North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1867-04-03
WHOLE No. SAG.

ing away, my old self coming back, sh,
stirred in her sleep, two great tears welleC
out from the closed eyes, and with heavy
sob she murmured, Hester ="
Then knelt down in the gray dawning
and thanked God that my madness wa,
passed, and prayed that as He had giver
me strength to make the sacrifice, SO HI
would help me never to regret it.
| l did not see Mark Sutherland again
but the next time that Milly went up to the
Hollies, she told me, on her return, "that
he had left the Hollies, gone away to tina,
dreadful India, and was never coming back
again" My heart echoed the words, but
drew Milly to me and kissed her, and tried
to be patient and forget.
! l could not forget my nature was tena.
cious Of what had once taken hold of it,
and the course of our lives was too uniform
and monotonous to give change and variety
their usual influence. l scarcely knew
after Mark went away, how the days and
years glided away, their course was SO un-
marked and everything seemed so unchang-
ed. AT first used to shrink and shiver at
the mere ment;cn of Mark Sutherland s
name at the Holies that passed, and l
pined to hear Of him, with a weary, anx-
ious longing seldom satisfied. They ceased
to speak of him after while, rs people do
after long absent friend, and by degrees
it seemed as if he was only remembered in
one poor woman heart, who almost came
to think of him rs if he had been removed
by death. So that one day Milly came
back from the liollies, and said as she un-
tied her hat and threw it down, Hester,
guess who in the world do you think
came to the Hollies last night?" Not even
my own thoughts suggested the right per-
son.
"No, no." said Milly, as I named one
or two "no; who but Cousin Mark, who
went away to Ind years ago! l was n
mere child at the time, but l remembered
him instantly-a compliment he did not
return, by the by, though, when he found
who | was he asked after you"
Years ago, was it, since Mark went away?
All! as Milly spoke it seemed only yester-
day; the joy, the sorrow, the old plans, so
freshly remembered now, were throbbing
so wildly once more in my heart. He
had not quite forgotten me, then? but
did he remember me as l remembered
him
81 do believe you have forgotten all
about him." Milly went on "and let me
tell YOU. l wonder at that, for remember
he used to be so fond Of talking to you,
Hetty, and he is the kind of man that a
woman may be proud of attracting, none
the less because he cares very little, should
say, for women in general
'' Really, Milly. you seemed to have
studied Mr.. Sutherland very closely, con-
sidering this may be your first acquaintance
with him."
She laughed. blushed and threw back her
beautiful golden hair.
"No, don't know as I have he devot-
ed himself to me good deal this evening
and couldn't help forming my opinion,
you know. There is to be croquet party
tomorrow at the Hollies, and Mr.. Suther-
land made me promise to come up and
bring you, if you would come; but / told
him beforehand that knew you would
not, knowing your dislike to that de-
lectable means for the promotion of hirt-
ing"
And after this it happened that Milly
either went or was sent for nearly every day
up to the Hollies-where, indeed, she was
very much in the habit of going; while l,
who had long ceased to care for any COM
parionship besides my sisters, sat at home,
longing with feverish longing to see
Mark Sutherland once more, and yet dread
ing with sickening dread to meet the
careless, esiranged glance of the dark
eyes that hae once looked into mine, full of
love.
1t seemed that Mark not unfrequently
accompanied Milly part of the way home;
but he never came near enough to our cot
taoe for me to catch even the most distant
glimpse of him, and my little sister had
somehow ceased to talk of him after the
first. So, although l still knew that he
staid at the Hollies, he might almost as well
have been across the wide ocean as far as
Aas concerned. And yet-oh, no ! the
sense of his presence seemed borne to me
upon every breath of the sweet summer
air that hoated into my room. could not
sleep at night, nor rest calmly by day !;
and often, while Milly sat with her friends,
l used to wander out, scarce needing where
l went, impatient only of rest.
| One day, when this terrible yearning
was strong upon me, took my sketching
materials, from force of habit, and sat out
to walk to pretty wood at somv distance.
The cool. green fragrance Of the leafy
shadows was grateful after the glaring
| L
they felt coolest. But sudden sound OF
laughter and merry voices, close at hand,
startled me, and not willing to see who the
speakers were, l got up and fled swiftly
down the darkest and most tangled of the
paths that branched away into the heart of
the wood. soon left the merry voices far
behind me, and, slackening my walk,
wandered on, dreamy and absorbed as ever,
till, suddenly turning into another path, l
saw what caused me to stand still and for
get everything but what my eyes looked
upon. Mark Sutherland! Yes, Mark
ollor, dArkor, thinnox, LuA A~.A '.;A''eS'c
All, how the green marshes, and the wind
ing sea-wall, and the lark singing far up
in the sky, all Aoated before my eyes, as
saw the downward bend of his stately
head to look inte the face beside him-the
face that looked up into his, with those
candid blue eyes, and a smile seemed to
reflect itself upon Marks grave face for an
instant, and then he took up little hand
lying on his arm, and kissed it tenderly.
looked no longer crept away stricken
with dumb anguish, a dreadful, sullen
despair crept away and went home. For
knew the candid, b::ue eyes, the sweet
smile, and the floating golden hair they
were my sister Milly's. Oh, had not
done enough? Had not sacrificed enough?
Was my cup not yet SO full but that this
bitter drop must be added to its overflow.
So l cried in my anguish; and it was
long before better thoughts came to me, OF
that, coming, ! could hold them firmly and
take comfort. But by-and-by rose from
where had flung myself down, and sal
by the window to watch for Milly. She
came along presently in the quiet evening
! light, and looked at her with my eye:
freshly opened. l had never yet ceased tG
think of her as child l realized in one
moment now, that child was woman.
looked at the beautiful fresh young face
and involuntarily glanced at the reelection
of my own in the mirror opposite. nev
or could have been in my best days wha