Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-08-03

the pink is fadingr' he continued. "It
is just as well l could not get you that
ball gown, guess. | am afraid the
color wouldn't wash"
Once Alva would have retorted gayly
that people didn't wash ball gowns, but
now she gave his hand tiny pressure
and said:
"It must have hurt you dreadfully to
be treated so. Are you sure the hurt is
all gomez
! David returned the pressure, but he
dia not speak at once. Alva looked up
at him, but the light was growing dim,
and she could scarcely see his face.
at still hurts little, dear" he said
| slowly; mot because have any regrets,
but I feel a resentment because of the
way was treated. I shall get over even
that in time, but now it makes me angry
to think of it. love you dearly-better
than I ever thought / could love any
one, but blighted trust must always
leave scar, | suppose
Poor darlingp' Alva's free hand went
to David's head and ran lingeringly
through his curls and across his fore
head With caressing emotion her
| fingers touched first his cheeks and then
his eyes.
Suddenly she felt something wet
against her hand. Her body grew tense,
and her arm dropped to her side as
though she had been stung.
David had said that the other woman
was nothing to him now, but-that tear
in his eye! Slowly Alva drew her hand
from his clasp, but he did not seem to
notice. Presently she shivered, and he
felt the motion.
What is the matter, dear?'' he said.
Are you cold? Shall I close the win
dow? See, the pink is only dull gray
now"
mo, I am not cold, said Alva, wear
lily. All the brightness seemed to have
gone out of her life; it had changed from
gorgeous crimson to dull gray while
the sunset faded. Her heart ached, and
her head throbbed She wanted to be
alone-to think it over.
II have a headache, DEAR" she said
aloud. II think if you will excuse me
will go to bed. Perhaps it will be better
by morning"
Il hope so, darling" answered her
lover, adding in whisper: Il am sorry.
I'll go now," he continued, "and to-mor-
row afternoon I'll come and take you for
a drive"
Thank you DEAR" said Alva, but the
face she lifted to his was unresponsive
to his kiss.
"Why, your hands are coldP' cried
David "How thoughtless I was to let
you sit so long beside that open window
These evenings are cool. But | was
watching the sunset and did not think
Alva sighed. 1t was not the sunset
that made him forget, she thought.
Ali night Alva lay awake, staring in
to darkness. When daylight came she
got up and wrote the following letter to
her lover:
DEAR DAVID am sorry-I did not
mean to hurt you last night. did not
suppose it could hurt you to talk of her.
But it did, dear, and so although you
do not know it. you must care for her
still. If you did not love her, the thought
of her could not bring tears to your eyes.
l am going to break our engagement,
dear, for l love you too well to have
even a memory between us. All, you
don't know how it hurt me when | saw
that you did not want to talk of her.
Had I shown tact, | would have changed
the subject, but could not do it.
| And I should always be wanting to
talk of her to see if it still hurt you.
1t will be easier to endure the agony
of separation than to go through life with
this awful ache in my heart, and feeling
that have not power to heal hurt that
any one else could cause you.
Do not try to see ME, dear. You can
not alter my decision, and you will only
make things harder for me. To think OF
you is almost more than | can bear, and
yet must go on thinking of you, al
ways. Good-by, dear, and God bless
you. AIUa.
x X
After this letter was sent, Alva took
up her life as if it were something that
must be got through with somehow
A week passed without bringing any sign
from David, but on the eighth day a
letter came. Alva clutched it to her
HeaTl with HeTCe edgeTleSS OIle udo
not known how hard it would be to lei
him go out of her life. Tremblingly
she broke the seal and read the letter.
My DEAR CHILD-I shall not try to tel
you how your letter hurt me, but it was
a hurt far worse than the hurt of the
other night, the one that caused you tc
write it.
am not going to plead with you
dear. | am a proud man, and | could
not do that, but | am going to ask you tc
alter your decision
I hardly know how to write what
wish to, dear; how to tell you what
want you to know. There can be moth
ing between us not even a memory.
Once I loved that other woman.
believed her everything that was good
and womanly, and when my confidence
in her was shaken l thought that | never
could trust any one again. | believed
| ar the time that If was the depth of my