Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-04-20

different from my restless, excited sell.
She was so sad at times that could
not help wondering if some time in
her life she had not experienced some
serious sorrow, for she had means and
friends enough to make her life worth
living, and should have been happy.
One day found her weeping quietly
with little red book in her hand. /
endeavored to calm her, to find out
she told me this story:
1T happened when l was only eigh-
teen. / was engaged to be married.
Ny lover was four years older than
myself; he was mate of ship, and
fine, dashing young fellow named Ed
ward Blake We had been engaged six
months and were to be married
month later. The day was fixed, and
Edward had arranged to give up the sea
and take a situation on land. We were
as happy as two young people could
possibly be; but, unluckily, just
month before the time fixed for our
wedding day, picnic was gotten up
by some of our friends, and Edward
and / were of the party. There was a
handsome young fellow there named
Percy Sandys, the son of neighboring
clergyman. He was fresh from col
lege, and full of fun and frolic. l
CHANGED to be placed next to him at
luncheon, and not knowing, as / aft
erward discovered, that l was en-
ha Oft tA
me. did not care for his attentions in
the least, but was in high spirits and
only bent on the enjoyment of the mo-
ment, and did not check him as, per-
haps, / ought to have done. Presently,
I caught sight OF Edwards face, and
saw that he was looking terribly cross
and angry. Foolishly ] thought 1t
rather good fun to make him jealous,
and, on purpose to tease him, l pre-
tended to take all the more notice of
Mr.. Sandys When we finished lunch
con the party scattered and strolled
about the woods in various directions.
/ naturally expected Edward to ac-
company me, but he rather rudely, as
/ thought, held aloof, and, to punish
him, paired off with Mr.. Sandys.
When the party got together again
Edward looked so savage that l
thought 1t better not to provoke him
any further.
II shook off Mr.. Sandys, and. walk
ing away with Edward, began to scold
him for his unreasonable jealousy. OF
course, did not think myself was I'm
fault; nobody ever does. A loving
word would have made me penitent di-
rectly. Unfortunately. he was white
with anger, and began TO reproach me
in way that reused my temper, too,
for / was quick enough 10 take Of
fence in those days, Ruth, though l
have learned better since. / can re.
member, as IL it were yesterday. the
nook in the woods where we stood, the
sunshine glinting through the trees
and lighting up Edwards flushed face
and angry eyes. He reproached me
bitterly-more bitterly, think, than
j deserved. He called me heartless
coquette, and l called him little-mind-
ed and told him he had made himself
ridiculous by his unreasonable jeal-
ousy. We got hotter and hotter, and
finally he declared that If l did not
admit that ] had been wrong, and
promise to behave differently for the
future. all must be over between us. j
did not care straw for Mr. Sandys,
and would fifty times sooner have had
Edward with me, but | would have
died sooner than have told him so
then. So i gave him bitter answer,
and we both grew angrier still. His
last words, uttered with all the inten-
sity of passion. ring still in my ears. |
can tell you them word for word:
'Hetty. If you let me so now, under
stand clearly you will never see my
face again. / did not quite believe
him. Perhaps II / had / should still
have let him go. At any rate, l was
far too angry to give way then. Go,
by all means, II you wish it, / said,
and In another moment he was gone.