The Progress., 1896-06-20

Howery answers TO her short. BUSINESS
like e0istles. and sending her present
every week. He was the hapDiest man
in creation.
Then one day went to see him ana
found him in the depths Of a black 0e-
spair. Slowly ard with much work
dragged the story out OF him. She han
written him a curt note breaking the
engagement. On the table at his eiOo"
lay the jewelers. tiny box with the De9u-
tiful ring inside.
II took it up and looked at II, won
dpring meanwhile why a girl should re-
fuse a man like my friend, rich h1e-
looking ,tenderly loving, &Die to give
her all the things for which she lonS2d, ,
and desiring nothing in the world OnI ;
10 fly at her beck and call. After ut
tie | put he question to him
"'What reason did she give he an
swered. looking up with wild blood
shot eyes. None! She merely desires
to break the engagement And yet l
know she has no other lover. Who ia
there upon that desolate island who
could be attractive to her? And have
a letter from her mother, dear, kline
soul. in which she tells me that 1rene's
conduct is mystery to her. But it is
of no use to discuss 1t. shall so mao
soon enough without that
Nor could rouse him from this state
of despairing sorrow. He went from,
bad to worse until | was forced to at
tend him in my professional capacity.
and at last I yielded to his solicitations
and consented to accompany him upo!
trip to the island.
ut was bitter winter weather and
shall never forget how we suffered with
cold during that awful trip. Even afte'
we reached the island we had that hol
rible six-mile walk to manage, and w
were spent with cold and fatigue wheu
we arrived at the farm. John was toe
weak and exhausted to do more than
yield passively to the ministrations O
myself and Irene's mother. But the
next day he commenced to seek for ar
: opportunity to talk with the obstinate
girl.
But it was useless: she evaded u!
G both, for would have spoken in behal
y of my friend. She kept out of our wa!
- with a persistence and success which
= was marvellous, considering how closet.
we were all kept together by the cold
y, which made outdoor life an impossible
10 ity, and we were compelled to retur1
:, home at the end Of week without hav
=, ing wrung so much as word from tn
girl herself. Her father, mother an
70 sisters were upon Johns side and it wa
4 evident that the girl herself was suffer
G ing deeply. But she hade her love
is good-by with an icy handshahe and re
l. turned to her work in the kitchen BIZ
m fore we were out of the barnyard.
John was in despair, but he is PEI
ut sistent by nature, and as said at TT
r. beginning of my story, he wrote an
N proposed regularly every three month
or And so several years went by.
IN cat last, one day about a month az
or he called me up by telephone and bega
70 to talk wildly and little incoherent
H. about how happy he was and nonsen
.es of that kind.
a "'What is the matter with your
.re asked at last, fearing that he was
nd and delirious. | shall never forget b
vel answer.
by "'Can't you tell what is the matt
in with me-? he called back. Irene h
Lch written that we may be as we once we
of and am toe happy to be lucid
by Eyes, that was what she had do,
the with woman-like unexpectedness. A
the John was almost too happy to live.
lay made flying trip to the island-that
the going there was hurried. He
slow enough coming back. When he
turned the day was set for the weddi
So two days ago he started back,
happiest man in the world, and
night got telegram saying that lr'
was his wife, and, although she S
refused to say why she had acted
strangely, he was quite satisfied to n
got her at all and was suprem
- thankful.
} 'In that week he spent here in
city he furnished beautiful fiat,
voted himself to so doing, taking nj
. of things he saw in other houses
which he had the entree. Everyth
is ready for the coming Of the b
tonight even to the stationery, tn
her favorite color and marked with
,ES- monogram-her new initials, of cou
Framed photographs of her island b
just hang upon the walls, he has prepare
0 an room for her sisters to occupy v
r. they visit her and even the fires are
the I must 20 now or shall be too LAT
first welcome them to their new HI
nself which I have promised to do, as "
was with a whimsical smile, "as app
were match to the fire in the parlor, so
be- a cheerful blaze shall greet her '
Ingly she steps inside the door, and I "
tn at ,,+ on,if this ceremOny for anvil