Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-09-10

greet it, swear" he whispered. II will |
make you very happy, you poor child. l
have money. l love you, and will do |
everything to please you and make you |
love me-" The note of passion trembled |
in his voice. Mildred, seeing the great |
tenderness in his eyes, held out her hand.
Il love you almost already" she said.
Il think must have cared about you for
some time. Do you remember one day
when it was showing so, and you brought
me some violets? have them yet In my
desk. oh, yes, take me with you IL you
will. will be your slave-anything-
take me from that wretched life"
at is so late, look!' She pointed at the
clock. II must get home"
"Must?'
'Indeed, / shall be locked out"
"oh, Mildred, what shame to part so
| quickly. have said nothing to you"
"a good long nothing" she retorted, al
most angrily.
Come, Hinchliffe, must get back at
once. On Tuesday l will come to you for
good or bad, but until then
He caught her in his arms. Just as
you wish-you darling"
As they We're leaving the room thought
struck him. "By the way, You ought to
be interested in pictures. There is beau
| tiful thing here l must show YOU. The
face has always struck me as being so like
yours"
The long saloon was empty. He took
her arm and led her to the further end.
There were several pictures in the place,
but the one to which he referred was I'M
doubtedly the best. 1t was life size, the
figure of a young woman with child in
H., lnr h. In.,l- iuar NJ
picture, book, but the eyes of the mother
looked out from the canvas, mournfully
beautiful because they wore the wistful,
unseeing gaze of the blind.
81 think that is fine thing" said
Hinchlffe. "The proprietor of this place
picked it up for almost nothing at an
auction sale in New York. 1t is signed
Bosmer, Bosmet, or something l can't
make out. Anyhow, it's name never
heard"
at is nice enough" said Mildred, "only
y you are mistaken. don't like pictures"
A violent shudder convulsed her; her eyes
glared for moment at the blind face,
then dropped, and she turned listlessly
: away.
What the deucer thought Hinchliffe,
but he made no remark.
Let us walk back" Mildred pleaded,
when they reached the snowy street. my
head is bewildered. l wish / had not taken
that wine. The cold air will do me gdsd."
: But Hinchliffe, who never forgot his af-
fected lung, would not hear to such a
thing. So he called cab and ON the way
: back to the boarding house he spoke with
{ much fervor of the happy days to be spent
! in the South. The future glowed to him
? by comparison with the bitterly cold night
And now, love. goodby." The cab had
reached the house and they stood on the
steps waiting for the door to be opened.
Tomorrow evening will come for yor
= again, and then we can settle all our plans
Three nights from now we will be to-
gether, beneath a more charitable sky
P than this"
e When Mildred reached her attic sh,
threw herself upon the bed. Her sou
wandered through an intricate and crue
n wilderness of thought. Her eyes wer,
burning; her head throbhed Toward,
$ morning she slept, but her dreams pur
o sued her like demons. Only as she woke
d with the noise of the six o'clock whistles
y she fancied that woman's figure, evanes
E. cent as spray, lowered for second by he
If bedside.
She dressed herself hurriedly and wrot
D. a couple of letters, one to the proprietor o
IT the store where she worked, the other I,
II Hinchiffe:
d Il cannot do as said Something ha
i. occurred to make it impossible, now an,
t forever. You have been kind to me, and
lie thank you, and would like you to forgiy
)t me because misled you. have told then
re at the store that ! am sick, and that shal
10 stay home for some days-by that tim
s. you will be in Florida. If you come here
{ will not see you-if you write will burl
e. your letters unread. Please do not thin
IL it is on account of anything you have sal,
in or done. l cannot give you my reason
lp II this thing had never happened and
t. had gone to Florida with you, am sure
would have come to love you very dcarl
a indeed; but what is the use of telling 20
1T mat! 1t is impossible, so goodby for u
N time. Id II {"
She slipped on her wrapper and creu
ce along the entry to the head of the stair.
~ Down in the hall Sally was sweepin
r. with great clatter of dustpan an
Re whisk. Mildred called to her, sally. en-
you come up here minute?"
er When the woman, fat and grumblin
I'd somewhat at being disturbed at her worl
he made the ascent of the stairs, Mildrc
a ltlttFs anu Inp uUllar I'LL
" Get these off for me as soon as you cal
IT, and put special delivery stamp on TIL
Id one-never mind the change. And, Sail,
IL | am sick. l am not going TO work to-da,
e. and if any one should call cannot an
r. will not see them. am going back
ne bed, feel so wretched."
The woman took the money and the lie
,e- tiers and went down stairs with curior
'rt smile on her black face.
nj Mildred heard no word of her lover fl
1t. the ensuing three days, and although 81
er felt it Il relief, she was at the same tin
ab much chagrincd, at finding that her d
mt cision was accepted so unhesitatingly.
Had she known the truth he was cut
ay the quick. Baked in his love, coOlly throw
ID, over by the girl whom he had deemC
he conquered, disappointment and ang,
On roted in his heart. But care for his heat
fife predOminatcd, and he departed for Il
le. South in solitary displeasurr, cursing ii
ng race of woman.
~, And for Mildred existence went on ,
m drrarily as before. She never saw Hinc
a life again.
Late in the spring, after he return,
ng home assured that his infatuation for h
of was dead the scent of some violets whit
a street urchin was hawking brought ba,
a to him what she had said about the flo,
nlf crs he once gave her. Seized by a sti
on den, irresistible impulse, he bought co
pie of the fragrant lunches. A few ste
Al. A..