Show HE HEARTS ARTS ESTRANGED tho bitter homco in aunt IS 1 sylvias Y lito lifo I 1 seventy years sic sighed lied a gray haired woman of sixty five its a long life a long along lonely life and the paper in her fiands trembled as she faed i intently tont at the little paragraph r DIED at tho the residence of his sister tar iiri mary crosby james allan in hia seventieth acir deceased was a bachelor but largo circle ircle of friends aho vho ho will miss his kindly pre pi this was what aunt sylvias niece ruby kingsford read leaning over the back of the old ladys chair aunt sylvia took off 0 her spectacles wiped them carefully with her trembling fingers finger sand and as she adjusted them said ruby dear have you and roy made up yet I 1 ruby tossed her licad scornfully as she fhe answered no aunty aulty and im not going to eat cat humble bumble piel pie first every time if roy chooses to be liate hateful ful im not going a to en counge him in it there aunt sylvia sighed as she sat silently studying 10 the paper that lay across her lap at 1 last ast alic said as she drew a low rocker up tip to her side sit down dear chill im going to tell you a little story LOUR long ago when I 1 was waa a little girl in my teens I 1 knew allan brookhaven cn and when I 1 was a gay girl of twenty I 1 was his bis promised wife 11 why aulty aunty you never told me exclaimed the astonished girl no my dear it was too painful a memory for me to speak of and only for your good now would I 1 repeat it when I 1 was twenty allan was years old ali ah me how brig bright lit and brave and bonny lie wasl we were schoolmates together tog ether and then lie went east to finish his education staying several years durin during the time wo we coric in a happy schoolmate fashion and when ho be returned bronzed and bearded but with the samo same merry gleam in his brown eyes and tho the samo kind familiar ways I 1 felt very proud of my friend almost from the first day of his return lie he constituted himself roy my lover over aa N ell as my friend we always had a anny way or of making believe quarrel whon when we were a habit we cropped copped for a time after our engagement but at last the spirit of mischief possessed assessed me and I 1 picked up a fuss poa day when he be said that jennio boyce oyce was a pretty little thing I 1 rc reported atul that bho was horrid and homely Ps P s a hedge bedge fence i allan opened his eyes wide for a mo elit and then replied at least blie ia h i lady with a very amiable disposition I 1 pon which I 1 pouted and raid it was a ty ity ho he discovered it sooner ilan hn said paid it too late yet to icci aich I 1 said baid bhe was wag very welcome to cha 11 a horrid tem tempered creature as lio ho aso and flung hun oil in apparently high con but secretly delighted that I 1 id created auch bubli a stir coirin irl hia usually a temper zoll U in two or abrea davis wo we i epand up and the calcin making up wo was s deli delightful 4 fitful allan alkin loomed ao much more lond lend 0 01 mo me than before aliat L I 1 soon found in an to quarrel quadi cl again but didat you love him aunty aulty au nty asked R ruby lola hinal child yes better than my ifo b I 1 it I 1 did aid not realize rc alio what a fai fn L brand I 1 ans playing with A ali iho oc brand tl lit at would alaine ilamo up tip fi creely tomo day and bum buin away rny my mo my mother thought it better for mo to wait till I 1 was at least twenty two years 7 c ars old ohl before I 1 married and ion longer ra cr if I 1 would so we had had plenty of time to indulge in our vicious habit babit of i belin cling at last I 1 had in id a cousin cou in como coine from the cast a gay stylish fellow felloe about my own age harry wayno by name father used to lau laugh ai and say we na acro ucro ere a well matched team for mischief harrys harry s cousinly attention soon coon grew into a warmer feeling although lie ho know knew I 1 in as cri engaged aged to allan nd loved ly cd him with till nil my heart beart although I 1 give allans little finger for hadrys IIa irys body and boul combined d mill I 1 so loved to tense and torment allan that I 1 flirted NN with ith blarr harry and showed th alic e utmost indin crenco to allan the crisis came cam c when on new icv years harry ached me to go a party rive five miles out in tile country and ancl I 1 promised to go out there with hirn thinking chinkin I 1 would ride home with allan and set the wedding day as ho be had long iong been teasing mu me to do so when allan came lound and asked me to TO go to tho party I 1 very coolly told him I 1 was going with harry t BUT surely sylvia you know knew I 1 expected you to go with me allan said caid 11 mercy cant I 1 win around without your permission I 1 cried 1 I am ain sure it will be bad enough elou h when I 1 nm nin tied to you for life do lot let me go with whom I 1 please now 17 allin all in turned whito lie and you dont havo have to go g o with me sylvia and you are welcome to harrys il abrys company forever I 1 want no uni univ unwilling V illing wife 11 thank you for your g I 1 said with a ray gay lauh lau 0 h batsco but that you dont come round tomorrow to morrow leasin teasing me to set the day darling mimicking 0 his voice as i well ell as I 1 could allan looked at me a moment then turned silent silently y away for ono brief second I 1 was tempted to call him back and a aak ic his forgiveness then I 1 thought lt it w wont ont be long r till tonight to ni night 0 lit and lie ho I 1 will be only too glad to make up tip with me then so I 1 stifled stifle d my bolter impulse and prepared