him strangely. But now
and he was thinking and saying how
little would content him till she could
give him all, and already the stony
calm of her manner was fretting him
She had told him herself that she did
not love him. but the spoken words
were nothing to the written evidence
before him. plainly 10 he read in 1.-THE
| quiet face, not dropped nor rosy; the
gray eyes, their depths unstirred and
sleeping: and the close red lips that
only breathed of grief and longing
For a moment he stood beside her, hast
touched. half angry, then he kissed
her and let her go.
well, after ALL" he thought. ''she is
only d child. Just now she is feeling
naturally sore at this fellows indif-
ference; but she will get over that.
no fear"
On that duh November morning on
which he left her to go to London.
Lefty had sighed for change. no
matter Of what kind
ANY change must be for the bet
ter" she had said then
In the cold. gray dawn of the first
day in the new year she was lying on
her bed. the shining silk she had worn
at the party still on her. moaning and
shrinking away with fear and dread
from the very change she had been
so ready to welcome while yet distant.
In the room next to hers Ernest
Devereux sat by the fire. smoking
He had not gone to bed at all, and
his head had grown dizzy porting soyer
a small morocco-bound volume, where
his debts We're jotted down in I'M
pleasantly round numbers. He was
smoking comfortably now. and think
ing of Lefty. The softened look had
not quite left his face, and he half
smiled, half sighed, as he thought of
her.
Poor little girl he said him
self; "she is terribly cut; but the fell
low was old and boorish. She will
soon forget him-she can not help it .
He threw the stump of his cigar
into the crate as he spoke. and. with
a yawn. drew the curtains back. and
let the yellow sickly light of the young
day creep in while he lay down Ito
yet few hours sleep before break
Fact tive