Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-30
LAGGARD IN LOVE.

Sara, bello though she was, thought hon.
self the most unhappy Of human beings as
she stood on the steps beneath tho shadow
Of tho linden trees and felt herself clasped
for the first time 20 her lovers breast.
"Ok, II you should forget me, I should
die" she said earnestly as sho looked up
at him. His was fair, frank, open face
enough, but there was fash and sparkle
In the blue eyes that spoke Of faithlessness
even then.
Forget your no said, with q light
laugh. "Have not sworn myself away
tO you for ever and evcri And where
among ali the Spanish senoritas and Mex
lean donnas shall find face and form
more beautiful than yoursf Sara means
princess, you know, my pretty one. and
never was the name more fitly given"
Well, 10 II all very true. She was beau
tiful even then In her Uniformed girlhood.
Her glass and the eyes Of her admirers had
told her 10 q score Of times and she had
been p!eased ere this 10 hear hsf lover
praise that bsauty. As the last caress wae
given she felt that she would rather have
heard some more earnest words than the
praises Of hsr beauty.
The stony hearted train bore Oliver
Clayton away from his bOyhood's home
the next morning, and Sara Graham,
watching at her window a. IL passed, was
rewarded by one brief glimpse Of the
bright, handsome face that was all the
world to her. How gay and happy he
looked And yet be was leaving her
Still, could she blame himf He was
young, ardent, ambitious, and the world
was now before him. So she excused him
b. herself and ~ others when the days and
weeks and months rolled themselves slow
ly into years, and his letters, frequent aud
loving at first, became cool and few and
far between.
She waited, "hoping against hope, and
keeping her trust and faith In him still.
In spite Of his hong silence and his apparent
oOldness
But the years Of absence grew slowly
from one to five, and still he came not. In
his place many another would have wooed
the still lovely belle, but her answer was
30 all alike. Heart and hand were pledged
10 this "laggard In love- and might not
be reclaimed, save at bis own request.
1t came at Last He loved another and
would be set free from early vows. Sara
released him In few cold and quiet words
And then for long time life and love
health and strength came hack once more
and removed 70 New York.
II was FIVE years afterward, and when
she was In the very height Of her beauty
and her power, that she met Oliver Clay
ton once more. He had returned from
California wealthy but lonely man, for
his young Spanish bride had died In their
honeymoon, and be had never tried TO fill
boz -
finding his early love free and unfettered
still had prompted his return Be this as
it may, he met her for the FIRST timo at
grand ball and had the felicity of seeing
her followed and fattered by half the men
In tho room and Of hearing that her hus-
band loved her to distraction, and that her
home was a perfect haven Of peace and
comfort.
On that evening he found 1t impossible
to speak to her, but three nights after they
met at private party, and he found him
self near her at the entrance Of the music
room Just as she had consented TO sing
She had heard Of his arrival and was
therefore forearmed. Ii he had expected
any display OF emotion on her part, he
must have been cruelty disappointed.
"Mr. Clayton" she said, with look OF
| we'll bred surprise and without Offering
her hand, "is it possible that you have re-
turnedS How delighted all your friends
must be''
And she sailed on TO the piano without
another word. He fingered to hear her
voice once more. She lifted her eyes and
saw him standing there. And this Is what
she sang:
Close TO my dreaming heart
You stood that day.
The time of my life had come
To hear yea nay.
looked into your face,
But you turned il away,
And IL ever hope had lit my heart
1t died out that day.
And then she rose from the piano, listen
ing laughingly to the praises of her friends
as she drew on her gloves. She left the
room, leaning on the arm Of the British
ambassador.
And as she passed by where Clayton was
still standing he heard her say, in answer
to some low remark from her escort:
"Oh, my lord / might have sung that
song with proper feeling once! But that
was many years ago. Time works won.
ders, rs you know, and II give the right
expression to the words now IL Is but q
trick of successful actress. Give me credit
for nothing more''
Her dark eyes rested full on the hand
some face OF her early lover as she spoke
rested as they might have done upon q
picture or even q wall She gave him q
quiet little bow of recognition as she
passed, but look and smile and bow all
said plainly, "We are strangersl'
Stung and mortified, he rushed from
the room and out OF the house. The words
OF her song still rang in his ear, and before
his eyes rose up the vision Of that little
white cottage up amid the hills, and si.o
dark eyed girl who stood with him there
beforel
And she might have been my wifep' he
said, with kind Of groan, as ne stepped
up to u lamppost and Lit Mexican cigar
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