The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-19
The Last Hope.
(By Kenyen West. In Five Parts-)
~ u

| Strange time and place for a recolcilia-
| ton between two loversAhere IN this crowd
cd ballroom, but the spell of the hour was
upon them.
why did leave you, Dora? How can
you ask, when it was yourself who sent
| me away? Can't we get out there on the
| lawn? Come, here's your wrap. l see
! way out through that little side-door.
Come. before any of those fellows see you
and ask for their dances"
| The next moment they were out in the
! silent, beautiful night. DR.. Van Auley
wrapped the shawl, which by the way be-
ionGed to some one else, about her. and
| then seized her hand in a close, impetuous
| grasp.
| Your Interpretation of Gottschalks s
| beautiful music is Fight, after ALL said
! Dora, half an hour later. as they turned
| to re-enter the house. While listening tc
! Prof De List tonight / was thinking OF
/ that afternoon when you first played for
| me The Last Hope 1t had no message
| for me tonight but one of sadness. l felt
| sceptcal; once or twice / fear | felt re-
bellious. 1 little dreamed that what it
promised was to be fulfilled tonight, that
the lost joy was so soon to come back"
One afternoon about three weeks later
DR.. Van Auley flung himself from his
horse al the door of the Winfords' home.
Dora isn't here" said Lillian, stepping
out from the library window. "She has
gone for walk down the avenue. VIII
you wait, or go and find ner?'
Dora had already emerged from the shad
ows of the elm trees when she heard the
hoofs OF DR.. Van Auley's horse.
Il felt in such a hurry 10 see you," he
bo he
could not wait fer you to get home. /
have something to tell you. 1 received
letter about half an hour ago. which I
want to show you.'
He wound the bride around one hand.
and with the other drew from MS pocket
soiled and cr9mbed envelope. Dora look
ed up excitedly into his face. His eyes
were bright with happiness, but the cor
ners of his mouth were trembling.
What a dear, grand girl you were to
write me that way. If I had only received
il that miserable morning."
But tell me- she said as he paused,
twas it opened by any one? Have I an
enemy, after ail?''
IAN enemy, dear. What do you mean?"
Then she laughed. why. l confess 1 have
sometimes thought of all the romances We
have read. intercepted letters spelling the
course of true love, you know. l have new
er wished to be the heroine of any such
romance-the plot is too time-worn and
commonplace altogether. If you were 10
choose an intercepted letter as plot you
wouldn't be considered an original novel;
ist."
well, dear, it's fortunate we're Just
commonplace people, and neither hero nor
heroine; and yet is It something a little
,o1 s,+-
I do not believe you could manufacture an
enemy if you tried. You have become the
heroine of romance, after all. You never
heard of a letter being lost in the lining
of coat, did your
THE lining of coat? What do you
mean?"
well, I must end your suspense and
tell you. Just an hour ago. l had a visit
from old patient of mine whom I once
took through a serious illness. He's
dealer in secondhand clothes. an ignorant
man, though honest as sunlight. 1t seems
about eight months ago his wife was rip
ping UP an old coat for repairs-some man
had evidently received this coat from your
father, and afterwards pawned it. Between
the linig and the outside was this little
letter directed TO me. They knew 1 was
away, and they did not have any faith in
the rower of the mails to take letters across
the ocean. and so they decided they would
put up the letter on the mantel-piece in
their little back parlor, and keep it until
should come back How little they knew
the value of that letter! 1t is a wonder it
did not burn their whole house down. On
ly this morning the man learned l had
come back to Boston, and like the good
soul he is, straight-way sought me out,
and here am with the letter. Dora Now
are you not the heroine OF romance
after all?''
The trembling in DR.. Van Aueys voice
made him stop suddenly. After moment
Dora said Papa told me over and over
again he took out the letter with several
Others and they were all mailed together.
This enc must have slipped through a wee
hole. Strange none of US thought to look
if there were any hole. Instead of he
roine l think 1 am a concentrated epitome
of stupidity. You see, il must have slip
ped to the very bottom of the coat. and
laid there until papa grew tired of the
coat. and gave It away. How very strange
il all is.''
There is no one to blame for il but N.Y.
self" said DR.. Van Auley, earnestly. MY
great mistake was asking you not TO write
at all unless you could say yes to my ques-
ton. 1 was miserable coward. It's a mys
terry how you can forgive me. Looking
back now 1 wonder how it was 1 didn't
make one more effort to see you and find
out If there had been some mistake. The
fact IS, I was afraid OF you, Dora. Yes, |
my darling, / really was and I knew that
Brooke had pretty fair chance, too. In !
deed, Mrs. Mortimer Clark told me that !
he and you were as good as engaged. and !
were only waiting for. Yes, dear; 1t Is |
so. 1 think 1 was suffering so much on |
ly longed to get away, and try and fight |
my fate alone. l know / deserved all my i
suffering. But in the midst OF that suffer |
ing / should have remembered the message |
which The Last Hope had for US all the /
time.
Seen without SPectacies.
tFrom Atchison Globe)