Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-07


brace, her dark eyes cleaning with ten
derest love.
''Now we can marry" he whispered.
"But you have not told me yet, Elsie.
Are you sure you have got the exact
details?''
eft is all written here, word for
word, as Alan repeated it to me-" she
replied.
He read the paper greedily which she
handed to him, then placed it in his
pocketbook and drew deep breath Of
relief.
$50 that is all the secret of De-
maine's wonderful purple dye" he
said. "Well, l rather think now that
the monopoly is destroyed. Won't the
old fashioned firm be astonished when
they find themselves undersold in the
market by dye exactly like their own. !"
And he laughed cruel laugh Of tri-
umph. 81 always hated Demaine," he
continued, "always. This will be splen-
did revenge, besides making all our for
tunes. But come, Elsie" he added, sit
is time we were moving I'll see you to
the park gates, and then I must get
back to town"
A month passed away, and Elsie was
still visiting the Demaines, still out
wardly engaged to Alan, Of whom new
ertheless she saw very little.
Hugh" Elsie said to her lover one
evening, "don't you Think and then
she stopped in confusion.
"Think what?" said Hugh idly, with
out looking at her.
"That it is not very nice or pleasant
for me to be staying in Alan's home,
when I have-betrayed him?'' she ended
bravely.
81 don't see what else you can do"
retorted Hugh lazily, "unless you 60
back to your aunt's."
The girl crimsoned to her brow
"Couldn It we be married now?" she
whispered in shamed tones
He looked at her sharply, then replied:
"Look here Elsie, it is best to be
straightforward, so we may as we'll end
this farce at once. am engaged to my
cousin Marian, and we are to be mar
ried next month"
There was long silence. Up in the
bright blue heavens bird was caroling
merrily, and in strange, mechanical
manner Elsie counted five daisies which
were in a cluster at her feet. Then she
spoke:
$50 you just used me as a tool,
Hugh?"
Eyes" he acquiesced shamefacedly.
She laughed-a strange. hard laugh.
''It does not hurt very much after all
hot very much" she repeated pite-
ously, and then without another word
turned and left him.
When Alan Domaine reached home
that night, his mother and sisters met
him with the news that Elsie had been
suddenly summoned to meet her aunt.
Though when she got the letter I'm
sure / don't know" added Enid suspi-
ciously. Her brother made no reply, but
went straight to his own room, and
there, on the toilet table, lay tear
stained note.
81 have been wicked, deositful
girl" the letter ran, ''and now the
greatest punishment I have to bear is
the knowledge that have brought ruin
upon you" Then followed all explana-
tion concerning her curiosity about the
dye, and the note ended with plea for
forgiveness.
In reply Alan wrote as follows: "My
forgiveness you have fully and freely,
and ] sincerely wish you every happi-
ness in the future. You must not dis
tress yourself about running me, as
the secret (?) which I told you con.
corning the purple dye is no secret at
all, but very ordinary chemical prep
aration we'll known in the trade. For
give me for leceiving you. overheard
your conversation with the scamp who
used you as his tool, and I could not re-
sist my little piece Of revenge. The De-
maine dye is secret still, SO you may
cease fretting about that. My mother,
who knows nothing, sends you her love.
In day or two ! shall simply tell her
that the engagement is dissolved.
Three months after the dispatch Of
this letter Alan's manager ceased from
troubling, for the new firm failed ire
trievably.
"Hang it ALI" said Hugh to his con-
fidential assistant. "We have got the
correct ingredients, man. 1t must be in
the mixing that we fail"
And when his speech found its way
to Alan's ears he simply laughed. ut
was Delilah who failed" he said to
himself, mot the mixing" And then,
with new, glad hope springing in his
heart, he Joined his sisters and his sis
ters' friend Monica in the drawing
room. London Sun.