Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-08-27

Hattie Furman was great favorite
with the gentlemen, and her partiality
for the sterner sex was as great as
theirs for her. She was engaged to
young DR.. Hartley, but he had one
year more at the university before his
studies were completed, and his fan
Gee seemed nowise inclined to mourn
his absence. There were admirers in
plenty ready to take his place, and she
never lacked an escort to any Of the
neighbOrhOOd festivities where she
WAS always the life and mischief Of
the party.
Then she would write full history
&C each affair to her absent lover never
forgetting to tell him how much she
had enjoyed herself, how agreeable
Mr.. So-and-So had been. what pretty
speeches Mr.. Such-a-one had made
when she accepted his escort for the
ncXi dance at the ball, and he's such
an elegant waltzer, you know" she
added. tantalizingly. The young doc
tors blood fairly boiled when he read
these missives and imagined some
other mans arms where he considered
none but his had any right to he. Yet
he dared not protest. He vCntured
once 10 assert his rights, on his last va
cation home, and his ring had been Of
fered him with such promptness that
1t fairly took his breath away.
81 don't want it. l won't take it,
nc gasped.
Just as you like" ryplied Hattie,
colby. 81 thought you were tired Of
me. If you are just take back your
old ring Fred Fox offered me n
nicer one last week
"Oh, Hattiew was all the Doctor
could say.
His grieved tone and white face
touched the girls heart, aud she burst
out with: "Oh. Frank. | didn't mean
it. I'd rather have your ugly old ring
than all the other rings in the world,
ana I'd rather have you than all'--here
she threw her arms around his neck
impulsively, hid her face on his shoul-
der and burst into tears.
Then. of course, he begged her par
don and called himself n brute, and she
forgave him, and when he went away
tlirted more than ever.
She was usually very prompt in full !
filling their compact of writing week
ly letters to each other, but on two Oc-
.casions the weeks had made month |
before the longedfor letter came to the |
,hg lnvnr nj Inp ,l. a.,
,cusr bur that she had been having so
much fun she had quite forgotten to
write.
The young doctor really believed she
only meant to tease him, yet he felt in |
dignant and mutually vowed that if |
the rciHS were ever in his hands she |
should repent her seeming hcartless-
ness. II is II wonder the poor fellow |
could study at all. but he did at last |
graduate with honor.
Hattie seemed proud as he of the |
hard-carned diploma and the young
couple spent delightful fortnight max
ing plans for the future ana trying to
decide upon the most desirable location
for n young physician to gain lucra-
tive practice and Il home for his bonnie
bride. He was far too manly to ask
Hattie TO link her fate with his until he
could offer her Il home that would in
some degree approach the comfortable
one she would leave, even If her par
cnis had been willing for such pro
cceding.
While still undecided position was
offered his as physician and surgeon
with an exploring and surveying party
that We're making II tour to the far
Northwest, There was money in it
and the needed practice without fear
of competition or failure. 1t seemed
the chance of n lifetime and had been
rendered him through the influence of
one Of the university professors, vet
II would involve three years separa
ton from Hattie, and what assurance
had he that some Of those other fellows
would not win her from him? Even II
they did not he felt us II he never
could endure three such years of tor
tnre aS that last one ut the university
had been. Still he could not refuse,
especially when her parents urged him
so strongly to accept.
Hattie seemed very sorry to have him
80 and promised very faithfully to be
true Ia her troth.
"But you can't expect me to he an
old woman, Frank" she said. "Why.
If | couldn't have any fun for three
years Ia be wrinkled and gray-haircd
when you came back. and then you
wouldn't want me at all"
Frank laughed ana said he'd run the
risk, and II she'd only wait for him
twas al he'd ask, hut it was witt
nchins heart he kissed her last fare
well, and II tcrturiug fear of what thar
long three years might bring forth.