Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-01

deneea college ha 2a5i1 4ell,
that mischief began, and it began
without delay, for the college friend
recognizing Hayden in the village in
troduced him to the rectory party, and
Hayden promptly fell in love, gen.
timely this time. with Sybil Dove, the
rector's niece.
1t did not take Kate Moon long,
either, to see her doom.
Hayden, 1t is true, was little trou-
bled at first, but that was merely an
noyance with himself for the careless
way In which he had talked love
"deserated," he called it-but he did
not dream Of the manner in which
Kate would take it.
No one but Hayden and Kate her.
self knew Of that terrible night of re.
elimination when the moon shone
down on the final meeting in Dalling
wood.
By the next night Hayden had left
the village; by the next Sunday Kate
Moon had left the world; she had
drowned herself in the river-the pref.
ty river where the trout had fought
shoy Of Hayden's rod and line.
And Hayden began that terrible two
years with the sight Of the girl con.
stantly before his eyes. in her lilac
gown. with the rose-pink bands about
her waist and hem, and with her last
words in his ears.
Tell her about me, and see what
she'll say Of your love! Tell her, / say,
or I'll curse you to your very marriage
day!-aye, to your very deathbed; I'll
walk and sit and stand between you,
and you shall never bide in peace!"
Then what had seemed but sum.
mer's Irritation shocked Hayden as a
heartless tragedy, and grew and grew
into his life till he became to himself
a sort of banned wanderer.
About two years later Hayden met
sybil Dove in Rome, and for the first
time the wretched tragedy became less
important. and his heart leaped. He
could see, too, that sybil was happy te
meet him.
For weeks he summed himself in JOY
and tried to Danish Kate. Then one
day he faced the ghost and reasoned
with himself in n logical, sensible man.
ner, and his stute of mind became more
normal, and lie asked himself why he
should not be happy.
Next morning, on the hill. he broke
into the first love words he had uttered
since he dawdled With Kate by the
Devonshire river.
IL love your he cried out. as he and
Sybil sat resting in the MONDAY
"sybil, I can't live without you! ]
have hungered for you slice l first
met you two years ago."
II love you, too" she said, simply
when she could find voice. And Hay.
den held her in his arms for raptur
GUS moment.
When he glanced up, his arms still
about her, a girl was passing along the
hill below-a dark-haired girl, In a
lilac gown. 1t was, Of course, merely
coincidence.
Hayden shivered aud loosed his
clasp. The old haunted feeling had
returned. He had an impulse to tel
Sybil the whole wretchcd story, but i,
would be gloomy beginning to the
first hour Of his new happiness. Be
sides which, Mrs. Dove came into sigh
at the moment.
Those were strange months, those
months of engagement There were
hours when both Hayden and Sybi
were wildly gay; but again there were
hours when cloud hung over them,
when something seemed to be between
them, checking their words as if q
third person were listening.
In himself Hayden could under
stand the feeling for even now, spite
Of argument, spite of happy future, he