The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-09-07
A BROKEN ENGAGEMENT.

There Is one matchless hour in q
mans life. Every sense of his being
Burrenders TO the delicious, intoxicat-
Ing influence, and all the world seems
60 be reveling in carnival of Joy.
Sound becomes music. commonplace
things become beautiful and sight and
feeling conspire together TO intensity
the illusion. This hour is when, for
the first time. the woman he loves
yields up her first confession of love for
him, and for the first time gazes soul
fully into his face, wealth Of love,
trust and happiness beaming from her
dear eyes Then IL is not what he has
been or viii be, but what he is and
what is his that concerns him.
Howard Verdery had had his hour.
but SO recently that the Joy of IL still
fingered with him like glad echo.
He could not quickly realize that she
loved him as fully and completely as
he would have her love him. IL had
come about SO gradually, by such nat
ural. human stages-just in the way
that such things must come about--he
imagined that IL was hard for him TO
realize that it was true; but what q
glorious thing II was for himl
He felt that he had in him the raw
material for splendid manhood. by
Helen's hands ii might be woven into
a substantial texture that would defy
such petty temptations to evil rs he
had yielded to In younger days, not be-
cause Of lack of strength, he felt, but
because he was young, unknowing,
uniformed. Those we're fine days, and
there was little in them to regret. He
had had his season of wild college dis
sipation; il was no worse than that OF
the average college man--not half so
bad as some. But that was over. Years
and Helen had opened grand field for
him. and he knew he would DO pur-
poscful and manly.
She would help him by her ready
womanly sympathy, her good judg-
ment. her fine womanly tact. What
an ideal woman Helen wa& How con-
genial, how sweetly disposed. how
nobel
"Helen is my conscience" he thought
al never feel bad or unworthy except
when ana with her. She takes such a
fine, high view OF things, and she is SO
strong ia living up TO that view. l
couldn't do an unmanly thing with
Helen ia my heart and mind and char
acter."
His father was delighted with the
news, as were his mother and sisters.
They crowded about him and told him,
three at time, how glad they were.
4'Why, my boy. I'm proud of you.
proud of you, said his father. a hearty
looking man of fifty, fair type of the
successful business man. You don't
know how happy you have made me.
You have removed the most serious APP
prehension OF my life, for was afraid
you might do something foolish
there's no accounting for young man,
you know.
Even the steadiest of them some
times lose their heads where a woman
Is concerned. / have been young
mar myself. Howard. But you have
acted sensibly, and your futures as
sured Helen will be great help 20
you. In few years will have to re-
tire from the business altogether and
] will leave IL in your hands. My boy,
do you know you have never pleased
me SO well in your life?"
And the two, father and son, shook
hands with great warmth.
Helen has always seemed like n sis
ter" Agnes said 1T will be SO lovely
for her TO be that Ia fact"
And everybody congratulated YER
derry, lucky verdery, and the young
fellow In the glow OF his happiness
felt that life was just beginning for
him.