St. Tammany farmer., 1901-04-20

sense Of the word. His entire life
since ne was boy had been given up
10 the most exacting work along the
.nes OF his profession. He was get
| ing old. He was prematurely eray.
he had none of the Rraces admired bv
women. He had forgotten how to be
interested in the everyday affairs Of
'ne world and he was far too intelli-
gent not to know that a speciality in
my department, and particularly in
Ms' could not interest permanently
any person lot specialist and least
OF al = young and pretty woman.
His discovery filled him with de-
spair He did not know what to do
about 1t. At first he resolved to over
come 1t and he plunged into his work
as ne never had done before. But it
was no use. He could not work. He
was consumed with his passion and
the more he sought to. stifie 1t the
strongersit seemed to grow. He tried
TO avoid the Burns home, but he found
that he might as well try to avoid The
laws OF gravitation. Finally after
some two months struggle he sue
cumhed and went to the old major,
and made = manly speech about it ALL
He avowed his love and asked the adj
dee Of the veteran.
The major was delighted. He fair
" beamed at the idea. The one terror
OF the old mans life had been the.
thought that he would die and leave,
his 'ittle girl unprovided for to
struggle with the world alone. Them.
too, his pension was sufficient to per-
NIT them to live only in the mos {
, economical fashion and his dim eyee
saw many good things that would
come to gladden. his declining days. ss
well as the luxury his daughter would
be able to live in. His enthusiasm ira
parted itself to the suitor and the up
shot of it was that he was encourag ed
to make the proposal he 50 desired =
but not that day nor until the ma. .jor
had had talk with Elsie.
She accepted, but there was .
frightened look in her eyes rs she
said "yes" and the doctor thought
there was . slight shrinking when he
plented, the first kiss, revere atty.
upon her fair forehead. But he was
too happy to think of such trifies and
he accepted his new-found bliss at full
par value. Then there were hsppy
days full Of long rides. gay theater
parties and all the delights lover
can conjure for the object Of his Dr.
votion. And it is An open question
whether. the lover or the old major
was the happiest.
Then came the awakening. One
evening the doctor sprang gayly into
the LITTLE parlor and beheld Elsie with
a face more radiant that he had ever
seen il. He also found there . stall
wart young fellow wearing the uni
form Of Uncle Sam sdorned with the
straps Of . first lieutenant. He was
duly presented as Archie Cunning
ham, . boyhood friend Of Elsie's. m
oflcer of the volunfeers in the Phil
ippines. home ON sick. leave, in proof
whereof was his right arm slung in
. bandage. There was . merry even
ing in which the old major discussed
with enthusiasm the military problems
Of the dfy with the young ofhcer and
the Doctor watched with sinking
heart the bright eyes OF the girl rest.
ing ever, upon the handsome face over
the shoalder-straps.
The doctor excused himself early
and went to his bachelor apartments
with ,anguish in his heart. There he
gave the entire night to . long strug-
9le With himself. It was evideat that
the girrs heart was not his, Her
promise was and he knew h9r well
enough to feel assured that sb e would
keep her promise and become his
wife. He had not the slights st doubt
as to her loyalty. and knew that once
his wife would be as true a
steel. But he was equally as
sured course that Internal habit
of enalysis) that he did not pos
sess her heart and that the stalwart
young fellow in the blue uniform did.
All night long he ran hot and cold.
The thought Of going back to his old
life Of work and loneliness after
standing on the threshold of bliss. was
fntolerable to him. But ever and anon
the picture of a home in which pre-
sided = wife, however loyal, whose
heart belonged to another, sickened
him.
In the morning, haggard and still
sleeplsss, he went again to the Burns
home and sought an interview with
Elsie. What was aRid in that intssr.
view is not for prying ears-only this:
Az the door opened for his departure
the girl flung her arms about the
fneck of Henry Wharton. who seemed
10 have aged 20 years since the pre-.
vious day, and said:
"Forgive me! Oh. forgive me! ]
was SO weak. but papa wanted me ia
no much and I had none to talk to
Truly-truly I love you and honor
you-but not that way. Please for
give me. But I can't help it. can't.
II can't. can't I have no right ia
let You 70 away this way, but you
asked me so plainly and could not
help telling you the truth"
The doctor gently disengaged her
arms and staggered out into the
street.
Archie Cunningham thought it Z
tribe queer that his wife was SO in
sistent that the first boy should be
named Henry Wharton Cunning
ham," but he was too much in love
with his pretty wife to question her
wishes in the matter.
Indian woAan's CIaI.
The only club of Indian women
united with the general federation is
one on little island in Maine, whose
membership is entirely made up OF
squaws, the association having been
formed for the purpose of preserving
Indian tradition and folklore. The
club became q member of the Maine
state federation soon after its forma-