Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-08-05
TWO LOVES.

May Loring was a winsome brunette
| of Is when she taught in the mountain
| village of Greendale. and, like all fair
country schoolma ans, she was besieged
by an army Of suitors. May declared
these wooers a nuisance and to secure
their riddance naturally chose one comely
young swain, To whom she apparently be-
came quite devoted.
Harry Hayford was a young man of
untarnished reputation. His honest blue
eyes excited envy in the bosom of many
lass, and even May Loring's proud
heart thrilled with admiration when his
rich baritone filed the church as he led
| the village choir.
But May had other ideals. She longed
| to be a real heroine in one of life's wild
dramas. She cared for Harry more than
she dared admit, but tried to assure her
self that she was only flirting with him.
Harry, on the other hand, became deeply
in love. AS they sailed in the moonlight
or rode through the shady woods on Sun
day afternoons he talked necessarily of
happy days to come. May allowed him
to talk as he would; she thought it re-
mantle to hear him thus converse.
Summer waned. Soon came the time
for May to return to her home. Harry
at length grew disturbed. May had
hardly intimated that she cared for him,
and of late he had sometimes thought her
cold. What could she mean? He must
know, for soon they must separate, and,
oh, would they part forever? By chance
they did not meet until the day prior to
Mays departure. Mays cheerful lowell
ness soon dispelled Harry's apprehen-
sions, and they wandered through the
wildwood to have their farewell talk.
Coming to a shady dell, May sat down
upon knoll, while Harry reclined at
her feet.
For the moment Mays heart some
what relented when she realized how in
fatuated Harry had become. Her lips
trembled, and her eyes dropped. Harry
of course noticed the change. He inter
preted it to mean more than it did and
passionately exclaimed:
May, oh, May, You care for me. Tell
me before we part that you love me;
that you'll be mine"
Mays countenance changed, and there
was silence. Did he guess that in her
mind was that handsome stranger she
had met in vacation? Whatever were
his thoughts he remained silent. Like
statue he now stood, gazing upon her
downcast face.
Mays cheek was pallid, but her voice
was cold and decisive as at length she
replied:
"Your wishes are exorbitant indeed.
never can love you.'
Again a moment he stood proudly and
then turned aside, saying:
''Then, Miss Loring, we must part"
She saw him disappear among the
trees. The following day they both left
the village, she for her village home, he
for another cline
Mr.. Sidney, with whom May had be-
come enamored the vacation before, re-
sumed his attentions as soon as May
reached the village. With his easy man.
ner, elegant address and calmly style he
was Mays ideal. Yet, after all, there
was something about him that she re-
pulsed. Despite her efforts to dispel
thoughts of Harry her imagination oft
times turned to him. Now that he was
gone she felt his loss She often secretly
longed to look into his mild eyes and
then for the moment disdained the rest
less demeanor of Mr.. Sidney. But still
the latter fascinated her, and she i'm
plicitly trusted him.
Thus a few months passed, and too
soon Mr.. Sidney was summoned, as he
said, to his home. It was then that May
learned that he had foiled her; that all
his charming pretenses had been false.
Her tear stained eyes read the para
graphs where his marriage with another
was announced.
Pain seldom comes singly. May was
scarcely Gained when a message came
that cut her still more deeply. Harry
Hayford, the report read, and it had ev
cry proof, had died in an explosion in a
mine.
Poor Mays last hope vanished.
Thoughts of the past We're painful, and
to evade them she destroyed every remi
niscence. Removing to another place, she
took up the duties of preccptress.
Twelve years passed. bringing little