The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-12-04


hear the love-letter asked for next;
but Hetty was ignorant of the letter,
ahd there the matter ended.
Gus, having no answer, took his re-
fusal bitterly and turned his back on
the village forever, grew cynical on
the subject of women, refused their
society and became addicted to cigars
and solitude.
Rose, jealous for q while, soon
found a new admirer and married
him. Hetty alone remained un-
changed.
Five years passed-six, nearly
seven. Gus became rich. He lived
in luxury. The fact that he hated
women was his only drawback.
And so, going with her husband to
New York, Rose-now Mrs. Muller
saw and heard of him. She was very
happy and she knew that Hetty was
less blest than she. She was not
really bad-and her heart smote her.
Had she parted two true lovers Then
she assured herself that Gus would
have followed up the thing had he
really loved Hetty, and that Hetty
never cared for Gus. And SO went
home.
Her first guest was Hetty Romer.
Rose never mentioned Gus; but her
husband, blandly ignorant of all, burst
out with full account of him forth
with:
"a fellow who left here without a
penny rolling in gold-living like
what's hianame in the Arabian Nights,
you know and as splendid a man as l
ever saw. Hates women, though.
Has house full of men servants and
a cook from Paris"
And so ratified on, never needing
Hetty's pale face, though Rose saw it.
Soon Hetty, who had come for a visit,
escaped to her own room; but Rose
followed. She found Hetty in tears,
and took her in her arms:
"Tell me all, my dear," she said.
And Hetty made confession.
"It is so foolish. 1 was only II
then; but-but loved him, and 1
never have forgotten him. That is
why 1 never could think of anyone
else, Rose. No one knows it, not even
mamma. But that talk about him
was too much for me. II thought
he liked me, Rose"
80 he did," said Rose.
"No, else he would have told me
so."
Just for one moment Rose thought
OF telling the truth. But caution over
came impulse.
Strange things happen in this
world" she said. "Who knows? You
are both young still. Goodnight,
Lowell"
Then she went away-not to sleep,
but to write.
"Sir,"-she wrote: "Years ago,
you made proposition ofmarriage to
Hetty Romer. Perhaps you would
like to know she never read the note.
1t was destroyed by one who blushes
to own the act. She would have
answered yes, had it ever reached her.
"A word to the wise is sufficient. She
lives here still, and is not engaged"
She copied the note in back hand,
addressed it to Augustus Varley, and
the next morning she posted it. Three
days after, Gus came down to the vii
lage and went to see Hetty. What
they said, we can only guess by the
fact that, at parting, he kissed her.
He had spoken just once OF the past.
"You remember the night of my de-
parture?"
eyes" she said.
Did anyone have your gloves that
night"
"What an odd question:" she said.
"My gloves! Yes, Rose Narroway
wore them home - by mistake.
Why ?"
"No matter Why" he said. "Per-
haps I'll tell you some time, and ther
he kissed her again; his next call
was on Rose.
She was alone-all but the baby,
and that counted for nothing. He
came straight to the point
"You wrote to me-" he said.
"Il" she cried. 'Dear, no."
"You wore Hetty's gloves tina
night"
Rose blushed.
"Have YOU told her?" she said.