for the party in gay spirits upon reaching ren clung there and not I 1 finding him awaiting mo me I 1 watched eng cily for his comin coming a and as tho hours bours wore away and i lie ie did not liot conc come a strange foreboding r filled ray my lictus at last in the v wee ee sma hours my cousin and I 1 returned home hoine whore where I 1 wet my pillow with avith bitter and at last fell asleep hoping that allan would come over at an ail early hour on the morrow and explain his absence but the morrow brought no nes neis from allan a week more and I 1 heard that lie he had been suddenly called cast upon urgent business 1 all ah aub kuby 1 V I 1 thought n my heart would break but I 1 put on a smiling lace face and was apparently the gayest t of of the gay each lay day I 1 said aid to myself iio tale will surely tomorrow to morrow and then I 1 will ask his bis for forgiveness forgiven cbs and toll tell him how coarl dearly y I 1 love him the months rolled away till tilla a year had gone by and followed ere allan returned to his boy hoods home hoine then I 1 met mat min him accidentally at the home of a mutual f friend 1 but is as soon as I 1 entered tho room roo lillic lie arose excused himself and without a sign of recognition withdrew aoh oh ruby god only knows the anguish of the moment I 1 sank halff fainting into the nearest chair then pride came to my rescue called the blood haik bair ha ik to my cheek and strength to my ti embling cabling limbs my f riona friend knew my unhappy story and had hoped everything C for rno me upon his bis return Ne beverl verl I 1 said to lier her never will I 1 bo be the first to speak to min him now if lie ho can be 10 so cruel lie N would only make my humiliation the greater I 1 was wrong at first fir A but two arong wrongs gs never made one right ill die before I 1 ask his for 1 I returned home and with feverish hosto hasto packed tay my trunks and went south among relatives mother khoii thought lit it the best beat thin I 1 could do hoping hopia 0 t now nov and now mcw association v boulli five me returning health and ciappi happiness aie bait ant I 1 tion boon tired of the f p ay iy society ut V there I 1 was badly chana d irom the r i 1 y v r ra irl of three yefim bt before lore I 1 bad grown rawn grave and quiet L adf and I 1 an op unity to learn tole plu P pro sentim 0 itself I 1 throw threw 1 am soli IHM boa t 11 nd ild boul into study r pi orient I 1 found my bu business iness dionn hill full I 1 nalo money occasionally 1 I 1 rott returned irm cl hot homo no for belef visits visit i while fatherland fat fatlich herand and mother lived but the few times I 1 mot allan en we met as stran eis k yo J a th the actus eyears have rolled away he never married but beloved by many friends lived a long useful life 1 growitz reticent ns as I 1 grew older had few fewer friends friend but some were very vely dear clear and faithful to me mid arid at last this thin comes taking up the pap paper erand and pointing to tho death message with ti trembling 1 ir finger finder 1 1 64 lain I am an ail old woman ruby ti ty liva years old but I 1 love allan ju A t ah t dearly today to day as I 1 did fi ty arro I 1 have never for a moment ceased io lo 10 v ing in him bim you arc so much like w hat I 1 onee was dearie dearle that if I 1 can save you fro from M willfully inal making cing 12 your cifu unhappy I 1 would gladly do 10 so oh aunts I 1 sobbed ruby 1 I am so BO sorry rorry for you and I 1 never never will vill quarrel N with ith roy again 0 I 1 am ain roin going 0 straight do down n to 1160 roys s cl and a ask ac his forgiveness for all in 1 i luc iu i cineas thal right ruby aud and i each ol oi you to bear and fi fic obear bear a always god bless you dear child isaik was that the post mana mans ring nn run pet ct the letters dearest deares t and then po 90 to roy two hours later it was a very li liht 1 plit bearded gril hl I 1 that tripped gayly homeward with one little liand hand tucked under roy elmorea elmores El moros mores arm arin zw as they ran the bell at lier her f door well po go straight 1 to aunt sylvia and tell her hagood ha good tood children wo we mean to bo be said roy lloy smiling tenderly at ruby as thoy they entered the liou house c and turned tov toward ard aunt sylvias little fitting bitting room there Thor alic sat v ith a letter bet between lier her el clasped fingers and a smile upon the still white face that was si sweeter lecter than life oh roy sho she is dead whispered ruby roy gently drew the letter from hor her stiffening stin stifT ening finers fin ers hush Ilu sli 1 10 love ve let us see what has called her away so RO suddenly the two heads bent over the letter and road read 11 MY OWN DEU SYLVIA SYLVI at last in the abo presence of doth dc th I 1 write ta toll you how hov dear yotaro you aro to rac ne thit th it never for ono moment hivo have I 1 for forgotten gotton your sect f fice ic darling nj it has been a in loag lonely tune for I 1 am lamoot oot seventy e cirs irs old but you will booi como come to cao all ion long enough to malo up for the cruel 8 pi ration here forgive me mc and como jooa lo 10 your own ALLAN oh roy sobbed I 1 ruby how quickly she went away I 1 but thank heaven dear ruby not till she had pointed out our danger answered roy come she is at rest see how peacefully she sleeps this is no time to 0 grieve for her i ather to rejoice that die has made the journey to the now new country so 4 easily it is hardest to toll tell boar father who loved her ber so dearly lot let us go fio fi o in search of him leslie grisnold old in er |