The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-25
The Shamrock Ring.
From Household Words. IN -Four Parts.)
FART l.

| little thought, lately kept in the back
ground of her mind asserted Itself with
persistent iteration or this mid-October
morning.
In love? She, whom folks were beginning
| to call an old maid; with not few gray
| hairs among the brown, and two upright
| lines on her forehead, telling true tales of
! time and worry, She, whose love-story
was over years before; whose hold on
earthly happiness was ioosened when she
| heard Of Eric Stanham's unttrnely death
| In those far Australian wilds, She, who had
meant to go to her grave without giving
| Eric Stanham a successor ii her hearti
| In love? Impossible, in any way, but
doubly, trebIy impossible in the manner
suggested by that little willy thought. In
love with a stranger, q man only seen two
| months ago, whose very name she knew
not, TO whom she had never spoken? I'm
| possible-oh, impossible.
| So she had thought week ago, but now
| her heart through with strangely blended
anticipation and regret. Today, for the
| last time, she was TO take her familiar
| journey in company with the unknown
| man who had-in spite of common sense
| as she put it-become a silent part of
her lonely life. For the last time, she re-
fected sadly, as she walked slowly up and
not due to start for some time, bat she
was early, feverishly dreading to miss
It on this particular morning Today her
season-ticket expired, not to be renewed.
Tonight she would sleeper wake-under a
strange roof; tomorrow her new life, more
lonely than ever, would begin in a little
fiat at Kensington, maid-of-all-work her
sole dependent and companion.
For six years Helen Percival had trav-
eIled almost daily between Richmond and
EarPs Court, in which locality lay her oc-
cupation as drawin g-mistress. In all that
time she had met with no adventure, had
noticed no one person more than another
among her fellow-passengers, until an Au-
gust day two months ago: yet now the
world seemed different to her.
For ten years her home had been with
an old lady cousin, who, when they re-
moved to Richmond on account of her
failing health, had gladly borne the cost
of a season ticket so that Helen might
keep her town connection together, and
yet devote portion of her life TO the last
remaining Of her kin. Now the old cousin
was dead, and her income died with her.
Helen knew the cost of daily going to town
would be beyond her own means, hence the
migration to residence in closer proxin-
She was sorry-who willingly gives up the
delights of a semi-country life when ii is
possible to combine them with town duties?
She was sorry to leave grave old Rich
mond, sorry to part from broad-bosomed,
cleaning Thames. sorry to go no more up
and down the familiar iron road.
But that was not all. The shy little
thought had been shut up, nun-like, in her
maidenly heart-maidenly as when she
was Sutherland she had not, knowingly,
opened the smallest chnk for It to peep
through; but the little thought had crept
out, and not meeting a decided rebuf, 1t
had gained courage and strength; unt.i
on the morning for her parting journey
over the District Line, the shy little
thought had grown to a rampant and self
assertive statement. 1t ceased all al once
to whisper or suggest, and said plainly
to her futtering. old-maidish heart:
"You are in love! And you are sorry not
to see him any more!"
Was that true? But, if so, how ridicu-
lous!
Two months ago she had first noticed the
stranger. He entered the compartment at
Turnham Green, and his slight movement
of civility about closing a window had
caused their eyes to meet. The frank,
when he became absorbed in the Financial
News, she looked shyly al him, they being
the only occupants Of the compartment.
He was not handsome, she felt sure of
that remembering Eric Stanham's comeli-
ness, and w:stfully recalling the features
which she saw night and morning in the
little locket at her watch-chain. No, he
was not handsome; but next day she ad-
mitted that he was manly, stylish, distin-
guished-looking, and thus to her art-train-
ed eyes he was better than handsome.
Before a week had passed she became
used to see him join the train each day, al
ways choosing her compartment. By SLY
degrees she grew familiar with his grave,
sun-browned face; the fine. broad forehead
and arched eyebrows, the slightly aquiline
nose, crossed by a gold pince-nez; the
straight, thinnish hair, close-cut, and
sprinkled with silver. His dark-brown eyes
she rarely saw, for he devoted himself to
the newspaper, whether their compart-
ment was full or empty; but he bestowed
two looks day upon the quiet gentle-wo-
man in the corner-one when he entered
the train, one when Helen left it-and she
soon began to calculate upon and expect
these looks; at first from pure amusement,
weaving all sorts of fancies about the
even.
But, presently, she found that in a va que,
indefinite way It hurt her to picture him
as the center of a home, from which she
was shut out: giving and receiving happi-
ness, in which she had no share. So she
pers;stently tried to regard him as one like
herself. waif in the world of happy fam
lilies. odd unit among the milLons OF
matched and mated humanity.
But-the thought would crop up-if |
bachelor, he was marvellously well cared |
for, and surely a woman's hand arranged |
the button-hole he always wore. She soon |
decided that he had a garden. for h.7 coat |
bouquet was no wired makeup from florist |
or 1ower-girl- but fresh-pulled blossom and |
leaf, often with the dew glistening on |
their petals. He showed tasteful variety; |
a half-opened rosebud, a sprig OF white |
jessamine. Shaded pansy. or spray of /
scented verbena. When September waned.
and garden blossoms faded, the flower was |
sometimes of greenhouse growth. alternat-
ing with tuft of ruddy heather or cluster
OF purple violets. Helen was critical on the
button-hoie question; she knew exactly
how woman groups flowers for wear
her own or another'-and she was GER
tain about the feminine touch in her here's
daily adornmeut.
Eggs by the Thousand.
Near Chingkiang. China, is a great a.
bumen factory. for the utilization OF the
duck eggs which are produced IN that -