The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-08-23

chieu Vhe golden spring time under
tho laburlums. when love plorifi.d
the mennest flower, and really "paint
ed the lilysand gave an added perfume
Ia the violet
For her husband She had no love
and with his pursuits no sympnthy
He had been attracted 10 her bv her
great beauty, and had loved her AT
hrst with strength OF passion which
she might ny "A little tact have made
firm and lasting affection; but she
had taken no pains TO please him,
made no efforts 10 retain his admira-
ton, so that she had no right TO com
plain when time and possession
robbed her Of even this scmblance of
devotion, and she understood herself
as held something better than his
dog, little dcarcr than his horse"
And of Antony Vaughan no word or
token came. The lands and home
which had been his fathers for 500
years, were sold TO strangers; and
Eleanor's heart lost its last hope
that OF seeing him again. Time,
went on rs If there were no break
ing hearts, no ruined lives, and change
and chance made and marred the ham
piness OF millions whom he swept be-
fore him TO their long home. / had
only been spectator in this little
drama, and had simply watched il
In that calm, compIaisant way in
which we do watch sorrows that in
no way affect us. But, strangely
enough. the last act of il was played
out in my presence, and ! was com
PEELED by circumstances and sym
pathy TO become one of the dramatis
personae. And thus il happened
i was up among the mountains of
the Colorado river in Texas. and our
party, charmed by the exquisite seen
cry and strange and beautiful fora.
wandered out of the proper trail.
Sunset found IN far from any human
habitation, except little log-cabin
in the crevce OF the hills half n mile
below us. We supposed>it to be the
home of some freed negro, and des-
cended to seek temporary rest and
refrcshnent, purposing, as soon as the
moon arose. 10 continue our way to
the little village. not over ten miles
distant. The door was opened TO
receive us before we reached it,
and the splendid looking fellow lean
ing on his gun within its shadow
was Antony Vaughan. knew him at
once; every change was only an add
ed grace; he was ten times hand
laughing and hallooing, head and
shoulders higher than any squire who
rode TO cover in all the glcns and
glades of Snowdon lie gave us
broiled venison. strong coffee and hot
hoe-cakes, and a welcome which added
no little zcst to his hospitable provi-
sion. After supper. when couple Of
pipes had soothed and quoted our
noisy mirth. i Intentionally called
him by his name lie dropped his
pipe in amazement. and looked the
question he could not ask Then
told him who | was, and spoke of the
dear old town among the Westmore-
land mountains. When bearded
men weep, they need the ministry of
angels; no human sympathy can
reach such sorrow, and so l was silent
until he had conquered his emotion.
lie asked Of every ones welfare he
fore he mentioned Eleanor. and then
his voice was cold and Indifferent;
but his eyes contradicted his tongue,
and his tongue belicd his heart.
told him Of all her cold. empty, neg
lected life, her faded beauty and her
listless. unhappy ways. And after a
moments silence. during which he lit
orally tremblcd with feeling. he mt
tered: "Only just! a life for life!
Only just And yet. poor thing."
And then he rose hastily, and calling
his dogs-of which Mt least dozen
were lying around-hc left the hut,
ostensibly to look after our horses.
During the next year we spent
much time together, and | soon felt
for him an affection passing the love
Of woman" lie was indeed the idol
of q large section Of country, and the
leader in all hunting and Indian ex-
petitions; for to these Ishmaelites Of
the frontier his very name had be-
come terror. Far as the eye could
roach the land was all his own; i'm
mense herds Of cattle and cavallards
of horses roamcd over the hills; and
the rich bottom lands yielded him fab
ulous harvcsts of corn and cotton.
"lIow did you make all this wealth,
Vaughan" / asked him, one day.
81 didn't make dime of it, Jack.
Fortune brings in some boats that are
not stcered, and she found mine drift
ing about and took charge of it, that's
ALL"
Then there was pause. We were
both thinking Of Eleanor's mistake.
He was the first to speak.
II am going tomorrow to hunt up
the trail Of some thieving Comanchcs
who have run off 20 of my best mares;
like enough l may never come back
a