The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-28

proud ambition humblCd i'll tho dust,
and became - willing slave to the sox
had so long Gespiscd and ignored. Ny
only thought now was how and in what
words should bcsecch my darling An
MIC to become my wife. Time after timo
1 was on tho point of speaking, but Julia
always turned up ut the critical mo-
ment.
Ono evening Julia announced that u
week thence sho had an engagement to
play at concert Then burst upon me
a brilliant inspiration. purchased two
stall tickets for the Lyccum for that
same evening, and making protense that
l had had them given to me persuaded
AMMO to promise To accompany mo-
This timo Julia would not DO able to in
trude, and l should know my fate In
two months timo I should DO taking my
summer holiday, which would fit i'll Just
nicely for the honeymoon.
On the cventful day hastened home
ward with a queer Tutoring in my
heart and flower spray for Annie in
my hat. Julia opened tho door, and
hardly permitted mo to enter before she
Informed me that Annie had been out
In the hot sun and had been obliged to
go to bed with very bad sick head
ache. My fluttering heart gave one hugo
bound and then seemed to stand still
However, to disguise my feelings,
said:
. am sorry, and You have to play at
tho conccrt:'
NO she replied, "the concert has
been postponed. "
Then may beg the pleasure of your
company: did not ask you before be-
cause OF the concert engagement.
Thanks! [ shall enjoy it immense
ly''
What miserable failure that even
ing proved to be! 1 do not even know
what the play was called 1 was think
ing all the time of my poor, sick dar-
ling, and not of the acting or the WON
an who sat by my side wearing the
flower spray that was meant for Annie
The words were still unspokcn when
my holidays arrived, and tearing my
self away from the two sisters who
stood ut the gate and waved their hand
kerchlcfs as long rs remained in sight
it was with no feelings of joyful antici-
patton that betook myself to Hastings
for rest and recreation.
Rest Where could l find it? Not
on the parade or pier amid hundreds
of couples promcnading, as 1 had pic
turcd Annie and myself doing; not Oh
the beach, where the Ethiopian must
clans wero cternally playing "Annio
Laurie" Sweet Annie Rooney and
Annie, Dear I'm Called Away For
a whole week wandered amlcssly
hither and thithcr. Then could stand
1t no longer So wrote long letter
commencing "Darling.'i and pouring
out the impassioncd, pcnt up love that
comes but once i'll IL mans lifetime,
bcSought and beseeched her to take
pity upon me, or my lifeless body should
surge i'll the pillows that beat rclcnt-
lcssly OH the rocks of Beachy head.
When / had finished happened to
catch sight of a photograph which had
purchased the previous day, represent
ing one Of the yachts preparing to start
ON her morning trip, with my own fig
ure Ill prominent position in the bow.
All, y" thought l. iii send That to
Julia. -
If it We're possible L had now less rest
than before, night or day, while wait
ing for the answer. Rising in the morn
ing with haggard looks and burning
brow, the other boardcrS would remark
that tho sea air did not seem to agree
with me, while under the mask of as
sumcd indifference there ragged within
me the iicrccst volcano that ever burned
i'll the heart Of man.
AT last the reply came, and bounding
up to the privacy of my own room, with
trembling fingers tore open tho en-
vclopc which hid from mc-life or
death:
Dearest am yours forever I cam
lot say your proposal was unexpected
for l have felt that you could mean
nothing less over since that evening
when you so openly expressed your pref
ercnco by taking me To tho thcater''-
What, whey, where. / looked at the
signature, Julia. Oh, heavens, saw
1t all! had placed them in the wrong
envelopes and sent the letter to Julia
and the photograph to Annie! How 1
ragged and fnmcd and tore my hair, un
til at last, in sheer exhaustion, 1 sank
into chair and cndcavorcd to finish
reading the letter.
Ammo thanks you very much for the
photo. and She desires me to tell You
that yesterday Mr. Malcolm proposed to
her and was accepted We will have
the two weddings on the same day.
Won't that be nice, dear?''
Nice! This was the last straw. Nice
indeed for me to be married to WON
an | did not care for, and mt tho same
time to see the one loved given to an
other man. / cannot remolnber what 1
did for the next hour or two beyond
cnrainp my fnnlishnnac and r,ronr;,n I