North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-02-10

| like nothing cold.' stre .sa7r ..-..
And the, sutana's face flushed again, as
though there were double meaning to his
words. '' ...,#
Win you come in and take cup of tea
with US ?" ......
A." " Thank you, no. Mrs. Marie expects me,
Mr.. Macomb"
He bowed, and left The garden by the little
gate and the young man put his arm. abou.
the waist of the young girl and drew her
into the house. 81 .f.-. ....
" I'm as hungry as a hunter" he said
You shant put tea off any longer, Sis
Old Dinah is in terrible state of mind about
it Already"
Sis shrugged her shoulders, but she went
in, and presided at her brothers. table, eating
nothing but few spoonsful Of quivering Jelly
herSelf--a fact which her brother commented
on as he RECALLED himself on the more sub
stantial viands.
" Never marry farmer, sis you'd fright
EN- him to death. 4 crown prince would
suit you best if they would but export one
to yankee land in search Of wife. My bet
ter half shall relish pork and beans, SIS"
Shall she it was said with sort of sneer
habitual to the beauty, bat the next moment
the mood changed, and for the first time in
all her life Ida Malcomb flung her arms
about her brothers neck. ..-
Promise me that you will marry john
she said. should like to think that you
had some one to love, some one to he what
| have never been in this house and never
shall be. Marry so-ue good glrl John, and
be happy"
" Why, what is the matter, Ida ?" cried
john ashast. " You are not i'll, are you ~
" III oh, no! !"
" Are yOu going to be married What
has happene | declare I'm frighiend"
Ida laughed at that, and left his claspng
arm and sitting down at the piano played
furious galopadc, which occupied her eyes
and fingers to the exclusion of everything
else; and John lighting another cigar. sat
near her, wondering at tins new phase of his
handsome sisters character.
In the westward house, meanwhile. Mr..
and Ms. Marie sat as an afiectlonate connie
should, surrounded by their children. And
at eight the ht'le ones said their prayers and
were sent To bed, and at ten Mrs. Marie read
a chapter from the Bible, and left her spouse
who had business letters to write. alone IN
the small stting-room.
Then, with her innocent eirl's face bent
nPon her hands, Mrs. Marie knelt beside her
bed and prayed for her children, for her pa
rents, Tor herself, but most of all for her be- !
loved husband, and then weary with her
household toll, laid down to slumber.
But Mr.. Marie had no thoughts of sIeep, |
neither bad Ida Malcomb. In her chamber
the SaItana was wide awake, and wrapped in
hood and furs, pacing the floor with her
watch upon the palm of one small hand
waiting unil its hands should point to mid
nj ght
Then, when the two cobweb hands Law up-
"n each other pointing upward, she fastened
1t IN her bell, and opened the door. All was
dark upon the stairs and in passages.
John Malcomb's room sent not a ray of
light through the old glass fan at its door r.,
lie slept and the sister paused and pressed |
her lips upon the panels, and then went on
down the stairs and out in the moonlipht.-
She did not go b. the front door, but throrcb
little portal at the back of the house into n
paved yard where the watch dog law. He
knew her and did not bark, and in a mpment
She was through the taft of bushes and ont
in tae road, past clump Of trees down into
little hollow, across it to the edge of
small wood, and there stood handsome Mr.
Marie, in a travelling cloak who clasped her
10 his heart with passionate words and still
more passionate glances.
And then releasing her, he said: eve
will find coach at c.. Taey might
trace us had it come nearer; can you walk so
far %
And she who in her blind in fatuation
" 'N'N '"'S SOuV hllH " Tie WOTIQ'S !
end, only answered by giving him her little
land' trembling and burning as with fever
They are gone. Their forms faded into
instinct blots upon the lacdscape. They left
behind them the woodland, the valley, the
'lump of autumn bushes and twin houses,
which rose white and CHASTITY in the moonlit
distance behind them forever. ....Fs
There was no going back for them, now
hat there hands had rested on the plow-
share. - t... a ..........
Thanksgiving morning dawned, and in the
house Mrs. Marie arose like
right child from her sweet sleep; and IN
he eastward house John Malcomb came
own rosy from his bath of ice-cold water
md whistling merrily. But in a little
While frantic woman clutched a blo.ted
altar in bar bopd orj toro bon L.; |