Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-06-26
"What Funny Things You Do See :"
Country Folks |
City Folks !

merely poor inventor, shabby as to
clothes, but with great thoughts strug
Cling for expression in his great brain.
Shy as schoolgirl, he was, too, and
it took all of Miss Ashton's tact to
draw him into her charmed circle.
Once there, however, and the barriers
broken down by her sympathy, the
man showed her his whole soul. He
fell into the way of dropping in, in the
quiet dusk, at the hour when she was
oftenest alone, and, sitting before the
big fire in the library, he would tell her
of his dreams, his hopes, and aspira-
tons, and disappointments, while his
eyes grew tender, and his voice took
on that cadence that man uses when
he talks to the woman he loves and
trusts.
Part of Miss Ashtons power had
always been that she understood other
peopIe-and herself. She knew that
for the first time in her life love had
come to her, in all its beauty and
glory. She knew equally as well, with
a womans intuition, that David Hor-
ton loved her, but she was absolutely
certain he would never tell her of it,
or ask her to be his wife. She had
so much. He had so little, and his
pride would not let him go empty
handed as beggar to the woman he
adored It was then that Miss Ash
ton proved that she had the courage
of her conviction, and made her reso
luton.
1T isn't as if 1 had had any spring
time of life she said to herself. Il
was cheated out of that, and will not
let myself be robbed of my happiness
by a mere convention"
SO that night, sitting in his dingy
room, bending over models and blue
prints, David Horton was startled by
the apparition of a tall woman, who
dropped her rich fur cloak from heF
shoulders as she entered. and moved
slowly toward him.
Miss Ashtonr' he cried, 'you here"
She sank into a chair with sudden
faintness. YES" she said, and then
she added, desperately: Il have "a
friend in trouble, and l wanted your
advice. I have come to tell you her
story. She is not a young woman
and she has had a sad life, and has
been very lonely. Always she has
hungered and thirsted for companion
ship without finding it. Lately some
thing beautiful has come into her life.
All the comprehension and understand
ing of which she dreamed. 1t is love,
David, and she loves, not like silly
school girl, with a passing fancy for
any handsome face, but with all the
great love and passion of a woman's
desire. Something has happened that
makes her afraid she might lose this
companionship, and she is in sore
trouble and anxiety. When one has
found a priceless jewel one wants to
keep it, doesn't one?'
Yes" the man answered her, with
white lips, and Miss Ashton hurried
on. as if she were afraid to stop:
1.-THE barrier between them is so
fimsy. David, just little money, a
little false position in society-and yet
the woman is beating her heart
against it. and bruising and breaking
it. Perhaps the man doesn't realize
how cruel it is to sacrifice her to his
pride David, what shall she do!'
The man was trembling in every
nerve. 1T is for the queen to give,
he said, with his voice breaking over
the words, mot for the suppliant to
| demand Let her tell him that she
| loves him.
"Oh, David, you stupid" she cried,
holding out her hands to him. L have
| have" and in q moment more she
was in his arms.
Hours later Miss Ashton turned to
him face grown strangely young and
timid, and fair. David" she said,
solemnly, "if you ever tell | had to
propose to you, I'll-I'H deny it
/ Tytioa Press