The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-05-10

| And now TO have her entirely to my
self, and to pour into her willing ear
all the secrets OF my uneventful life,
secrets so innocent and delightful
and which a certain Old.maidish shy
| ness had kept even from my mother.
! felt half afraid TO be so happy. In
| the cool mornings and evenings we
| gardened together, Clare and /, pulling
off the dead leaves and flowers, roofing
up weeds, raking the paths and keep
| ing my pretty bit OF ground model
OF neatness and beauty, and in the
heat Of the day we sewed and read, or
| swung In the hammock that Oscar has
swung for us between the peach trees,
| and after 'ea we devoted ourselves TO
our visitor, for Oscar had fallen into
the habit OF coming TO us on every
night Of the week. This had come
about so naturally that l had not no
ticed IL, and It was my mother who
| first drew my attention 10 II.
as Oscar here tonight, tOof" she
| asked one evening. He had come In
late, and when / chided him for not
coming to tea, he answered almost
| pettisbly, that he had taken some
thing in town. and ! needn't bother
about getting him anything to eat"
Yes, mother, dear" / answered,
he comes almost every night now
indeed every night. think, Of late"
A half audible sigh escaped my
mothers lips.
a. oh
said presently, though haven't seen
| him yet"
Hes In the garden with Clare"
| answered. "She is 30 charming, and
he enjoys her company so much"
II have observed IT,"
My mother spoke almost bitterly,
and again she sighed, this time deeply
and audibly.
A sharp pain went through my heart,
| and / dared not ask myself the reason.
AS the evening shadows deepened, and
| moved about 10 place the lamp on
| the table and then to find n match to
| light IL. Oscar and Clare entered the
room together, merry and laughing.
| We all chatted and laughed, in
somewhat forced manner, and then Os-
| car got the backgammon board and
| challenged Clare to n game. | could
not but remember how | had learned
| the game merely to please him, and
that he now never asked me to play 1t.
| The evening passed quickly, but not
| happily: cloud seemed to be hanging
over us. Oscar put off his good
| night" till the last moment, then sud
| denly looking at his watch he started
| To his feet, declaring that he would
| have to run to catch his train, and in
| the next moment, as 1t seemed, |
heard his hurried step crunching the
| gravel on the pathway, and then the
sound of the gate closing after him.
That was wrctChcd night TO me.
and when at last | slept my dreams
were troubled Glare looked pale and
| sad when we met at breakfast in the
morning, but thought she had never
| seemed so lovely-hcr pallor, her dcwy
| eyes, her sweet and tremulous tones
and plantivc mouth, prctticr than ever
with the gentle baby-likc pOut on the
delicate lips, had n peculiar fascina-
| ton | loved the girl, and though in
some underlined way | felt that she
| had brought darkness into my life, |
| could not hate her for tat lcast-nOt
yet.
Oscar did not come that evening
! three days passed and he did not come
but in the evening | received little
| Iii MI N z
| fcctionatc, ana like himself. | read il
more than once, and wondered what
| could have made me feel unhappy-hc
was. rs always, my own true lover.
Could 1t he possible that | had been
! almost-icalous? | rated myself
soundly in my own thoughts. and went
cayly singing about the house When
Glare talked, next morning, at break
fast OF going home. would not listen
TO her. and compelled her TO promi D.
me at least another month.
Ey this time we were well into July
and the cherries were ripe. Oscar had
been very busy, and came only two
evenings in the week, and rs | remem-
bered aftcrward. Clare contrivod TO be
occupied on these evenings in her own
room. But on n certain Wednesday
evening | had begged them 10 pick n
basket of cherries for me that | nigh;
make n cherry pie fer tea on Oscars
next visit. and though Clare had begun
by making come excuse it ended 10y
both going out TO get the cherries.
They stayed a long while. and rs II
was getting dark went to call them
and when found them he was knecl
Ing at her feet. her hands were tightly
claScd in his. and she was sobbing bit
terly
"You love me-" he was saying. "youl
eyes have said 1t. and you dare no
deny It,"
IL DO not love YOU" she said, an
crily. but her voice faltCred. And
do not respect you-what should
: think of myself. cithcr-i would de
Spise myself even more than | do you
II could listen TO words OF love from
the man who is TO marry my own dea
friend"
But you love me in spite Of al
that" he interrupted. triumphantly
"Oh. don't think but despisc myself
| have kept away from you that
might not see your maddcning beauty
but your heavenly eyes have dance,
: before me. Your enchanting voice In
, rung in my cars. Among n thousan
f. men and women see hut your fac,
2 Among ten thousand sounds | hear bu
% your voice. Sleeping or waking | Sc
!. | n..l ,-nl, rnn nln-an nnlN Nnn fnrnNnl