The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-06-09

FRAZER was the only chlld OF Well-to-
do parents.
She let Mr.. Hopkins and her mother
fix the wedding day, and resigned her
self to the inevitable. 1t was on her
marriage morn that the expected let
ter came:
81 am deeply grieved to hear OF your loss
and sympathize with you and your mother.
In justice to yourself. since you ask my
counsel, l must advise you to accept your
wealthy sutton; a poor devil like me can
not expect to count.
May you have all the happiness you de-
serve.
Sincerely yours.
"R. s. HARVIE."
Alice read the note twice, seeing
only the sarcasm, and not the pain be.
tween the lines. 1t stung her to the
quick, yet she felt relief that he had
accepted the situation so quietly.
Then she burned the note and set her
self steadfastly to forget the writer.
The majority of women are like cats,
in that they purr to the hand which
strokes them gently and accept life's
cream graciously.
Mr.. Hopkins adored his young wife
and rejoiced to crafty her every
within. Moreover, Alice had always
been fond Of him, and to her surprise
she found herself by no means unhap-
Ply. 1t would be too much to say that
she ceased to remember Dick, but that
young man was thousands of miles
away, and the thinking did no harm,
even though, during the Spanish war,
she searched the newspapers for news
of him, and felt a little thrill of pride
and pleasure when she saw that En-
sign Richard Scott Harvie had been
promoted to a ~lieutenantcy for distin-
guished gallantry in action. She could
not guess that Dick, pierced to the
core by what he considered her mer-
cenary course, had made up his mind
to let her see hat the loss had been
hers.
That was shortly before Mr.. Hop
kins was taken lila long and serious
illness-and Alice's wifely anxiety
drove everything else out of her mind.
Her husbands death was a genuine
grief to her, all the greater because
she felt that in return for his whole
heart she had given him so little of
her own. She missed him even more
than she had done her father, and fell
into a sort of apathy which lasted un-
til she was reused by the discovery
that her mothers health was failing.
ut is nothing serious" the doctors
told her. "She needs change of air
rather than medicine. Take her to
Old Point Comfort. This climate is
deadly at this time of year"
The change did good to both mother
and daughter. Alice soon found her
self taking more than a languid inter
est in life. The proximity of Ports
mouth, with its navy yard, made naval
uniforms a frequent sight, and revived
old memories.
1t was scarcely a surprise to her
when, as she entered the hotel parlor
one evening after dinner, she found
herself face to face with Dick Harvie
Involuntarily she extended both
hands.
"Oh, Dick!" she exclaimed, and re.
covered her self-possession almost in.
stantly, feeling the chill of his manner
Mr.. Harvie barely touched her hanc
with one of his; the other arm rested
in a sling. MRS. Hopkins? ?" he said
coolly. This is an unexpected pleas.
ure."
Alice shrank into herself, like a sea
anemone, but she managed to ask. po-
you have been wounded"
"Only a trifle. My ship and 1 are
both in dock for repairs. Excuse
and he left her to join a group
at the further end of the room.
Thereafter, although they saw each
other almost every day, their inter-
course was of the scantiest. Alice was
persuaded hat Dick wished to avoid
her, and kept carefully out of his way.
This was not difficult. All the other
lionized him as a hero, and
Alice, as befitted her widows weeds,
held herself aloof from gay company.
She had no idea that the old wound
still in her lovers heart, that
stunned her as a burnt child breads
he fire.
H despises me too much to notice
me-" she told herself, bitterly, and de-
herself more tenderly to her {
mother. !
A week vent by thus; then fate :
ed Dick Harvie past the door of the
room, where he heard a we'll
remembered voice in song. He paused
behind the heavy portiere in time to
Alice sing the last line of "Annie !
Laurie" How beautifully you sing
hose Scotch ballads" said one admir-
ng voice.
Pray don't STOP" cooed another.
you know Aud Robin GRAY do /
'ou not, Mrs. Hopkins?" asked the ac-
a musician in the paw of
he hotel. pray sing it for us; it is
10 admirably adapted to your voice."
md she played the prelude without
Waiting for yea or nay.
There vas a little tremor in Alice's
-oice as she began, or at least Dick
ancied so, but as she sang it disap-
reared. and she held her little audi
nee %spellbound. Dick. listening be-
lind the curtain, scarcely breathed
While the thrilling tones rehearsed the
athletic tale of filial sel~f-sacriice. 1t
him to the depths, and his eyes
gere moist as she SANG the act versa.