The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-10-18

He had such handsome dark eyes ! 1
could see that without my glass;
eS.
"Now,' said 1 to myself, "I hope he
isn't going to get sofia sensible, gen.
tlemanly, agreeable man like him, and
quite old enough to be her father !'-
And SO i looked at him to see if he
was, when suddenly he turned upon
me.
"At least you might have written,
Agatha Wells !" said he, sharply.
started, as you may think, to hear
my own name spoken so familiarity by
stranger; when looking again, be-
hold L saw beneath the bronze, and
under the wrinkles and behind the
beard a face that twenty years before
was the dearest in the world to me-
the face of Duncan Ashley. Weparted
one day expecting to meet on the next,
but that evening he was called away,
and wrote instead of coming. In that
letter he said what he had said before,
with his eyes-yes, those same beauti-
full eyes-that was the choice of his
heart and the desire of his life.
"Answer me, i cannot wait till i
see YOU"
So answered-a long foolish letter,
though there was no need of writing /;
for he had read all could say long be-
fore, with those eyes Of his then l
watched and waited for him, but never
saw him or heard one word more. II
you are young, you can imagine the
slow dying out of hope and expecta-
ton, and if you are old, you know how
such things can be lived over, and hid
den in secret graves.
But now, as though the graves had
been opened, and the Judgment set,
came this sudden reproachful question
up from the buried past. 1 family
caught my breath, as turned back my
eyes and looked him in the face
again.
"Forgive me,' said he directly, In a
gentler tone, "I did not mean to speak.
You brought it out with your eyes ;that
questioning turn was so familiar. OF
course you were quite right, and new
er blamed you. never meant you
should see me again, but the tempta-
ton to feel myself besides you. only to
be in the soothing charm of your pres.
ence was too great. 1t has been a bless
ing 1 shall carry with me all the rest
of my life."
He was rising to SO away, but 1 put
out my hand. "I did write, Duncan
Ashley" said I, "the letter must have
gone wrong"
"You did! You wrote ~ he cried,
sinking back to his chair again, and
looking at me eagerly. "What did
you say? ?" =,
"There was only one thing I could
say; and 1 said that" 1 answered
blushing as though had just written
the letter.
A middle aged woman in hood and
waterproof. But, dear me, it was only
my face that was middle aged. after
all ; my heart was as young and silly
as ever. And as far as Duncan's face,
the marks of care, and thought, and
time, fell off, leaving in it only the
eternal youth of love.
1t was the only story of lost letter,
and the older story of proud man be
lieving himself rejected and humiliat
ed, and fleeing to the ends of the earth
with his pain.
"Twenty precious years were vast
ed !" said my new Zealeander. awe
will not be separated another day while
we both live. There is clergyman
among our passengers and we will be
married this very hourw
That was so like his headlong decis
ions Certainly he did need sober
second thought like me for ballast
"That cannot bev' I cried. The cere'
mony wouldn't be legal without H.
cense or something.
And wou ldby no means do anything
so sensational and conspicuous.
"But, bless you heart +! 1 might a;
well have tried to wipe up the Atlantic
with my pocket handkerchief. He was
so grieved, and so impatient, and 81
resolute land, indeed, twenty years il
long enongh for an engagement, that
finally dropped off my water proof ant
sea sickness, and stood up behind th'
pinnacle, and was married before eigh
bells that morning, ring and all.
Duncan produced it from a small
kasket where he had carried it in hi
waistcoat pocket for the whole twent.
| years.
"I could never bear 20 put the littl
thing away" said he looking at 1t ten
derly.
The next day we came to port, will
the sun shining and our flags flying
There was a furry of good-byes, hoist
ing of trunks, welcoming of friends ol
the shore, and glad hurrying to ant
fro.
Among the rest was an instants nest
ling of Miss Armour's lips on my cheek
and little cling of her hand in mine
the vaui shing of smile-and she wa
gone, like the flash Of a FREELY, out {
my sight forever. But wherever sh
is, and however she fares, she has tn
daily blessings of two middle'age
hearts, whose way to each other sh
unconsciously lighted.
|
Concerning ,COlOnels.
To call man Colonel is TO conve
the idea that he is of mild, meek an