Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-03-14

best room by the outside door, and
came IN through tie kitchen The
nelghbor's sleigh that was to call for
them was already at the door, and
John begged them to excuse HIM. He
had set his heart on helping Huldah
make mince pies, as he used to help
/ his mother when boy. His sister was
IN despair, but she did not say much
She told John it was time he was get
ting over his queer freaks. And the
! sleigh drove off.
! For an hour afterward, John romped
with his sisters children, and told
stories to the boys, and talked to his
father. When man has barely es-
capped gong over a precipice, he does
not like to think too much about it.
John did not.
At last the little children went to
bed. The old gentleman grew sleepy
and tired. The boys went INTO the sit
ting room and went to sleep, one on
the lounge and one on the floor Huldah
was Just ready to begin herpes. She
was deeply hurt, but John succeededin
making her more cheerful. He rolled ND
his sleeves and went to rolling out the
pastry. he thought he had never seen
sweeter picture than the young girl IN
clean dress and apron, with her sleeves
rolled up above her elbows. There was
a statuesque perfection in the well
rounded arms. The heat Of the fire
had flushed her face a little, and she
was laughing merrily at Johns awkward
blundcrs IN pie making. John was
delighted--he hardly knew why. In
fixing ple-crust, his tingures touched
hers, and he started as though he had
touched galvanic battery. He look
ed ut Huldah, and saw a half painful
expression on her flushed face
For the first time it occurred to him
that Huldah Manners had excited in
him feeling a thousand times deeper
than anything he had felt toward Janet,
who seemed to be now in another world
For the first time he realized that he
had been more in love with Huldah
than with Janet all the time. Why
not marry here And then he remem-
bered what the governor had said about
marrying a womans heart and not her
| head.
He put on his hat and walked out
out, into the darkness, the drizzling
rain, and the slush of melting snow,
/ fighting n fierce battle. All his pride
and all his cowardly vanity were on one
! side, and the irresistible torrents of his
! love on the other. He walked away in
to the dark wood-pasture, trying to
| cool his brow, trying to think, would
/ you belive it y trying to pray, for it
was a great struggle, and in any great
struggle a true soul finds something
very like prayer in his heart.
The feeling of love may exist without
attracting the attention of its possess
or 1t had never occurred to John that
he could love or marry Huldah. Thus
1 it mad grown all the more gowerful for
not being observed, and now the I'M
seen fire had, ut flash, appeared as an
all-consrm'ng one.
Tuning back, he stood without the
window, in the shadow, and looked
/ through the glass at the trim young
| girl ut work with her pies. In the
modest, restful face he read the story
of heart that had carried a great bur
den patiently and nobly. What a glo-
rious picture was she of warmth and
light, framed in darkness To his heart,
at that moment, all the light and
warmth of the world centred in HUI
dah. All the world beside was loneli-
ness, and darkness, and drlzzle, and
slush. His fear Of his sister and of his
friends seemed base and cowardly.-
And the more he looked at this vision
of the night, this revelation of peace,
and love, and light, the more ne was
determined to possess 1T. You Will call
him precipitate. But when all a mans
nobility is on one side, and all his
meanness ON the other, why hesitate
Besides, John Harlow had done more
thinking in that half hour than most
men do in Il month.
The vision vanished from the window,
and he went in and sat down. She had,
bv this time. put in the last pie, aud
was sitting with her head on her hand.
The candle hickered and went out, and
there was only the weird and ruddy
freight. | cannot tell you what words
passed between John and the surprised
Huldah. who had thought him already
betrothed to Miss Dunton. | could
not tell what was said III the light OF
the fire don't suppose that Huldah
could tell the story herself.
Huldah asked that he should not
saw ANYTHING about it till his sister was
gone. OF course John saw that she
asked it for his sake. But his own
cowardice was glad of the shelter.
Next day brother of Johns (whom
| forgot to mention before) came home
from college. Mrs. Holiness husband
arrived unexpectedly. Aunt judith,
with her family, came over at dinner
time, so that there was large and
merry party. Two hearts, at least,
Joined in the deacon's Thanksgiving be