Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-01-26

y
pewed our old friendship l was the
vicar of the town, still single at o.
and Jim was the chaplain of the IA
nous Jail In the same town, ana mar
ried.
We were talking in my study, as III
oldep times. Somehow the CONVERSE
ton drlfted to the subject of recent
newspaper article: Ought Married
People to Have Any Secrets from Each
Otherg" said NO" Jim said "1es.
We both smllingly stuck to our text
1t was not often that we differed III
onlnion. but this was one case, anyhow.
"Why, JIM" said l, you would have
been the last person | should have ex-
pected to take that line, for am sure,
from what have seen, that If ever two
folks were happy and loving, they are
Ella and yourself. l can't conceive or
your having any secret when you
would not wish Ella to know
"Ah." retorted he, with a peculiar
smile, that's just 1t. Well, Howson,
I'll tell you one, If you like, though
he added, at must remain secret be-
tween us two. ! have never spoken OF
it to any one in the world, and never
shall, except to Yourself
THANKS, Jim, you need not fear me,
as YOU know. | am only curious to
know the case" and l assumed an
attitude Of eager attention to Jim's
story.
II was the chaplain at Lowmarket,
as you are well aware, before | came
here. 1t Is pretty place, and one Won
ders whatever made the government
build jail there. However. there 1t
Ia. and there was /. The amount Of So
ciety that one got In Lowmarket was
perfectly astonishing. Had | had the
time and inclination for it, might
nave turned out regular society
clergyman. AS it was, | had a full
amount of lectures, soirees. parties and
entertainments. Among the people |
got in with none We're nicer than the
Yorks. Miss York, a maiden lady of
so, lived In large and beautifully fur
nished house called The Cedars. in the
best part of the town. She was known
all over the district for her charity,
kindness of heart and pure life. Every
body had n good word for her. Nor
was her niece, Miss York, any less pop
ular. People In Lowmarket fairly wor-
shipped both of them.
Il was 2S when first saw Ella York,
and at once succumbed to her charms.
For weeks her praises had been In my
ears, and now, on acquaintance. !
found her beauty, her manners, her
kindness of heart, not one whit less
than report stated. | loved her. OF
whether, after two or three meetings
In the course of my work-for Miss
York the elder took great interest In our
sphere of labor-she guessed my love,
and reciprocated 1t, could not then
say. | found, upon judicious inquiries.
that Miss York-Ella-had lived with
her aunt from childhood; that she was
now "a; that her mother was dead, and
her father lived on the Continent for
his health; also that she was her aunt's
sole heiress. These facts were of
course only learned by degrees, as one
cannot go to the fountain head for such
information.
After much Notwithstanding and de-
batting within myself l thought | saw
that Ella York was not wholly indiffer.
ent TO me, and resolved to ask her to
be my wife. | need not go into details
as to how | did 1t. beyond saying that
1t was one summer morning rather
more than five years ago, when, having
gone to see her aunt, who was out,
met Ella in the grounds; and after talk
ing as we walked along on various sub
jects, somehow 1t came out unexpect-
eddy, and almost before | could com.
prehend what 1t all meant, Ella York
had promised To be my wife, subject TO
her aunt's consent.
But her aunt didn't consent. | re-
celved a dainty note that night-how
tenderly | regarded 1t, Howson. from
Ella, saying that she had spoken of my
visit to her aant, and had told her
was coming tomorrow for her APP
prevail. Miss York had been very kind,
but acted rather strangely, and said
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