The Opelousas courier., 1900-04-07
FOUND.
BY O. p.

was winning her way. But now the
spring was coming; on the corners OF
the streets and in the market-places
great beds of pansies bloomed, as If
by magic, and their faint breath
foated among rich, velvety leaves of
purple and yellow, shaded down or
up to almost pure white.
"Pansies are always beautiful" she
said, and she thought of the hardy
little English heart's-ease growing up
all over the garden at home and won
dered why she used to call them
Gladys delights" and then concluded
it was not strange, for surely they
were delightsome.
Boxes of forget-me-nots and
m~ignonette, scores of he%liotropes and
fuchsias, hundreds of roses and ger
aniums all told the same story-that
winter had departed and summer a
nigh.
Only a year ago she had felt the
spring winds blow cool down IRE
mont street while she was study
ing and working in Boston,
but a sudden misunderstanding
with her teacher had driven
her away /; an opportunity to enter an
office in New York at quite a good
salary had been offered her, and she
accepted it. 80 they drifted apart, as
boats drift, borne out by the tide.
She remembered the last time she
had seen him.
Walking slowly from the depot they
had met, face to face, on fremont
row, and he had stopped. with pleas
ant words of the weather, the early
spring and then, a~pologizing that he
could not turn and walk with her,
said, as if purposely ignoring all past
shadows:
"Can't we lunch together ?"
"I-suppose So" She hesitated a
little, but the words came at last.
Every well ; then meet me at Cope
lands OF -. I am glad 7 met you.
Good morning"
And raising his hat with q smile
that filed her heart with sudden
tumult, lie was gone.
The shopping Jagged slowly all the
morning, for Louise was thinking Of
other things.
Should she tell Professor Frank
that she was going away? Would it
lead to an explanation? Did he care -
and then she blushed and despised
herself for the weakness that made
her want him to care.
After all, the trouble between them
was not serious. He had smiled at
her earnest enthusiasm, and said:
"H you were a young man, now,
this might pay. You could establish
your reputation as an architect and
thus build up q permanent business;
but for the transient employment of q
girl such serious application is unnec-
assary and not healthy"
She had resented this az a general
insult to all women and a special dis
paragement Of her own powers and
motives.
He tried to explain that he did not
intend TO convey any such meaning,
but she was angry and would not
~listen. Afterward his manner had
seemed cool and reserved. "As
though he wanted to punish me for
defending myself and my ses," she
said, bitterly, to herself; and just then
had come this offer Of a position in
New York, where she would only be
required to design and draw patterns
for a large print establishment.
With resentful independence she
had decided upon accepting this offer
without consulting her teacher and
friend, and SO, when she met hr
Copeland's at 49," she had her ticket
for New York safely tucked away in
her porte-monnaie.
She wanted to tell him about it,
even at that late hour; but her sister
was with her-there was no oppor.
tudity for private conversation; lang
perhaps" she thought, 'it would nd
be quite proper"
But looking in his face and not dar-
ing to say 'Good-by," she remen
bered how kind lie had been to her,
and vas sorry for her foolish anger
and resentment.
He wondered why the tears filed
her eyes as he gave her a tiny cluster
of May flowers, and why she held
them so close to her lips while pre-
tending to inhale their delicate per-
fume.
How pleasant the saloon was
She heard the soft rustic of dresses,
as twos and threes of quiet, m~atronly
shoppers came in for lunch; occasion
ally a burst of low girlish laughter,
or the suppressed prattle Of a child
mingled with the splash of the foun-
tain and the singing of gold-hued
birds.
And then they parted; the profess
sor to his Office and tbs girls to cross
the city.
lyon did not tell Professor Frank
you intended TO leave the city today?"
4ueried Esther, In her most formal
voice.
me" Louise answered, with a lit
lie sob in her throat, 81 have not told
him anything about it. It does not
matter to him.
Probably not And then followed
cautions aud directions, and soon the
sisters were separated
Louise cried oil night; sometimes a
silent, pltiful rain OF tears, sometimes
quick, heavy sobs that seemed tearing
her heart ont, and when The first
gray light Of morning found the long
train slowly backing up IN the Grand
Central depot vt New 1ofk her head