Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-09-11
OLD MAIDS LOVE STORY.

Wny, my OeaE llttie girl, WHAT az
you looking 10 sad about! And, yea,
there are tears In your eyes. too. Now,
who would ever suspect bright, cheer
full Rosamond Ellsworth Of being ca
pable Of looking so mournfuly
70 auntie, dear, please do not make
fun Of me you don't know how badly
IL" and with a great sigh Rosa
mond covered her face with both her
hands and sobbed as II her heart
would break.
Aunt Edna was at first terrified. She
had never known her niece to act In
such a manner, but 1t was only for q
moment, as soon a faint smile passed
over her countenance, and, crossing to
where her neice was sitting, she drew
her affectionately towards her and
said: "Rosamond, my dear, do you
think I have been blind to what has
been going on since you came here
from your happy little home in Irving.
ton to enter society and taste IT'D
sweets and bitters'?
"You are disappointed in Ralph Eos.
ter; you find he is but man, after all.
My dear child! What did you expect7
You met this man, and, though you did
not say the words, your eyes looked
eloquent enough to speak them for
you.
"You are but an unframed country
girl after all, my dear, and Ralph Fos-
ter Is q man Of the world.
"You pleased him you were a sort Of
4 novelty to him, and in your simple,
earnest way, touched his weakest
point, bis vanity.
you must not fancy that you are
the only woman whose heart has been
made q plaything, to whom life will
taste Of nothing but Dead Sea fruit.
No, my dear, woman has been the
weaker vessel ever since creation, and
will continue as such so long as men
find such willing captives as you, my
dear. know too well Of what I speak.
l have not escaped.
"When I was your age, 'Rosamond,
I loved deeply, devoutly, a man who
was not my equal, 80 far as money
went but you know love levels all
rank and we were soon betrothed.
my parents objected and threatened
to disinherit me II I dared to oppose
them. loved him, and was willing to
forfeit all. Soon It became noised
abroad that Edna Waverly had op-
posed the wishes Of her parents and
had been dlsinherited.
Then came the time for my hero 70
prove how much he cared for me. 10
wrote me cold, brief letter, In which
he said he was far too proud q man t.
wed In opposition to the wishes OF my
family. He hoped I would be happier
with another, was much grieved, and,
signed himself Sincerely mine.'
"Such was the man to whom I had
given my love, for whom had set the
lifelong devotion Of my fond parents
aside. sent back his letter without
4 remark. .
"Soon after my parents died and left:
ME mistress Of their large estates.
Then went abroad, seeking to dull
the pain about my heart by change Of
scene and new acquaintances -
zone day, while visiting one Of the
art galleries of Paris, I met the man I
once adored He dared to speak to me
and begged me to take him to my heart
again, now that death had broken
down the barriers.
II sent him cringing from me, saying
that never wished to look upon his
face again, and never have. ~
"Such is my love story, RI .sainund,
have but you in this great lonesome.
world, and | am gr,lng to take good.
care that you, life will not be ruined
by nan who Is unworthy Of you, as
n,iae has been.
" expect you will wear your heart
on vow sleeve and that the world will,
seem dark and dismal to you, bit 1t
will only last, well, possibly q month,
and in the meantime I shall prove to
you, my dear, that despite the charm
Of faces in this great game Of life,
hearts alone lead.
"Will you agree to help me, dear?
Then look up and smile, and be you