Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-03-25

sleep soft and live warm It's well d
know them all. You will never wan
the care of a son again, so help m
r Godr -
Eyes, yes, / knew you would sa,
that, cried the Major. sBut of wha
use was it all !? You have ruined your
self / know what am. Who told yol
this ?"
"A man who came from Virginia t.
|; find you
''What does be want ?"
"He would not tell me-" Proctor
face clouded- The Majors quick eye
marked It.
.'He has warrant for me, I suppose ?
sullen and dogged
Il do not know. He refused to Civ,
me any hint
There were several little affairs
there's no use in their stirring up muddy
water, that I can see, . peevishly. sBui
If it's criminal-let me alone, Jack
catching the young mans sleeve. ''You
shall not drag yourself down for me
Il not have my whole life thwarted,
fercely.
Jacks answer was to glance around
the poverty stricken garet, and at his
own costly quiet dress. The tears were
in his eyes. Were one now, come
what Will, father, he said quietly
I''That is the man at the door"
The Major went to open it. "I'lt balk
them yet, he muttered. sI'lI not drag
| Jack down. He came back in a mo-
ment, a huge yellow envelope IN his
hand. He sent it IN letter A man
cant be arrested by letter 1t may be-
! turning It over whats this God
bless my soul, what's this Why, it's no
arrest &"
Thank God for that y muttered
Proctor. @
Robert Standish is dead, " said Jack,
Poring and muttering over a parchment
sheet
''Is he, sir ?" indiferently. Jack was
standing aWkwardly alone, for Madeline,
whom he had time to notice now, was
engrossed in tying up some drawings of
hers, which she was going to take away
with her. She would not leave one yes
| tige of herself in her old home, she
thought. The old man would 60 with
his son to the delicate little rosebud of
a girl AS for her, what did it matter
that she had no home, nobody on earth
but them that her life had held nothing
but them
The drawings looked like master
pieces of art to Jack he had heard Of
Maddys genius. How cold and still she
had grown in these two years 1t might
be devotion to art and her work. She
looked as impassive and abstracted as if
she had gone into some height unknown
to him, from whence she would look
down on all his fancies and his Jack
never remained long in doubt about
anything. l- 58
"Maddy p He crossed the hearth-rug
to the corner where she stood, and took
up her hand. "The ring? It's gone"
Maddy glanced down carelessly.-
Ring Yes. remember now. That
ring was too small. l took it off long
Jacks eyes twinkled !; he held her
wrist tight. How long ago Within
the hour See how red and bruised the
little hand is y
The pity was too much for heroic
Maddy. She, gave sob, but held the
tears back in her wet miserable eyes
Jack never knew in all his life how deep
the bruise went when that ring came OFF.
He looked at her steadily, closer, closer;
lifted the hurt hand till his breath touch
ed it, then kissed it. Just as he used to
kiss her lips long ago as no man had
touched them since; as they never
would be kissed again.
She drew back. ''You have no right
to play with me that way" At the first
tone of her altered voice, Jack stood
startled and grave. What do you
mean, Madaline You need not feign
that you did not know l loved you when
went away two years ago =
You were under no promise to me,
quickly. II have no right to reproach
you"
"No promise. But 1 loved you"
'sAnd now little Clara has taken my
place" with icy composure. II do not
think that strange.
'sThat poor little creature o, Mad
cline F. E
That touch of contempt was worth
more than a thousand arguments. DO
YOU mean to say you d01t't love her,
Jack p catching his coat lapPels with
both her hands. i've been 500 mis-
cradle Il She dropped her head
and said no more but the little Bur
gundy rose had opened its heart to him
now with all its sweetness and spicy per-
fume, and Jack knew the favor of it
we'll He had been waiting for it a good
many years.
They sat together in a shaded corner
the Major was poring over his Parch
ment by freight. After awhile Made
line referred to her rival again, patron
izingly. "Clara is pretty, you must &C
knowledge, Jack. Though she is weak,
as you say, poor child =
II don't know, said Mr. Jack, whose
conscience twinged him with certain
moonlight walks in Chicago. , ''She was
very considerate and kind to me, Mad
cline. Her father was anxious for me
to take the First Church here. But I'd
made up my mind to that little home IN
the West-if you would go with me. .
81 always. thought you'd come fer
me, said honest Raddy.
The Major was looking at them over
his spectacIes. $50 So ?'' he said in
a1nazement. why. God bless you,
children You plan better for your
selves than / did for you.
lack laughed, and drew his chair over
between them. at will be hard work
to live, at first. But we three are old
comrades and know how to rough it. -
This is a duplicate of Robert Standish's s
will, " said the Major, striving to be legal
and lucid, "and by it l find certain
demesnes, ges-wen, / dom
know, to tell the truth, if it's a fortune
or a mere competency, Jack. But 1t $
enough for us all to give McMurray and
his cursed sCamera' the go-by for life
We may start National Magazine with
| it, in his old Dragging tone.
There viii be no more of this for you
then, father" glancing around. The
bare floors, and pinChed poverty and
the worn-out old man, with his white
hair in the midst, chafed Jackangry and
sore continually. a
And here is the supper, at last, Scried
Maddy.
81 had really forgotten was hungry :
but it is long past my usual dinner hour, .
said the Major. loftily. He rose with
aIacritv. to help her spread the white
cloth and set the hot dainty dishes on
it, managing; as he lighted the lamp, to
empty a half-flied goblet into the ashes.
"Such abominable wine as these fellows
furnish me now - he muttered, and
then suddenly stopped, looking at Jack,
a shamed, defeated look Creeping all
over his big body. He went to him.