Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1865-12-20
DAY. DECEMBER 30, 1865.

smiling too; wonderful thing, dom
think you would ever guess it, Milly
dear ?" 1 asked, pressing the little one
close to my throbbing breast.
=" You never could; and yet how youl
heart is beating p she said, looking NJ
at me timidly; g believe you really
do" Then, sinking her face down to
my shoulder once more, she added, al
most in a whisper, 4" Hester; he told me
to ask you whether you would see him
to morrow"
He means Mr.. Sutherland, ofcourseP p
"Of course. Hester, do you mean to
say yes ?" asked Milly, stealing another
of those timid glances at me.
"My yes will go with yours, Milly
dear"
"God bless you, Hester my darling,
my dear, dear sister - cried Milly fer
vently; and for a long while we we're
both silent. Nor, indeed, did she men,
ton Mr.. Sutherland's name again, nor
recur in any way to the subject, till
about the middle of the next day, she
suddenly sprang up from her place by
the window, and glancing at me with a
vivid blush and smile, ran out Of the
room, and I heard her fly up stairs.
Then I knew who was coming, and I
sat still, because to move would have
been out of my power. So, when he
entered the room, sat, and though 1
held out my hand and tried to utter
greeting, I know that my lips only muir
INJURED inarticulately. He looked at me
as he held my hand in a momentary
grasp, and 1 thought there was both
pain and a shocked surprise in my face.
Then he began
a have not come unexpectedly, I
hope? Milly promised to ask you-to
tell you"
e" She did tell me I expected you," I
strove to say and I hope I said it
quietly.
"Did you guess why I wanted to see
you? ?" he asked, with that directness of
speech remembered so we'll
i" Yes, I even went so far as that" l
answered, and smiled-oh what win
try smile. if it did not belle my heart
"Of course. I could only have one
purpose in asking to see you again" he
went on quickly; " but, all Hester,
what will you say to me this time ?"
" What does Milly saw"
Milly! always Milly still But,
Hester, it is for you to answer me frs" "
he said and abruptly walking from his
position on the hearth, he came and sat
down beside me.
Hester-I must call you so-did
your sister tell You what I said to her
yesterday ?"
She let me infer It"
Infer! Fiddledeel Nothing like
plain speaking to express a plain mean
ing" he spoke out rather impetuously.
a. But YOU are so cold. 50 unlike your
old self Hester, that I could not Just
take it for an answer to what I came to
ask. Did NilIy tell you that, Yesterday
for I have grown to love the little girl
dearlv-Hester! Hester What have
1 said? What is the matter?"
I hated, despised myself for the weak
ness, but the mortal struggle Of yester-
day was not done yet. I could not hear,
this man, whom I had loved so long, so
deeply, avow to my face his transferred
to my sister, and be unmoved.
Involuntarily grasped the arm of my
chair for support, for my life seemed
fading from me in the struggle. He
bent over me, be lifted my faint head on
to his broad breast, but I shrank from
him feebly.
4" It is nothing. I am often faint. I
am quite well again. You were saying
yes, go on, Mr. Sutherland"
"I was saying-ah, Hester-I think
I need not go on-you are so changed,
my dear" he said, looding down at ne
with sorrowful perplexity. Well, well,
Milly led me on to hope; but I ought
to have known better. You never
cared for me in the beginning, as I did
for you"
" Surely, surely, that bygone ought to
be bygone now" I cried bitterly.
If you say that, it ought indeed" he
answered, turning from me but I told
you then, Hester, that should never
forget you; and from something Milly
said, and your remaining unmarried, I
was wild enough to dream-to hope"
Something light that dazzled my
poor eyes-was breaking in upon me as
he spoke.
Mark !" said I, "what did you come
here to-day to ask me ?"
"The same question that I asked eight
years ago by the stream in the marshes,
Hester. I have done with India I am
no longer a poor man, and I want the
one woman 1 have always loved. Hes
ter, is this true? Is she mine at last ?"|
For long, long time, I think, after
this, we forgot the existence Of any one
besides ourselves. Then I told Mark
the little game Of cross purposes we had
been playing. His incredulous wonder
that I could imagine he had ever thought
of any one but me, touched me to the
heart.
Poor Milly !" he said ESQ you
would have put her off with the rever-
sion Of heart. No, when she marries,
may she be what you are, Hester-her
first love and his last Gas
seWs (London) Family Paper.
~ SH Sorts of GOo0 8taOiHg.