The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-10-24
AMBER r.

cOrrlQOr ne lllQ down MS pen ana
leaned YEARLY back in his big arm.
chair.
Presently a hand thrust back the cur
tain from the doorway and his wife
entered. She was gowned for the even
ing in her favorite color-dull yellow.
There were diamonds at her throat
and in her gold-brown hair. She looked
radiant with pleasure. .
"Shall I do?" she asked, coming for
ward and leaning upon the desk with
her hands, palms downward.
He inspected her deliberatcly-critic-
ally, she thought.
"You will do very WE'LL" he said at
last. 'WI;at is it tonight, Amber"
"'Faust.' I am going with the Ken
dalls. Lawrence-'
He took up his pen with a slight ges-
ture of Impotence that efectually ST.
fenced her. Half the joy died out of
her face. She stood a moment watch
ing as he wrote; then she went round
and laid her hand timidly on his shout
der.
john" wistfully.
"Well?
She hesitated, hoping that he would
look up OF say something more; but he
did neither.
IL am going now. Good-by."
"Good-by."
1t was the tone, not The words, that
brought q sudden dimness into her
eyes. She fingered still with her hand
on his shoulder. Then she slowly re-
| moved it and stole out Of the room.
AS the curtain ceased swaying be-
hind her the pen dropped and John
| Sarles covered his face with his hands.
He heard a carriage stop at the curb
ing and the front door close with a
bang. He heard a mans voice p a
mans gay laugh-bOth Lawrence Ken
dall's; then there was a rumble Of
wheels and he lifted his head with q
Jerk. Something like q sob escaped
him.
Lawrence" she had said. 1t had
come to that, then! Lawrence! John
| Sarles knew him well-knew how his
handsome face and winning smile en-
deared him to the hearts of women
how he was sought after, petted, ad-
mired.
All, we'll, it was something, after all.
to be born with q handsome face and
straight, strong limbs. John Sarles
looked bitterly at the crutch leaning
against the chair and thought that be.
cause of it life had withheld much OF
it's sweetness from him. Wealth and
| even a powerful intellect which put
him in touch with the brightest think
ers Of the day failed to make up to
him for that.
He had been on the point of sinking
into the self-imposed isolation OF q
proud, morose nature when AmDer
came-Amber, the little daughter OF his
only intimate friend, who, dying, mad
intrusted her to his care.
Soon the music Of her laughter had
chased away the ghostly echoes from
the lonely old house and the llent OF
her happy eyes frightened every room.
Her books strewed the tables, her flow
ers filled the long unused vases, her
| gowns made bits of color against the
dark walls as she fitted upstairs and
down.
Gradually all became changed be-
cause of her. New furniture replaced
the old. new carpets covered the noors,
the conservatory blossomed with rare
plants and a grand piano lit up a dark
recess of the library with its polished
ivory and rosewood.
BY and by the little girl became a
maiden. to whom every door was open
and whose smile was a. favor which
| men considered a we'll nigh precious,
and nil the time that Amber was grow.
ing winsome and sweet and graceful
John Sorles was growing old and wrin-
Killed. and gray. But his heart was
Young as ever, and he loved Amber
with all the pent-up force of his ma
tire. and he suffered agonics because
of that love, feeling that she could
never. never be his.
One day a handsome boy of good fam
ily came to ask him for Amber's hand.
Poor John! He gave his consent and
his blessing as we'll. What else could
he do, not knowing but that Amber
loved him? And while the boy was
/ pleading his cause John sat in his study
with as bitter q heartache as ever mai
had.
didn't look up. And then came a
sweet. sobbing voice and the pressure.
of two soft arms about his neck from
behind. 49,,
"Oh, guardy, guardy, are you tired
of me that you try to get rid OF me
So"
He was suffocating with surprise and
toy and terror, but he managed to draw
her around where he could see her face,
which was rosy with bushes and per-
sistently averted.
lambert" he cried. Tired Of you!
Want to get rid of you, Amber"
And then, reassured by his tone, she
burst out passfonately: 8
eyes, you must be, else you'd never
have sent him to me, when you know
I hate him-hate them all but you"
He drew her down on his knee at
that and held her close in his trembling
arms. His face was near hers, but he
did not kiss her. He could only look
at the sweet, wet eyes and child-like
mouth, the round, soft cheek and gold
brown hair, wondering, doubling, hop
ing all at once-he could not have told
which the most Of the three.
That was two years ago-two blessed
years Of such happiness that they
seemed to him like a long delightful
dream. Amber loved him and Amber
was his wife.
But Of late a shadow had fallen be-
tween them-the shadow Of Lawrence
Kendall. The fear that had numbed
Johns heart wien he first beheld the
Young mans admiring gaze upon his
wife had ripened into fierce Jealousy.
He had grown cold and austere In
his manner, causing Amber many tears
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