Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-03-18
,hild sac sat there, ner breath coming in LITTLE

child she sat there, her breath coming in uttl
short gssps.
Unused to womanis moods and ways" b
was at loss what to do. He had an ides
though, that when q lady tainted, cold waite
was the thing. so he sprinkied her face from tn
cup standing on the table within reach of hi
hand, and, man-lke, drew her head down upor
/ his shoulder. ~
She was not altogether conscious, for she mad
! a weak movement TO withdraw herself from hi
arm: bat he whispered. Trust me and lie stin
will you not, Till you are better" Conscious
the while of odd, pleasant thrill, at his heart
as her faca lay so near his own that ne coult
have touched 1t with his lips.
Ifh had beer a dozen years older. he would
most likely, have yielded to the temptation ane
kissed the roses back to her cheeks, but there
was Just tne least bit Of beyish timidity ysi
about him; and besides he could not forget thai
he had been in part the cause this very illness
and his heart smote him regretfully whenever
he looked at her.
She sent him away by and by-as soon as she
was able to sit up without support. she would
not let him go home with her, either, though be
begged her to let him do so; she would do bet.
ter by herself, she said; but seeing the troubled
look in his eyesss he turned away, sherelented
so far as to say:
Il truss we part friendsT rmvrr
He came back to her at this, saying earnestly:
= Can you be my friend after what you have
known ofme for the past two months?'
II can bel am sincerelyyour friend
"Thank You for that. Knowing it shall not
carry such a sorely troubled conscience away
with me-"
Ahi he never guessed that instead of a troub-
IA frx {
heart away with him.s Il zCTTfE
| It was seven years before they looked upon
each others faces again. Such long, long in
| teryal, Those seven years had changed Scott
GoldrIck into g successful business man,
1 steadily arnassing his thousands, and alive to
1.-THE brilliant, courted young widow, Mrs. Logan.
! She had grown heart sick ofteaching, and one
day In desperate mood gave IL up and married
Paul Logan, the rich land owner. Scott Gold
rick, hearing of # in the distant city where he
was living, saids .sssN.9 SEHz&
"Such pity! She was one woman OF q thou
sand, and deserved better man than that"
Well, Paul Logan was better man than Scott
Goldrick's words would seem to imply, and bet
ter still, his gold brsught all comforts to the
helpless mother until she died, and home and
all the advantages of wealth to the little sisters
And now with her husband two years in the
grave, Mrs. Logan went freely into society
again.
"Such a lovely woman" men always said
when speaking OF her. And Scott Goldrick en-
dorsed the verdict when he met her at recep-
ton one evening, and the hostess supposing
them tope unaeqnainted. presented him.
1t was the Give Burnett OF seven years ago
who smiled up at him, as she said to Mrs. Lake.
.Mr. Goldrick and are old friends
"You remember me, then,' he said, as he led
her away. uxlr -.ssz /
aI never forget, /" was the sweetly gravereply.
But somehow, even with this fiattering be-
ginning, they did not seem to make much
progress in the renewal Of their old acquaint-
anceship. Meeting often, as they did, st party
and ball and reception, at concert and theatre
and opera, there was always an indehnable
something q ettstdnce between them; and 1t was
quite at the close of winter that calling one
morning on Mrs. Logan, to make his adieu be-
fore leaving town, Scott Goidrick fingered a
moment as he bowed over her hand at parting,
tosay, half but yet in earnest, too:
vs. a DO you remember the old school house?"
"Yes, remember; am going out there on
purpose to see it this coming summer"
"And /, too. Who knows but what we shall
meet?'
Mrs. Logan. paying flying visit to Ryefied,
procured the key to the old school house, empty
now for summer yacation-and walked down
there alone one afternoon TO look at it.
The door swung rustily upon its hinges as she
entered and looked curiously about. 1t was not
the cleanest place in the world for coat ofdust,
raised by the last sweeping, had settled over
every thing; but the rough-coated walls looked
familiar as ever, and the glazed maps hanging
there, and the unpainted wooden benches. 1t
was la that corner Scott Geldrick used to sit
and remem bering a tide of recollections rushed
over her, and she sat down in the low-baeked
chair and laid her head down upon the pine
table. Just as she had done that evening. more
than seven years before.
Sitting there buried in thought, she did not
hear the fcotstep that crossed the threshold
that paused there at the door, and then came to
her. while a voice said: =
- Miss Burnett am going away, win you bid
me good-by?" :
she looked up with little cry-to meet pair
of clear hazel eyes, 10 see before her bright
handsome face, and heavy waves of chestnut
hair. h 81
ssYou are really here, Mr.. Goldrick? / could
almost believe that the old days had come back
again. a.
saYou used to call me Scott, then,' he said,
Significantly, coming around and kneeling on
one knee beside her chair. "You are not pale
now. so 1 shall not sprinkle your face with
water" glancing at the empty cup standing
there on the table, !" butI should like to have
your head on my shoulder again i&IG
She made a movement to rise. but he detained
her.
"Don't he offended, Olive" he said, earnestly.
+Ixa inIn4 lof
me mal16 another confession. now. I think I
began 81 love yon fhatevening. but was a boy
and.d1d NOT Understand my own heart. i knoac
now that i low you. Four tacelas aiways been
before me ms the sweetest and finest in the
world You sent me sway from you then.-
Don't be so cruel again ! want to stay with
you always, Olive. z want 10 be your husband.
May L? ~ s..9ass.
For an answer she put up her white hands and
drew his head down upon her shoulder And
the brown wslls ,asf have opened eyes of as
tonishment, if eyes they hsd. to see Scott Gold
rick kissing the blushing little woman. You
see when man falls in love forthe first time at
twenty-seven, he is apt to be desperately in
earnest. ,-z~,-s
Z And in the gathering gloom ofstwilight they
locked the door of the old school house behind
Them and turned their steps homeward, not
teacherand pupil now, but plighted husband
Iandv1fe. flbsssS EsGE@ - 80 50
fur the Ecilas folks.
Z 81 ! $50 WHAT is LIFE.
A little crib beside the bed,
A littieface above the spread,
Alittie frock behind the door,
! "A little shoe upon the floor.
Alittle lad with dark brown hair,
, "A little blue-eyed face and fair.