The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-04-29


bfother. You know mother . 'eirpum
stances. Ishsve pledged myself toll
- best I caatto her the place OF ii
sons who are IN the church yard. :
sm almost twenty-six now, and 30 an
safely anchored in t6e harbor Of Ok
maideuhood. u L have resolved to: be |,
stroug-miadsd woman, or womap viii
= mission, = blae,, = lawyer aud ever,
thing else that, IL, hateful. Il begin I,
put on manly aim, already! :Ieaugb
myself yesterday swinging my parsso
cane.fashiou, and expect you will soor
meet mo with my bonnet set on ON.
side a. Mr.. De Baum wears bis hat
and am afraid you will not own me 70,
= fiiond much longer"
After very apparent effort, he said
"Do you tell me all this seriously
Miss Merlyn 2" .
"Seriously, euch are my life plans
and have looked on: them until the,
arc pleasant. Ny prospects appea,
good for making a home for mother
here and winning = competence.
have made some valuable friends, and
am somewhat ambitious to count Won iu
the number" -.
"Do you tell: me all this," said,
80 prevent my asking you the ques-
ton you must: have known I wished to
ask2 Do you think that you alonc,
could care for your family better than
We two together, if you were my wife
have neither mother nor sisters. My
business is very prosperous. Your
friends should be mine, your cares
mine. We should have no separate
interests. Providing for your mother,
brother and sisters: would be: small
matter, and then they: could come to
You at once aud L should be all. the
gainer."' >,.. ,.>.. ..
His manner, was 50 full Of agitation
and e.rnestuess, and Margaret had had
such bitter experience Of the pain Of
disappointed love-, her nerves had been
strung to such a tension that evening
that this unexpected and generous pro
posal quite overwhelmed her,, She
clasped her hands across his arm, burst
into 6t Of weeping, and sobbed;
"Oh, I am 80 sorry you care for me.
l wish you did not. I am very miser-
able. I thought you knew that I
should never love any one, 1t appear
ed to me as if everybody knew it. l
was engaged once, and shall never love
any one again but I need you for a
friend aud brother so much.'
.He laid his hand kindly on hers,
saying:
II should not have distressed you
With this sudden proposal Forgive
me. I had no right to speak to you
so, on so short an acquaintance. I will
be to you whatever you will permit me
to be-" =:
They walked on past Judge Ken
don's talking earnestly, and each ,ecov-
yering from the first shock of . great
disappointment. 1t was evident there
was something he wished to say that
was difficult to clothc in words, but at
length he said:
"Before accepting the position Of
friend, there is one thing I ought to
tell you-something I have always
lacked the courage to tell you. Do you
remember once being accosted on the
street, near Mr.. Walters house, in the
evening, by apuppy
II remember being spoken to by a
stranger"
II was that impertinent stranger
that puppy"
For an instant her hand relaxed on
his arm, then she elapsed it closer.
"You do not throw me off 2" he said.
ri would follow NY brother or friend
to the gates Of perditioo, and grapple
him there until the angels came to res
cue him." ...
"Would you not be afraid Of being
drawn in p: he asked. . i
"Oh, no; for the Savior has prom.
ised to keep that which I have com.
mitted to Him unto the perfect day,
and none can pluck anything out Of
Hia hand.' 80: .cE:i 4 7:;T;1*& "
"Then you can pardon mo for this ?"
"1f God can pardon you Why should
not II It: is His pardon you most
need, and you never can need that
more th.a !" }" After . pause; she
said: "1 wish yod would resd' the 22d
chapter and 18th verse Of Revelations
tonight ; and think how it would be
to be shut ont in the kennel with the
dogs, when our Fathers house is so
full Of glorious beauty and blesseduess.
I was once very near being numbered
in the catalogue Of those who are to be
without, for was very near being a
murderer, and am often afraid may
yet commit some terrible crime"