Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-07-20
SHE NEVER MARRIED

sUOfy, you kuON, vpu w pfOLulSeu lllo 50
often why you never married Do you
remember, Auntie, when was little you
used to say it was because no one had
asked you? never believed that" and
the girl laughed. "Then you promised
you'd tell me when l was Is, and now I
am 49," and Miriam gave a tug at her
skirts with all the pleased proprietorship
Of long dresses. $50 do, auntie, dear"
VERY well, darling" Miss Daneby
sighed, and Miriam drew up her chair
and rested her golden head on the old la
dy's knee.
CHOW, auntie, I'm ready" and Miss
Daneby began.
II was just about your age when !
came out, and for months past had
looked forward to London season and
thought my first ball would never come.
But the much looked for night came at
last, and, when dressed and ready to start,
thought it the happiest moment Of my
life, but it was nothing to what followed
The flowers, tho music, the lights, the
bright dresses, and the gay people wan
dering hither and thither, all dazzled me
and put me in mind Of fairyland. l did
not lack partners, and danced till the
small hours of the morning. Every one
said had been a success, but paid little
attention to any Of their remarks. I had
enjoyed myself wildly. What more could
want to make me happy was very, very
young.
'Soon after, met Mr.. G.. remember
it was almost my first dinner party, and,
having sufficiently recovered myself from
fit of shyness, looked round at my next
door neighbor, and there, on my left, were
two blue eyes laughing at me. He must
have noticed my shyness, fancied, and,
with the pride Of youth, deeply resented
it. After that found the blue eyes nearly
always smiled when they looked at me,
and got to love that smile, and even that
evening l realized that only foolish IS
could take offense at such a trihe, SO we
laughed and made friends. All through
dinner he talked to me good deal, and
forgot my shyness and became communi-
cative on many subjects.
"After that evening we met frequently,
danced together, rode together-in fact,
hardly day passed without our meeting,
till at last Ihegan to look for him, wheth-
er in the park or at ball or concert. At
that time life was trimming over with
happiness. had no very definite idea Of
the future, and the present was SO sweet
that preferred not thinking of change
Of any sort
"The first spot on my happiness was at
one ball, where had expected to find Mr.
g., and though 1 was not enjoying
things bit did not want to come away
Perversity of human nature! And only in
the carriage did confess to myself that
had staid ON in the hope Of his turning up
late. We'll, he didn't, and it was with q
somewhat heavy heart went to sleep that
night, but by next morning the cloud had
passed away. Were we not going to meet
and rido togetherp
"Could his presence make any difference
to my enjoymentP At first laughed at
the idea but soon found it was not to be
laughed at Where he was, there my en-.
joymont was complete but where he was
not seldom cared to stay. Naturally peo-
pie began to talk about us, and as Is the
way of the world, specialized as to what
would como of it, If it would be a good
thing or not Well, let them talk. What
cared I? was so certain he loved me that
I smiled when people told me that Lady
Dallas was doing all she knew to catch
him for her daughter. Poor Alice Dallasl
Why, he never SO much as looked at her
when was nearl How soon was pride to
have u fall
The summer was nearly over, and peo-
pie began to hurry away from London.
We met again in the country and spent
long days together, and again people be-
gan to wonder why he did not propose.
Perhaps was the person who wondered
least, for was not sure that sooner or
later he undoubtedly would9 Then, one
Sunday evening we parted, to meet again
the following week, but somehow that
meeting never came about. In the long
months that followed I remembered him
as saw him last, waving his handkerchief
from the carriage window.
"Then, one day, heard he was engaged
to Alice Dallas. At first would not be-
lieve it, but when belief was forced upon
me my grief knew no bounds. Till that
day I hardly realized how fond I had
grown of g., and the prospect Of long
life without him appalled, me. l cried as
if my heart would break, and then pride
came to my rescue. Full of courage and
firm resolve, took up tho thread of my
daily life and hoped not only to hide my
feelings, but to still the dull, aching pain
by plunging wildly into reckless excite
ment. 1t was all very well for a bit, but
the reaction was bound to come and l dis.
covered that I must try some other remedy.
"We met several times after the engage
| ment was announced--as friends-and
| talked and laughed as In the old days.
save perhaps for touch of bitterness
which then / had never known, and the
| r>f
real, perhaps because tears were SO neal
the surface. Then came the wedding and
subsequent congratulations, and was
! among the first to offer 1nine and was II
fancy that thought the bridegroom looked
at me little wistfully and was hardly az
radiant as the occasion warrantedp But
then, no one thought it was love match
Had not Alice herself given out that sht
did not care for hifna And her But, then
why had he taken this stepf"
Miss Daneby paused, and in the nov
fast gathering darkness Miriam could dis
Germ silent tear, while she herself was moi
unmoved.
"Auntie," said the girl, slipping hel
hand into the old lady's, when people Low,
like that, do they ever forgetY"
II don't think they ever quite forget
/ but time softens all grief and often leave,
one the better for its mark. When fount
that excitement could not heal my wound
I began, In a small way, to try to FIND
some work to do, even If it were only help
ing those who were suffering around me
And when the first feeling Of blank ant
utter loneliness had worn of was abb
to settle to more regular occupation"
Miriam was silent, then slowly, a. 4