The Lincoln County herald., 1868-05-28

AhV uuukhSy AiAuA OotA AIVsAVA
IL" Then burst into tears.
"And that's to part US ?" she said.
"Not If you will 80 With me-" an.
swered.
But she would not leave her home, and
I went alone. In tho frosty morning as
| turned to look back at the little village,
from the top Of the old stage, I saw the
little children fling in at tho school house
door, and caught glimpse Of Hcpsey's
dress beyond-only fold of her dress.
but 1 knew it. Tho school.bcll was ring.
ing but il did not say, "turn again" to
me, rs it should have done had been
su,h prophet as Wilmington.
made my fortune. had q cousin in
New York who was deep in the mysteries
Of Wall street. Ho helped me SO did
Luck or Fate. In five years I was q
moderately rich man. My mother wanted
nothing but my presence. She would
not come to me, but urged mo to return
to her.
At first my heart was too weak to be
trusted among these old familiar scenes.
To have met IIepssy would have been
too much to bear. But time helps US all.
At tho end Of Eve yaare l wrote to my
mother:
II am coming home again. since you
will not live here with me. Expect me
tomorrow.
And on tho morrow went. My
mother had not altered much. But had
grown long light beard, and was youth
no longer--a fact which troubled her
There were changes in the place too.
Girls were married-old people dead.
Tho tallcst, handsomest man l remem-
bered, had met with an accident and
crawled about q wretched cripple. Tho
church was rebuilt, aud the huts in the
hollow had been burnt. A factory had
risen, and the factory peoples houses
were about it. Instead of the old franc
school house was q brick building with
many windows aud cupalo.
Who was tho teacher? Was she there
-Hepsey Harrow? I dared not ask.
Idly I sauutered about tho house,
painted and refurnished now; and idly,
in the evening Of the second day at homo,
I went out to the shed where tho little
red sleigh stood-tho shabby old thing,
with green patch on the cushion.
ut amt been touched since you left,
Almond said my mother. "Poor old
Dobbin How smart he used to take it
round! I felt as if I'd lost o fried when
ho died. Remember my patchin' the
cushion?"
She lifted it as sue spoke. From be.
hind it dropped something. What? Of
leather, blue with mold, crushed by its
long lying under the cushion, but reti.
cule lor oil that. Hepscy lIarrow's ret.
icule l opened it. There lay comb
aud brush; in artificial rosc-how we'll
it in her hair !-and my let.
ter. Yes, my letter that she had never
read, never seen, never known Of.
"M hats tho matter hlmond?" asked
my mother.
For few moments did not know.
At last spoke:
"lt is Miss Harrow's rcticule."
"She must have lost it when you took
her sleigh riding" said my mother
"Just like her to lose it, and not know,
cxtravagant crittcr. She's teaching yet
likely too-sho amt married no doubt
she'll die an old maid, and serve her
right"
The rest my mother said to herself, for
I waited tor no more.
l took the reticule in my hand and
went over tho long. forgotten path to
ward the school house. School was over.
A figure stood alone near tho gate. l
did not know it at FIRST. But on nearer
view I found it was more mature edition
Of Hepsey Harrow's slender frame-not
80 slender now, but prctty-just as pretty
10 the face, and fresh and buxom.
I walked up to her. She gave me .
puzzled look. Then her cheek flushed.
"Mr. Craig?" she said.
eyes, Miss Harrow,"I answered ~
nm come to restore your property. You
lost reticule in my sleigh five years
ngo. To-day found II. There 10 some.
thing in it which I asked you to look at
when you wore alone. I mako the same
request now. May see you this even.
ing 2"
She bowed. l walked away. That
night I went once more to see hcr. She
had been weeping; tho letter lay upon
her Knee.
"Suoh an odd relic of those foolish old
Eimes," she said.
took her hand.
"You never answered it, Hepssy," I
laid. "Will you answer II now2"
"After oil this time ?" she said.
"Yes," I said.
She said nothing, and I kissed her.
Our wedding was quiet ono, and our
ives have been quietly happy from that
lay to the present hour.
"sir," said sturdy beggar to bsnev.