The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-29


combined to soOthe and delight IN,
eye. There was a maiden hair ferI
In a silver stand near the window
and a mass of pink carnations sen
forth a spicy fragrance. A "cosey
corner" arranged of the latest de-
sign, inyited the weary to repose
Everything about the room bore evil
dence to cultured taste and purse
of no "Micawber' dimensions. II
was a room in which you might
dream of your ships sailing in laden
with all the treasure Of a South Afri-
can company-a room where night
mare would be impossible. But the
owner of all this white-and- green lux
ury was kneeling on the floor with
her face buried in one of the wide
frilled pillows that made the "cosey
corner" a thingof delight; and, judg-
ing from the sobs that were making
Roberts was in no happy frame Of
mind. and the pillow was on the
damp road to destruction.
The gentle reader will rush TO the
conclusion that Miss Roberts dress
maker had sent home a gown that
would not be induced to go into a fit.
The ungentle reader will at once
think that Miss Roberts lover had
been behaving shabbily - that he
had, in a fit of Observation-Disclosures
addressed a note to her beginning
"My own Susie" But it was not a
misfitting gown, it was an unrequited
love that so distressed her on that
bright October afternoon. The latest
edition of the Stiletto was lying on
the floor in company with a cream
bound volume Of verse, and to these
publications Helen Roberts owed all
her sorrow.
Helen's father was a wealthy doc
tor who was determined that his only
daughter should have every educa-
tional advantage So she was sent
to the best university in the State,
where she graduated with high hon
Ors in the department Of literature.
AT the commencement exercises she
read a clever essay on Late Discov-
cries in Electric Science" The week
after the reading Of this production
she sailed for Europe, where for two
years she improved her mind by Wis
iting English cathedrals, German cas-
ties and italian art galleries. AS she
had been endowed with fair share
of common sense these twenty-four
months Of foreign travel did not send
her back to Claremont with a vocab-
ulary of affected English and un-Pa-
risian French. When she returned
DIR. Roberts looked with fatherly
pride on her perfectly healthy face, |
and could not help admiring the |
touch Of graceful self-possession that |
intelligent travel seldom fails to give. |
There were others to admire this |
finished young woman. Not many |
months had passed before Harvey |
Stuart, a young barrister of Clare
mont, showed a strong desire to win !
Miss Helen's carefully trained heart |
for his own. But Helen was not at
all anxious to give up her lately ac-
quired freedom. However, Harvey
Stuart had fighting blood in his veins
and the spirit of his Scottish "for-
bears" awoke within him as he said:
You may have as many friends as
you please, but you shall be my wife.
If it takes ten years and more to win
you | will do it.
So he walked with firm tread down
the stone steps, leaving Helen to
murmur, with flushed cheeks,
What mpertinence!"
But she felt secret misgiving.
For four months Harvey Stuart
was devotion itself. He did not refer
to his hapless love, but he studied |
Helen's tastes and comfort i'm every |
possible way. He talked we'll when |
he chose to exert himself. and Helen
at last found herself depending upon .
his opinion, not only i'm matters of .
literature, but also i'm such personal |
affairs as gowns and gloves. Most of |
the young men of Claremont were |
dissipated society devotees. and i'm
Harvey Stuart's keen ambition there .
was a welcome contrast TO the mani |
ties Of her other acquaintances. He /
had inherited more than a fighting /.
spirit from his ancestors across the |
sea. and Helen saw that there was q /
rigid integrity about her lover that |
would never stoop TO dishonor. So
she was dismayed to discover that
the evenings when Harvey did not
call were the longest of the week. ,
His manner was so quietly friendly
that Helen was quite sure he had
got over it," But one evening. af-
ter he bad. taken occasion to uiffcr
from hfs ,QnI almost every question
they discussed, just as he seemed to
depart, Harvey gently drew Helen
into his arms and asked. when are
you going to marry me, dear?"
Helen was amazed, and could only
say IL never heard of such
thing"
well, have thought more than
once about It lately, and intend