The Goodland republic., 1905-02-03
CCopyrlght. 80. Il paily g -. .
R[LHzZ7 AzZZ

DarlstOn stood gazing Wistfuily at
/ the windows of the fine old house
across the avenue, wondering If Alice
were not stationed at one OF them
Alice and he had been everything to
each other before he had marched
away to the strains Of ssThe Girl Left
Behind Ne" happy in the faith that
she would wait for him until, having
served his country well, he should re-
turn and win for himself a name and
fortune which she would be proud to
share. But It was all over with now,
he reflected bitterly. The dream was
ended, and he felt that he had poured
out the treasures OF his heart before
an empty shrine. He had been a very
paragon Of constancy, but somehow
she had lost faith in him. Influenced
probably by mereenary motives, she
had betrothed herself to a dissipated
political celebrity old enough to be her
father on the very eve Of DarlstOn's re-
turn from two years Of fighting in tie
Philippines. The society columns OF
a newspaper which he had read that
morning at breakfast had furnished
this fragmeutary outline, and his i'm
aginatiOn had rounded it into soul
torturing completeness
How Darlston got through with the
realities Of the black hours that fol-
lowed he never knew. He felt like a
man about to be shot from the gibbet
into eternity. It seemed to him as
though the world held nothing now
but despair and misery. He seemed
to feel faith in erything human and
divine slipping away from him. But
calm reflection caused a reYulsiOn OF
feeling and in a measure restored his
faith in Alice. He tried to feel that
the light in which he had been led to
regard her was a false one. Probably
the influences brought to bear upon
her had been more powerful than he
could conceive. Her father might
have cOerced her into the betrothaL
II he had, DarlstOn told himself grim
ly, there would be a strenuous day Of
reckoning for the pater on the NOR
row. He had fought against the i'm
pulse to see her again, but some evil
fate had drawn him almost to the
threshold Of her home. Now, as he
stood there, a cab drew up before the
house and a man came out He car
ried himself pOmpOusly and looked
overfed and arrogant The cabman's
ObseQuious your Honor" was not re-
quired to reveal to DarlstOn his iden.
tity. As the vehicle whirled down
the avenue he turned away in
an agony Of jealous despair. His
peerless Alice bound for life to that
affected, dissipated-lOoking boOr! The
thought sickened him. Such a sacri-
fee should never be eonsummated il
he could prevent il. Whatever it cost,
ne must see and speak with Alice
again.
That very night he saw her. Some
friends had found him out and per
suaded him TO JOiu a theater party.
When they found seats, DarlstOn,
gIaneing about the densely crowded
auditorium, cspied her sitting directly
opposite him. She was dressed in
white with a bunch Of scarlet bios
SONS at her throat He could see the
beautiful p0ise Of her head, the dark
hair so tastefuIly arranged, the deli
cate outline Of her averted face; but
her eyes we're turned away from him.
All the mysteries Of pride and pain
and passion which they might have
held were unrevealed. No one save
her sister Amy was with her. and
Darlston wondered vaguely at the alb
sence Of her betrOthed. Once her sis
ter spoke to her, and she replied; but
no smile broke over her face. 1t was
a revelation TO DaTlstOn to see her
thus. He had imagined her trium-
phant over her conquest, decked with