St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-03-16

-" look st you longingly and bit,
~. mustache savagely, thinking how
seinsh your husband is to forbid 20,
10 dance, because ne is too old to iinS
any pleasure in it himself,
Ihey will all be there, the Ole
Trends. III seems much longer thar
two months since you went abroad
have you missed them?)
Did l say "all?" No, not all, for !
remember a pale face, with such ear
nest gray eyes.
ne found more important things in
iife than pleasures and dances. There
were SO many poor to help. so many ILL
SO much suffering and unhappiness. He
TOOK life too seriously" Jim had said
l GO not see why your mouth should
c.oop SO at the corners. Don't do it
Phyllis, it spoils Cupid's bow. /.
there still a pain in your heart when
you think of that poor boy? Well,
con do it. then; forget him; there are
SO many you should be sorry for, and
II is rather late 10 begin now.
There is step on the stairs; how
/ quickly your face changes as YOU rec.
ognize your husbands step. All the
life has died out of II and it has grown
cold and expressionless. You rise to
meet him as he comes toward you.
Ny dear Phyllis. do be careful!
1t would never Go for him to see your
face as it is now. such a look of long
ing has come into it as the thought. ''it
might have been so different if" goes
beating through your BRAIN But with
a master stroke of self-restraint, you
force smile and lower the eyes that
are filling with tears so fast you dare
not trust them, and say with q half
laugh and voice that is perhaps a
trifle unsteady: Don't 1 look lovely :?
Is it time to go, dear?"
Just then you are interrupted by the
sharp noise of . door being shut vio-
lently. Everything grows dim and con-
fused. Your husband seems to grow
DINNER and DINNER until he fades
away into the darkness; you rub your
eyes and look with astonisment at me.
also have changed, from a stately
pier glass to little oval mirror hang
ing over your desk. You look into me
with eyes that can hardly belieYe the
vision of yourself that reflect. for in
stead of your Paris wedding gown you
have on dainty matinee jacket and
your hair falls in pretty confusion over
your shoulders. You stretch out your
hand to letter that lies before you on
your desk and with a glance of won
der you read in your own penmanship
these words:
Washington, d. c., Jan. ~ 190o.-l
Dear Maj. Gouvenier: have seri-
ously considered the question you
asked me last evening. and feel much
honored that you should wish me to
become your wife. If can add to your
happiness by giving you the answer
YOU SO much desired" tS
What is the matter?
Why should you crush the letter in
your hand and then tear it up and
throw it into the waste paper basket?
The confused look has left your face;
you are beginning to :ea,;ze that aft6e.l
writing that letter this morning you
leaned back in that comfortable chair
and thought of the great happiness
that was in the future for you.
You imagined yourself as a wealthy
woman, thinking OF the many delight
full things the majors" money could
do for you.
Gradually you grew drowsy, you
leaned your head against the back Of
your chair, your eyes closed-the |
dream that followed did not picture the |
future at all as you had imagined it |
would be; you realized too late (it |
seemed too late in your dreamy that
money alone could not bring you hap
piness, and that il was not so easy as |
you had hoped it would be to forget .
certain pair OF gray eyes. I confess
that all through that dream did all |
.ould to make you see the mistake you |
would make if you did SO in reality.
What are you doing, Phyllis?
Surely, you are not so childish as to
write to that poor, discouraged mis-
,ionary on the western prairies? And
rou really intend to give him the an
,wer he has longed for for the past
hree months? s?.
Well. you are a queer girl to let .
mere dream influence you SO. What
will society say?
The beautiful, proud Miss Phyllis
yarian to be married to a missionary.
o give up the gay life she has found so
pleasant, to live in a wretched little log
nut in the place of a church!
But you seem determined. and .
mile hovers over your beautiful red
ips as you seal your letter. and I can
ot help but wonder if you were ever
eally as happy as you are now.
And you will go to the charity ball
o-night. but not as "Mrs. Stocton
and you will tell Jim about
he letter you wrote this morning aud
he love light will shine in those large.
ark eyes as you add: "Yes. Jim,
ave sent him his answer, and he is to
each me to take life seriously, too."-
nov Times