Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-02-05
STOLEN INTERVIEWS

pltSO 1ltul0 w luoNS tiittb tNtE IDUhtu lUSCl-
mating in the fiutter of black ribbons and
transparent grapes. Yet somehow no one
was ever jealous of the warm hearted
beautiful young widow. For was she not
always ready to help the helpless, care for
the careless and think for the thoughtless?
You couldn't help wondering what people
did In the benighted times before Mrs
Nelly came on to the stage of life, so in
dispensable did she seem to human COM
fort.
So, of course, the evening of the day
that Mildred Wilton became engaged to
Henry Forrest she camo up through the
evening twilight, with incense of flowers
scattered on her path and tiny freely
lamps hung in all the bushes to illume her
way, to tell Nelly about it, 1t was just as
natural as thinking aloud.
''In love, you dear, foolish thing!" said
Nelly laughingly, imprisoning both Mil
dred's fluttoring hands. "Well, every
woman must come sooner or later to the
place where some great six footer becomes
glorified in her sight and his words are
like the law and the prophets! May you
never awake from the blissful dream,
love!''
"He Is so changed, somehow"
The moon, which had been a narrow
slit of pearl when Henry Forrest first
whispered his love into Mildred's willing
car, was in it's sickly gibbous now and
poor Mildred was crying on Mrs. Archer )
shoulder
GLOW, dearest?" said Nelly, stroking
the dark, disheveled locks.
Gle is SO grave and self absorbed-and
when he looks at me 1T is with such pity
ing glance, and two or three times some
unspoken sentence has quivered On his
lips. Nelly, do you suppose-can it be
possible that he has ceased to love me?"
"Not bit of 1t, love. Don't distress
your dear little head. 1t will all come
cial affairs are in critical state just now
and all business men are necessarily anx-
ious.'
"Do you think that is alp" murmured
Mildred, gradually hushing her sobs and
drawing closer to her comforter, as u child
distressed by sorrowful dreams clings to
its soothing nurse.
"Of course it is, and now, love, it is
growing late, and must send you home
Go by the willow path, Mildred; it is less
damp than the road along the river side. !"
What possessed her to set out by the
river road, in spite of Nelly's warning?
Perhaps because that way was the nearest,
perhaps because the finger of fate was in
the thing
For, as she approached a dense mass of
silver birch woods that skirted the road,
the sound of low voices made her start be-
IND Io vii
ness that she was not alone. The tones
came nearer, and as the speakers emerged
into the uncertain moonlight from the
Swallowed place where the road wound
through a deep glen her heart stood still
with chill, sick horror. She knew the
promenaders we'll. Was this the reason
that Nelly had desired her to go by the
willow path?
"Nelly, you are an angel. What should
do without your" she heard him say as
they paused at the path that led to Mrs.
Archer's home. Nelly shook her head
laughingly.
Mind" she said, mot a word Of this
to Mildred-poor little Mildredn'
There are times when minute seems to
compress into it's seconds all the bitter
y
long that night was to Mildred
By morning, however, her resolves were
all taken. She would release Forrest from
his troth, though her own heartstrings
parted, but she never would see Nelly
Archer more. All, why had she not sus-
pected this double dealing before?
"Why, Mildred, you don't seem bit
glad to see me this morning.
Forrest playfully pulled away the hand
that shaded Mildred's tear stained eyes
and looked lovingly into her face.
"Why, what's tho matterS You have
been crying. Well, suppose l mustn't
ask any questions. l came, little one, to
ask you If you would allow me to fix
Thursday week for our wedding day?'
my wedding day will never come, For
rest" said Mildred, controlling her agita-
ton by a strong effort II release you
from our engagement.
"What do you meanp Release me?
won't be relcasedp
"Do not let us prolong this interview"
said Mildred TREMENDOUSLY. 81 was acct
dentally in the river road last night
"Well what of it?"
"Nothing," faltered Mildred almost in
audibly, "only if had sooner known that
your affections were transferred from me
to Mrs. Archer should sooner have set
you free
She broke down here and burst into q
passion of tears.
"My darling" said Henry, as if sud
den light had broken in on his perplexity,
twill you hear my explanation? Nelly
made mo promise secrecy, but she never
could have foreseen these circumstances.
My affections have been securely placed
ever since saw one Mildred Wilton.
never dreamed of transferring them and
couldn't If I were to try But, dearest,
since our engagement have become q
comparatively poor man through the fail
ure of men with whom l was indirectly
involved, and trembled lest 1t should be
my duty to ask you to wait years, or even
to give you up. For 1 could not ask you
to marry a beggar. But Mrs Archer so
earnestly desired the marriage to go On
that she has placed large portion Of her
wealth in my hands, as loan, to enable
me to begin the world once more. For
tune, thanks to her, is beginning to smile
on me once more, and l come to claim
you"
"Then Nelly does not love your" muir
INJURED Mildred.
Glove meP should think not, but
can tell you whom she does lovc-your
tall brother Ashley, who Is nearly as jeal-
GUS of our business interviews as your lit
tie self. They are over now, and shouldn't
wonder If we had two weddings one Of
these days!"
Mildred cried again, upon her lovers
manly breast, but they were not bitter
tears! Nor could she rest until she had
confessed everything to Nelly, who, being
a merciful little lady, kissed and forgave
her In the same breath.
As Horny Forrest had foretold, there
was a double wedding in the village
church, and Mrs. Ashley Wilton, in her
bridal robes, was even prettier than Nelly
Archer, the widow, had been. Exchange.
Her RAaaOn.