The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1901-02-16
cot course, II you don,t wan, to ten

"Of course, II you don't want to tell
me-" she said, stiffiy.
Its not that. It's" He hest
tated, and his eyes came from beyond
her shoulders back to her. "Good-
by" he said. Then he went away.
First she cried. 1t was the only
logical thing to do. Somewhat
cheered, she wrote note to-the
other one. This she tore up as soon
as it had been signed. Then she wrote
another exactly like the first. This
she kept for some three minutes be-
fore burning in the taper flame. Then
came friend with much news of vast
import-gown details; stories of ball
and reception; what the pudgy De
Mintham girls had worn, and how FL
sic Ogden had looked when she heard
affair was forgotten.
1t was sight of Ted's best friend
that recalled the broken bubble. She
led up to the questions in her mind
with great skill-so skillfully she
knew that he would never suspicion
that Ted's doings were of moment to
her.
Did he know where Ted was going?
She asked it with marvellous indiffer-
ence-so she thought. He did not.
Would he find out? He would try.
Who could say no to those appealing
eyes? But would he tell her? II he
might with honor.
So he went away on her mission,
and while he was gone it was mostly
of Ted that she thought. Why
wouldn't he go? And it was of Ted
that she was thinking when he re-
turned to her with his information.
"Why, it's no secret" said Ted's
best friend. "As near as can make
out he's to go up to Woodlawn in the
morning and spend the afternoon at
the club. What's he going up there
for? Oh, / forgot to ask"
Stupid" This was the thanks
given Ted's best friend.
But why should Ted prefer to go
Off to dreary old cemetery instead
of sitting on the box of a coach with
her? Was there some former love Of
whom she knew nothing, some lost
dear one sleeping up there, who had
carried beyond the grave part of the
love which he had said was all for her
alone?
But she didn't care bit. There
was not even curiosity. Oh, no! Yet
whose was the picture he carried in
watch-fob? 1t must be that of lost
love.
Having arrived at this conclusion
by process of such profound reason
ing as you have noted she stepped one
side to condole with herself. She had
been deceived. She was miserable,
wretched. He could not forget? Then
why had he asked her? If she had
| not found him out he would have mar
ried her still loving this other. Then
he would have compared her, in un-
favorable moods. to that other one.
What an escape! But how noble of
him not to forget-and how cruel to
her!
The proper pitch having been
reached, she wrote Ted note. If he
went where he had planned to go to-
morrow, thus ran the missivc, she
would know that he did not love her,
and she never. never wanted to see
him again. Then she wrote other
notes. canceling the beloved coaching
party. Expected indisposition was
the plausible excuse.
After this she spent some hours in
wonder. What would Ted say when
he saw the note she had written?
Would he go? If he didn't go, would
he still be noble? But would he go?
And how should she know if he did?
This last question she took into
dreamland. All night long she whis-
pered it to strange people. who tried
to answer, but their voices were
drowned by Ted blowing on a coach
horn. 1t was with her when she
awoke, very early.
peace. And what was her name, and
what had she been like-this other
woman? She could see Ted at her
grave this very minute. He was on
his ,lnees, and there were tears in his
eyes.
OF course he would go. But if he
went? She ought to know for GER
tain; that was her right after-after
the note she had written him.
So she was on the first morning
train that halted at the cemetery sta
ton. Why had she come? She did
not know. She did not even know
how she felt when she saw Ted-no
longer Ted to her, but Theodore
swing from the smoking car. She
knew that he was either very cruel
or very noble, or both.
She saw him start away. He was
going now to the place where the
love he had lost was lying. She
looked about quickly. There was a
vehicle of no kind at the station save
a ridiculously shabby public carriage.
She hurried to this, spoke to its driver
| and stepped within. Through the