Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-03-04
REWARD OF A WOMAN.

ter and mock admiration in her eyes at
her lover, who came and stood before
Ter. But the man looked down at her
In eager pleading. .. g..
Ursula, darling, how can you talk
in that way-now"
-.How can 1? Why, with a pretty
grace, hope"
ursula" cried the man, "don't have
that mood! 1t hurts me. It maddens
me to waste our minutes so. Oh, my
darling, have you no sentiment in you?''
Sentiment" she began, lightly; but
she stopped suddenly and her word
trailed off into sob. BERTHE"
The man caught her hands quickly.
-What, darling?"
She dropped her head on his breast
and her breath came fast.
"You have thought me unsentimental,
matter-of-fact even hard--yes, just a
little bit hard-ever since you first
knew me; while you were so-so-other-
wise"
He held her tightly to him and
waited.
"But'-and it was she who spoke
passionately now-"I was only acting,
Berthe; only showing you a surface
heart. And now-now you are going
away, and for so long, 1 will give up
acting. 1 am sentimental-sillilys enti-
mental, if only you knew. did not
show it, don't know-I was shy, I
suppose. I thought you would not care
for it-that you would laugh at me-"
A'Oh, Ursula, Ursula!" he exclaimed
81 believe you would laugh now if
you only knew how ridiculous am
how much I love you. And now I have
broken down-yor have made me break
down. 1 can never unsay my confess
sion- I have humbled myself have
laid bare my heart"
"Ursula, my own! why did you never
confess before? I laugh at you! Oh,
my darling. I have hungered to hear
you say such words"
The eyes of the girl were love-steeped,
and her lashes wet, and she raised her
head and looked up at the man.
"All this past year you have made me
happier than ever dared hope to be-"
she whispered, trembling-"the hap
piest woman in the whole world, I
Ahink.-
And the man bent and pressed his lips
10 hers But I want to make you still
happier" he said, passionately. 81
want to take you from all the care and
drudgery; to have you all to myself; to
guard you, to cherish you-never to
part. Oh, if only had money! This
waiting, waiting is awful; and the hope
80 small, the reward so slow"
Gam I really small-and slow?" she
asked, softly.
He laughed back at her. mot you,
dearest, but the getting on, and the pit
tance; it all seems so endless. Even
now am holding you only to part from
you-to go back to the grind. And
worse than all is the knowledge that
you are also drudging, and cannot pre-
vent it."
'As there must be waiting, dear, am
glad of the work to fill my time. And"
with soft blush, 81 shall be saving for
my trousseau."
Don't Ursula-don't go boarding
your shillings and denying yourself.
Some day / will make my pile, and you
shall walk in silk attire; and we'll
leave the work, and the trouble, and the
care, and go off a-wandering in Italy
and Greece and Algiers, and every place
we've ever set our hearts on"
The understanding clock upon the
painted marble mantelpiece struck five
metallic strokes.
Five o'clock already! This is awful!
For a whole year, or longer. Say it
again, Ursula-that you love me-"
IL love you, BERTHE" she said, slowly,
and quite solemnly. 81 love you. I
think I would die for you quite will
ingly."
Darling, darling, for a long year"
He caught her up to him in a passionate
embrace, his lips met hers again and
again; then he turned quickly, and went
toward the door.
"There will be the letters" she said,
in a voice which strove to be steady and
cheerful, for his white, hopeless face
hurt her heart. And then he was gone
Three hours later the man sat at a
CHEEKY little dinner in London, little
farewell meal with a few old college
friends. After which he went on board
his steamer and walked the deck in the
starlight, with pipe for consolation as
he thought of the poor and lonely girl
hehad left, and longed for money to bring
him his desire. And SO absorbing were
these thoughts that the pipe went out,
and still he paced to and fro, unheeding,
until at last, his elbow being logged ac-
cidentally, he came back to the near
present again, aid, taking the cold pipe
from his lips, tapped it out on the rail-
Then, while the ashes were yet floating
Gown to the waters, he went below to
his berth and slept soundly.
And the girl Ursula sewed and sewed
all the evening by the light of the cheap
oil lamp, and smiled stiffiy with her lips,
and tried not to depress her mother.
And then she went to her room and
packed her box to go a-governessing on
the morrow. And after awhile she
went to bed, and there she lay with wide