Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-09
THE ONE GIRL.

They were standing together out on
the moonlit terrace. Behind them in
the distance sounded the band playing
soft, dreamy waltz music. But what
cared they for dancing, and the hot,
crowded ballroom? In all the world for
him there was only one woman, and
she stood, her hands clasped in his, her
brown head resting OH his shoulder, lost
in happy dream.
"You won't forget me, darling" he
whispered, when I am thousands Of
miles away, at the other side Of the
world, and letters are long in coming?
You'll remember that I am coming back
In two years, at the latest, to claim my
little wife.
ooh, it can't really be true, Geoffrey,
that you are going tomorrow? 1t is too
dreadful to think of And it not that
will forget. I shall think Of you night
and day till you come back. But you'll
most likely meet with some lovely
American girl-all American women
are lovely, you know-and then you'll
forget all about poor little Mysie Traf-
ford. who is waiting for you in Eng
land"
when am out on the great lonely
prairies," he said dreamily, II shall
just shut my eyes and think myself back
to this night. I shall hear the band in
the distance, shall feel you once more
in my arms, and shall smell the faint
smell Of that heliotrope you are wear
ing.
For answer she took piece Of the
heliotrope from the bosom Of her dress
Here's little bit Of it" she said.
"And when you meet that lovely Amer
loan, and you wish that you were free
and that this evening had never been,
then you can put that little flower in an
envelope, and you needn't write word
to put in with it, but just address 1t to
me, and when get it I shall know
what it means, and you will be free. !"
"What nonsense, Mysie!" he said
angrily. "Why do you talk like that?
You know"
"Oh, here you are!'' cried shrill
voice. II have been looking for you
everywhere. Mr.. Castleford is as cross
az ever he can be, Mysie. He says you
promised him the last two dances. and
then you disappeared and no one
could find you; while as for you, Mr..
Hamilton, I think you had better keep
out Of the way altogether, after disap-
pointing Lady May and goodness knows
who besides"
And Gertrude, Mysie's sister, chat
tered on, totally unconscious that she
was most pnwelcome intruder.
She and Mysie had always been
taught that it was their duty to make a
good match, and Godfrey Hamilton.
with no money, and just off to America,
was so entirely ineligible that she sus-
pected nothing, and ruthlessly insisted
on their immediate return to the ball
room.
And she looked often at the little
hoop Of pearls-the pledge of her be-
trothal-but never put it on, except in
her own room just for q few minutes.
Somehow az the days went by it seemed
= harder matter to speak Of that evening
to her mother, the more so that her
mother had not the faintest suspicion Of
anything Of the sort, And so a month
passed.
Then one evening Mysie returned
from walk and saw letter lying on
the hall table. One glance at her own
name and the postmark-"New York"
and she snatohed up the letter, won
dering il any one had noticed it, then
ran upstairs to her own room, and lock-
ed the door to enjoy it in peace.
The fire burned brightly and looked
inviting, and she drew up low easy
chair, and seated herself comfortably as
she broke the seal Of the envelope.
What was the faint perfume as she did
60? She drew out piece Of blank note
paper from the folds Of which little
bit Of dead hsliotrope slipped and fell
to the ground.
"Mysie you must come down, " said
Gertrude. "Mr. Castleford il down
stairs, and mother says you are to come"
-as Mysie looked rebellious. but you
must change your dress; you can't come
down in that. Has anything happened
You look very queer.
"No," said Mysie, with a strange lit
tie laugh; at least, nothing Of impor-
lance, ! will come down in few min
utes. !"
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