Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-12-12
A NEWPORT IDYL

CO HE ballroom at the Casino wa
aglow with light and pulsing witt
q music. The ball was at its heigh
moment before supper.
Standing near q door was a yOun,
man whose features were drawn ant
white, and whose set lips made a pic
ture sadly out Of place in that ga,
throng. His dark eyes followed a slim
graceful girl, with a crown Of COLDER
hair and tender, violet eyes. who's
dark. long lashes lent them a pathetic
look just then.
They seemed to be seeking for some
one. but whoever they sought was moi
found until the dancers had twice made
the tour Of the room. Then the two
pairs Of eyes met for u second. Those
Of the girl had wistful, questioning
look; those Of the man an expression OF
stern REIMBURSEMENT.
The music ceased just then, and in the
little ensuing futter they lost sight OF
each other In the crowd.
The man, with a sigh SO deep as to be
almost a grOan, turned away, and,
scarcely knowing how he reached there,
found himself seated in an easy chair
on the wide porch. He gave himself up
to bitter reflections.
Il must be crazy to come here TO
night 1 might in time have learned to
forget her. but to see her again, so
sweet and so far or 1 could not ask her
to marry me now on little or nothing a
year. She has been brought up to
wealth and luxury. 1t Is part and par
Gel Of her daily life, and would be the
most brutal Of brutes to ask her to
share my poverty. Poor little Nellie!
She didn't look any too happy, either.
Well. Jim. II you are not a coward you
will start now and go-so far away that
she will never hear Of you again"
Just at this stage Of "Jim's" refiec-
tons, several persons came along, and
In their gay conversation Jim had no
part. He half rose to 60 when he heard
his own name mentioned In spite Of
the old proverb about listeners, he re-;
mained in his chair, which was in deep
shadow.
Poor Jim Alden! Did you see him?
He stood by the door looking like the
ghost at the feast. What a pity that
he went on Wall street! He might have
known better He seemed to be par
ticularly cut up when he saw Miss Bur
ton dancing away and never even look.
ing at him"
II hear that Miss Burton's engage
ment to Lloyd Appleby is announced"
What, that old man! Well, he's roll
ing In wealth"
'She did not need to marry money"
"The ways Of women are past finding
out"
Tbs figure In the dark corner glided
away swiftly. He had borne all he
could. He strode on down toward the
Point, scarcely knowing where he was
going. until with a sudden sense Of a
new pain he found that he was stand
ing BY the rocks where he had sat only
two days before with Nellie.
Then the hot sun blazed down and the
heat pdlsated from the sand and sea
below, and the rocks above, and then,
too. there was not the knowledge that
he had lost every dollar he had in the
world.
The long line of silver light laid
across the water suddenly wavered and
grew blurred and dim as his eyes filled,
and a sob was wrung from the aching
heart. He remembered the dimpled
fingers that had clasped the parasol,
the odor Of flowers at her breast, and
the clinging against his cheek Of a few
strands Of golden hair tossed there by
the wanton wind. He stood there, a
black outline against the moonlit water
beyond
Back at the Casino another little
drama had been enacted. Nellie had
seen more than her trained features
had shown, and she knew that unless
she acted promptly she would have
looked her last upon Jim. Suddenly
Jim was more to her than all the world.
All the other men and women in the
world were effaced from her heart and
mind as utterly as II they did not exist
She must find Jim-she must.
Out on the wide portico she few. with
her Aunt Elinor and Mr.. Appleby be-
hind her. Jim was not there. With the
prescience of love she knew where she
should find him, and snatching a white
scarf from her aunt's shoulders she
said:
Aunt, you and Mr.. Appleby wait for
me; am going to find JIM"
"Nelliei Nellie! You will compromise
yourself fatally"
81 don't care. love Jimp
"Nelliev
But Nellie was gone. Mr.. Appleby |
smiled as, under the cover Of the |
shadow Of a column, he said:
LET her go. Elinor. Nellie is right |
Jim is worthy Of any good woman"
But he is poor"
THAT he isn't. brought the news to
him that he had just inherited a bigger
rOrtune than he lost. He doesn't know
It yet, and, Elinor. we can all be mar
led together Eh?"
''O-Lloydv'
We've waited long enough, dear.
hink."
Nellie few like a white angel down to
he Point, her sApQers esot scsroalU
ouching the ground. Yes, there was
i'm. Was he about to commit suicide.
) he stood there % ngidly st1uf Nellie