The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-02-28

sketched her as Cleopatra, whom she
certainly did not resemble; a. Isoult,
whom she might have been; ~ fair Rosa
mond, with the fatal cup In her hand;
w herself, In score Of attitudes. He
wrote verses to her In French meters
rondeaux, triolets and ballades-and
these, he told her, were for her only,
that cry Of his heart which none other
than herself must hear. II was all 80
delightfully."- romantic that Eleanor be-
gan to think she was quite sufficiently
in love with him, though love was
somehow lese strenuous and exciting
emotion than she had hitherto suppos-
ed. She was rather glad sometimes to
be left alone at the close of an afternoon
Of art and of romance OF course this
was because she was 30. There could
be no doubt that it was the right thing
this high bred passion that wooed her
with all the resources Of art. Bland had
not spoken of the future, but that must
be because he was too delicately re-.
served to approach her rashly.
At last there came July twilight.
Bland and Eleanor had been watching
the sunset together. He had been talk.
ing about his theories of sunset effects.
He was always talking about his theo.
ries. They were for him the one signifi.
cant and sufficient theme. Then, when
the sun had fairly gone out Of sight,
Bland got up to depart also and stood
for moment looking thoughtfully at
Eleanor.
II must see you tomorrow, +" he said.
"Shall it be 8 o'clock? Ihave something
to say to you"
"Yes, at 8, if you WILL" she answer.
ed, and then he was gone, and she sat
musing in the waning light. Of course
he was. coming to ask her to be his wife.
His whole manner had expressed his in
tention. She was as certain Of It as If
he had already spoken. Why was she
not more exultant? Why did she always
feel Just q little tired when they had
been for some hours together? OF course
it would be a glorious destiny to be
what he had called her-the queen Of
his art, to share his ambitions, to be
the confidant of his dreams. She ought
surely to be grateful to fate, and surely
she was. At 80 no doubt the time for
ecstasy is past. She looked out into the
vague distance and saw some one walk.
ing toward her under the trees that
fringed the highway. There seemed
something familiar in the coming fig
ure. She caught her breath quickly.
Were her eyes deceiving her? No, il was
it absolutely was-Tom Rhodes As
one in dream she got up and moved
forward to meet him, for he had turned
in at the gate now.
She seemed hardly to know what
strange thing stirred in her 8O-year- old
heart when he took her in strong,
close clasp
"You, Tom?" she cried. "You?'
'Yes, Eleanor, the same old Tom. 4"
'And your wife? Where is she?''
Here, darling, if only can win
her."
"Whatv'
'Yes. I am not Thomas J. Rhodes.
He is my second cousin, from Connect
icut also, but from quite another part
of the state. am Thomas Rhodes, at
your service, the same Tom who loved
you years ago and has never thought of
marrying any other woman. You made
me feel in the old days that it would be
Of no use to speak to you, and so went
away. But when I got your letter and
knew that you were Eleanor Gray still
resolved that if / did not win you it
should not be because was too coward
ly to ask. At least you have right to
know how long and we'll have loved
you l have done no great things. I am
neither hero nor poet nor statesman,
but I have lived a clean, honest life,
and there is not one page of it I am
ashamed that you should read"
"You loved me-me-all this timer
she cried. And there was little chok-
ing quiver in her voice.
"Yes," he answered solemnly, II
loved you, and you only, then and now
and always, but you have not answered
me yet, darling"
"Oh, I forgot that, but you know,
don't you?''
And indeed Tom knew, for the eyes
that looked into his lit the growing
dusk with their great light Of joy, and
the lips that had been strangers hither-
to to a lovers kiss yielded themselves
to his once and forever. Eleanor was
won.
After all, 80 was not old age These
two found that they were young enough
still for ecstasy. The moon came up in
the east and looked at them curiously.
Yes, they were certainly lovers. The
moon has got used to lovers, for she is
nearly 5000 years old, and she is not
likely to make mistake. Eleanor won.
81
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