The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-02-07

pointments, dwelling on them With
tho insistSnce OF one who n drifting
towards happier things. He ssat and
and q he looked was conscious of .
vague thankfulness that he, still q
young man, was bound by no chain to
the woman who sat before him. He
tried not to see the lines about her
large, dark eyes, the dragged hardness
that married the sweetness Of her
mouth. He knew instinctively that
her heart and her love were as fresh
% the first day they were given to
him, but for the life of him lie could
not repress . guilty thankfulness that
she was-only an old friend.
BY and by he rose to 60, but held her
hand long in taking leave.
%"Now that we have met again,
Olivia, we must not lose sight of one
another. When may ! come and see
your 4 ,..~'@-
She looked into his eyes and a happy
smile curved the corners of her lips.
"Whenever you please, Angus viii
you come tomorrow"
hind the glowing lamp, her heart
beating high in her bosom with the
surety that tomorrow he would speak
and ask her to be his wife.
Lady Arlington's voice reused her.
''Olivia, come out of your hiding
place at once. want you to come to
Nottingham next Saturday. Will you?'
Olivia smiled a ''yes," thinking what
would any plans matter now. After
tomorrow her life would be Angus to
do with as he would. Most likely he
would want her to 60 to some quiet
river place, where they could be alone.
In happy, dreamful silence she drift
ed across the great drawing-room to-
ward the group gathered al bout Lady
Arlington, who was chatting volubly
to half dozen women at once.
"What did you think of Mira Bert
rams hair? She changes the color
every month, declare Lady Susan
was quite angry about it; but then,
you know, she thinks it quite indecent
to touch up at all. was SO awfully
vexed, by the way, that Lady Ferrers
couldn't come. She's quite pretty, and
her Gowns-all fresh, of course, for
she's only bride-are SO very smart"
LADY Ferrers! Is Sir Angus mar
ried?'
Olivia Abinger did not know whether
she or another asked the question. She
only waited for the answer.
"Oh, yes; six weeks ago. Shes such
a dear little thing, and so nice. Her
fathers place matches with his own in
Scotland"
Olivia Abinger did not cry out or
faint. though the SCATTERING of her
dream and the breaking of her heart
were beyond all mortal agony. She said:
"Good night" and drove in frowsy
four-wheeler to. her shabby lodgings.
Still silent, still enduring, she went
upstairs to her little sitting-room; but
when she had lit the gas 1t 1lared upon
a face marked by the anguish of life
time. '1..
She stood by the table, her hands
hanging at her sides, her eyes, which
could not weep staring before her. :.
Bssssl9.' Married! rich! happy! While II,
who have hoped and longed and loved,
am
She flung her white arms above her
head, and great cry rent her throat
a cry of all woman's pent-up passion,
of all a hearts bitter disappointment.
ut is too much" she cried aloud to
the shabby walls aud cheap furniture;
II cannot bear it. Tonight have
dreamed of other things, l cannot go
back to the old ways. My heart is
dead within me-&dead."
She paused; a gray shadow stole over
her drawn face, a somber fire burned
in her eyes. For a moment she disap-
peared into her bedroom, then returned
to where the gas fiared. She looked
about her and, with the careful method
of a poor woman, picked up her cloak
from the floor and folded it away on =
chair. Then she lowered the gas to
the blue and flung open the window.
II want my soul to be free to go to
him If il can," she murmured, leaning
out over the street. This will I'M
loose my bonds-and bring me peace
and rest, and, perhaps, little sigh of
regret from him."
With cold white fingers, that yet did
uOL tECIlDlC d y tl1clI Gttsh, SIG OIC" UA6
stopper from tiny phial she held in
her hand. A thick, sweet odor as of
flowers f1oated through the
room. 1t dominated the faint per-
fume that breathed'from Olivia's gown
and fair hair, and even tainted with
its insidious SAVIOR the outer air. With
lilated nostrils she caught the subtle
scent and smiled little. "Peace-and
remembrance," she sighed,
then raising her hand to her lips, with
one movement of her slender throat
she swallowed the few drops of liquid
contained In tho small blue bottle.
Her hand dropped heavily on the win
dowsill and her fingers relaxed.
The tinkle of fallen glass rose from
the pavement below. >f-
She fell upon her knees before tho
open window and raised her ashen face
to the star-lit heavens
Her fingers twitched in agony above
her bursting heart; her pale lips strug-
gled to cry but once to the man who,
for the second time, had plunged her
in RI tho Il a rEuaSs ~ dasna IT.