The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-19
After Ten Years.

Here was I. after long years. on the
lawn at Ascot. rAb11ng shoulders with
beauty and fashion; prosperous. sue
cessful man, back again IN England
/ was penniIess when left my own
little village near .Dopcaster, ten years
ago, TO seek my fortune at the Cape.
had a rough. hard life at first. but II
was free and Wild and healthy; and then
had my luck and became rich. and am
now, / suppose. an envied man. Tor l
am young and as sound Sc bell
Ten years absence from home marks
many changes. How altered my little vii
iage! The old church stu nestles under
the wolds, the quiet hamlet still sleeps
as oe yore; but there Is q new town on
the land once farmed by my dear old
father. and some modern graves In the
churchy2rd record. It seems TO me. the
death Of a whole generation OF friends
The few hearty handshakes and heart
moving greetings, the few loved voices,
served only to accentuate the sorrow
village home deSolate. And came away
sadder than had been for years, with
out news Of AAce-except that she left
Bngdon not many weeks after I did and
went to London.
Alicei In her name Il contained the
one true love storyFo1 my life. She came
from the west Of England to be govern
ess at the rectory q few. months before
I went to the Cape. had fallen in love
with her literally at first sight
And then came the breakup OF my
me-the Leger OF 1883. backed the wrong
horse for much more than ! was worth.
and ruined my father and myself and
the love that might have Aeen.
Before left the country ] sought Al
Zee, but she would have nothing to say
to me except to upbraid me for my faith
er's grief and my own folly.
But when I got to the Cape wrote let
ter after letter to Alice, for there had
been a kindness even in her reProaches.
sent them through my Aunt Deborah.
whom I thought / could trust. To these
Alice did not reply, and Il was not until
years afterward that ! discovered that
my aunt had withheld my letters from
her.
I saw Cyllene win the cup. and then
went under the chestnuts at the back of
the stand, where the ladies were prom
enading to the strains Of the Royal Ar
tillery Band.
Near the gates, beneath the great rho
dodendrons. which, though aoiaze with
purple bloom, seemed neutral in hue
through the radiance OF the ladies who
clustered about the base of the plants,
my eye was arrested by face as healthy
and as pure as a lily. wonderfully far.
and perhaps with something Of a lily's
languor, but little interested In the gay
ETY. Of the picture Of which 1t made a
part
She was quite near to me. and Of a
beauty so striking that was compelled
to gaze upon her weary face and to look
into her mild. her gentle eyes.
Suddenly. my heart came into my
mouth. A great THRILL Of excitement dazed
me utterly. Did sob? cannot tell: nor
what I did, for before me was-Alice!
my Alice!
But when the sudden seizure which mo-
mentairly eclipsed my senses had passed.
she had risen from her chair and was
staring into this sunburnt face of mine.
In her curious intent I read during these
of ecstasy the gradual vanish
ing OF establishment, the slow dawn OF
and the thrill Of fearful Joy
and happiness which suffused every fea-
ture OF her beauty when she saw and
knew me after long years.
Did she love me? Was she freef
There was no need. for me to ask.
knew-I saw. Love lit up her face and
It'd me all. She, too, had endured the
years OF heart-emptiness that had been
mine. Her face was aglow with unimag-
Unable Joy.
Our hearts, void so long, are full. Alice
Is pledged to me. My Alchemy own for
ever more!-Illustrated London News.