Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-05-31
and the servant entered and brought her a

and the servant entered and brought her q
card.
1FThe gentleman is below, Miss Marga-
ret, and would like to speak with you, if
convenient" said the girl.
Margaret looked at the card.
"ELLISoN STRONG"
The room reeled round and round, and
she turned so pale that the girl was then
frightened.
'Sure, Miss Margaret, it is i'll that We are,
and III go down and send the gentleman
away 49,
"No, non' said Margaret, recovering her
composure with an effort. ''Help me to
finish dressing, Kate; l must see him."
Kate, with a wOman's quickness, guessed
something of the truth and did her best
to make her mistress look as pretty as
possible.
With the old color in her cheek, aud the
old happy light in her soft, brown eyes,
Margaret stole down tie stairs. But at the
parlor door a sudden Thought startled and
checked her.
81 am thlrty-fire wears old to-day, and lie
is now man of Gfty. lie has been away
for twenty years. How can | hope or
fancy that he has remembered me all this
time as have thought Of him."
A little sobered by this misgiving, she
opened the door.
She looked for a man alinos; a stranger;
man bent and bowed with the cares of
twenty years a man whose brow was fur
rowed, and whose stdtucsIue beauty gone
as ifit had never been.
And she saw before her Ellison Strong,
as she had seen him nc very day of their
parting. twenty years before. Stately and
erect as ever, with brilliant color on his
cheek, and his blue eyes flashing with all
the fire of early youth and not trace Of
care or sorrow to mar tho beauty which
she remembered so we'll. He sprang to
meet her, and took her iy the hand, and
looked down into her eyes with a search
! ing, almost in1perious glance.
s. Margaret" said tie deep, sweet voice.
whose music was unchanged, Il have ataid
away from you a whole lifetime and Il
| last, the craving to see or hear Of YOU grew
too strong to be denied | came here OK
pecting to find you Il Happy wife, with your
children at your Knee, arsd here y0a are
solitary and alone, though Young aud heau-
. tiful as ever. How is that ?''
She could not answer with those deen
blue eyes searching lter dropping face 50
intently. But deep crimson blush 1ose
, more eloqunnlly than even words coull
DO.
Il left you twenty wears ago, my dar-
ling, because | was poor man and fifteen
years your senior. am rich now. hut
what about the years, Margaret? Thny
have made me no Younger, am fifty wears
old to-day"
But am thirty -f>c." Sic said, in 4
low voice. Il see no gray hairs ia your
brown cIlIls, but they begin 10 rome in
mine. Fifty years old today ? You louh
not an hour older than wiir' We parted in
the hall"
He bent his face down upon hers.
'Margaret, you liked me tilen-ran you
love me now-will you be Dy wife "
For an answer she lifted her lips TO his.
"Twenty years ago YOU would not kiss
me you bade me keep t';stt first kiss for
the man was to love and marry. | have
kept it for YOU twenty years. VIII You
take it now ?''
He held her closely TO his heart in 81
lence.
Thirty-tive and fifty years Of age, Does
1t seem absurd to you, Young lady OF six
teen? All me ! sometimes wonder if
people ever really know how to love before
gray hairs begin to come to teach them.