Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-08-23
BY 3. W. CROKER

BROOCH, anu FlnS, al OL the AiSI "oISA'
and all bought with the price of three
Burmese race ponies. Esme had never
worn them since that fatal day last Sep
tember: but she had often taken them out
of their cases and looked at them atec-
tionately.
Esme made a successful struggle TO
keep up appearances and to show brave
front. She never flinched, never relln-
quished the strong hold on her self-com-
mand, and assumed certain amount OF
Inconsistencies and gayety that batied
Mrs Brabazon and deluded Miss Jane.
She was a modern Spartan girl, and yet,
outwardly busy in the village, active in
the house, smiling and cheerful, inwardly
wearing her heart out with aching recol-
Iections, a bitter sense of humiliation and
unavailing regrets, Pride came to her
assistance, and enabled her to bear up
nobly in public, to present cool, nat
ural, self-possessed appearance to the in
quiring optics of Mrs. Brabazon, and the
kindly but curious and puzzled ones of
Miss Jane, who one day suddenly made
up her mind that she would speak to
Esme quite seriously" and opportunity,
for once, trod upon the heels of resolve,
for at that very moment her niece walked
into her sitting room, charged with
message from a sick pensioner.
"Esme, my dear! you are the very per-
son l want; have just been thinking of
you," said her aunt. Thinking Of you
and Miles"
Esme colored vividly, and sat down
with her back to the light, and then said,
indifferently: what is it, Aunt Jane L
suppose you know?"
"Know? l know nothing, my dear;
and l want to know everything" she re-
turned, emphatically.
'You have not heard, then, what he
has written" said her niece, in hard,
strange voice, as if she were repeating a
well-learned but difficult lesson. And
it is all entirely at an end between US;
there is no engagement now."
"Bless my heart! Tut, tut, tut, Esme.
1 thought better of you. Come, now
now-I really thought better of you-nay,
I think better of you! You are not going
to punish him always for his unlucky
mistake. Come over here and sit beside
me, my dear, and tell me all about it.
The truth is, then, Aunt Jane, and l
suppose you ought to know" gulping
down huge lump in her throat as she
! spoke that it was not l who broke off
the engagement; it was Miles"
What? What do you say? said Miss
Jane, in a low and Mortified tone Of voice.
1T is impossible"
''It is quite true, Aunt Jane, and if you
wish you may see his letter; nothing
can be-plainer."
His letter breaking it off! | can't be-
] lieve it! He must be mad. Most eX-
traordinary-most unaccountable! What
does he mean? Miles is a man of honor.
You have done something, Esrhe? What?'
/ He says-he says" bringing out the
words reluctantly, that he is poor, and
| has no prospects; in short, he would have
no money, and-and-he hopes some rich.
er and lucllier fellow will take his place, "
she concluded, her lips quivering; she was
looking at her aunt through a mist Of un-
shed tears.
"But this is monstrous! exclaimed the
old lady, suddenly pausing in her walk
and surveying her niece fercely, land
you-you-are taking it so coolly-so-
unnaturally. Oh, you young people of the
present day have no feeling, but L can
! tell you that it's a dreadful blow to me,
dreadful blow. l would not have be
lieved it of Miles, And, as to the money,
if l had only known recommending heI
walk, and dropping short, incoherent sen.
tences about mo use to me, now Teddy's
gone The two I liked. Rich, old, child
less woman. Too late now!"'
Esme gazed at her aunt helplessly, a.
she took up her dropped stitches and won,
dered much that she had taken her news
so very much to heart.
81 am very greatly upset, Esme.
don't know when I've heard anything
that has put me out so much"
Then please don't talk of it any more
Aunt Jane" said Esme rising and speak
ing with strange composure. Come out
into the garden and show me your new
crocuses; we have none out yet. I'll fetch
your bonnet and shawl from the lobby; il
will do you good to take turn"
| 1t was a curious sight to see these two
the bent and now infrm old lady, and the
tall, slight, upright girl-slowly pacing
the gravel walks, arm in arm, in silence
They represented the rising and waning
generations, with more than forty years
between them; and yet one chord vibrat
ed alike in both their hearts, one identi
cal topic filed their minds-Love AnG
although, in the case of the elder lady, il
was but the old. faded, forgotten story
seen pale and faint through the moonlight
of memory, and in the case Of the other il
was a dreadful, glaring, recent reality
that pictured itself in her unhappy mind
j fellow-feeling united the aunt and niece
in manner that each was sensible ot
in her inmost soul. Miss Jane now begar
to understand her niece. and to put anoth
er Interpretation on her studied placiC
mien. She was not really cold and cal
lous as she seemed She felt Miles de
fection, just as she would have felt suct
a thing herself, sensitively. yet secretly
and the good lady's anger burned he
within her. as she reflected on her ne
phew's conduct; and as she stood on heI
doorsteps. spectacles on nose. and grave
ly watched her fayorite niece out through
the little white gate. she muttered thrice
TO herself and Lady Louisa, Most unac
countable. most unaccOuntable. most un
accountablep'
CHAPTER XIII.
r1bo I;roe Of cOmo ramiIiaS ara IiEa I