Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-08-24
CHANGED In AN HOUR
By HANNAH HOPPER.

ters lying loose on the carpet
Her form slight and graceful
Her hair dark and waving and fall
ing loosely to her waist. Her
white hands clasped firmly to
gether and her great eyes raised
beseechingly to Heaven. The twi-
light gathering silently and
stealthily about her. A single ray
from the almost somber west
stealing in the half.Opened win
dow, and falling, not upon the
kneeling form, but upon the con
fused heap of old letters.
A moan, despairing and hope
less, came from the half-parted
lips, and the picture was changed.
The hands were unclasped, and
drew, in kind Of shuddering yet
tender way, the yellow missiyes
toward the heating heart-the
head was bowed, until the face
was buried among the letters, and
then sob after sob shook the slen-
der form.
"And this is the end of all nv
hopes and beautiful dreamings,"
she said. 81 must bid farewell to
all the tenderness, the sentimen-
tally, the fond, fond musings, the
adOring love which for years made
my life blessed. l thought that
| had conquered the pain, the
heartache, that | could drop these
letters one by one upon the shin
ing Goals, and feel no pang, but ]
cannot"
She arose, lighted a candle,
knelt again upon the carpet, and
placed the candle by her side.
One by one she took the cherished
missives, and, holding them trem-
blingly in the blaze, saw them
burn to a cinder, Over one she
hesitated, and half quietly pressed
it to her lips.
This is the first" she said, Gin
which he mentioned love-"
She drew it from the wrapper.
and unfolded it. The first words
she saw were: Dear Jewel"
How those beautiful words had
looked to her when she saw them
the first time Her heart had
thrilled with an inexpressible joy.
and she had slept that night with
the letter upon her bosom, and
could hardly sleep for the happi-
ness that was flooding her soul.
The memory of that great Joy
came rushing back, as she held the
letter in her trembling hand.
Could she burn that which had
made her once so very, very hap
Ply? mo" she said, slowly, and
slipping it back into its wrapper,
she pressed it again to her lips,
and then placed it carefully in her
bosom.
All of the others she consumed
in the blaze of the candle. Then
she arose, extinguishing the light,
knelt at the window, and gazed
mOurnfullyintO the "infnite mead
ows of Heaven" where the stars
were blOssoming one by one.
Life is so strange" she unused /
"and joys are so fieeting and so,
few. Once l knelt at this window
without a shadow to mar the per-
feet happiness of my heart. !
could not think of grief then. /
could not think that sorrow could
ever come to me, everything
seemed so fair, so beautiful, so
true. / had a betrothal ring upon
my finger as / have now, but how
differently Hooked upon thatfrom
what | do upon this. remember
how l kissed it and blessed the
giver, asking Heaven to keep him
from all pain and sorrow. That is
gone from my fngernow, and here
is another. | Try to be glad it is
there; / know that he who placed
it there is true and noble, and
loves me well, and l have prom
ised to be his wife. Was it wrong?
| told him of these letters. did
not promise to love him as have
loved, and he looked sad, but said
he would be content with less af-
lection if l would only love him
little and be his wife. He said he
would try to make me happy, and
/ EDOuU no will. hut ooD L. 49,.