Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-01-31
WILLIE MARYLAND, FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY 81 1873
half-sisters, little Lucy Drew, came run

ming to meet her,
''Sister, sister, there's strange man
sitting by the fire. He's been waiting
ever so long to see you"
Alice hasted her footsteps at this rather
startling piece of news, while Lucy frisli
ed about by her side.
.. And he took Bessie on his lap anC
told her stories, and said we were nice
little girls, sisters; and | brought him ;
bowl of milk and some biscuits you mad,
last night"
Alice smiled as she opened the door O
the humble habitation that had beer
built by hardworking Peter Drew; bu
her cheek suddenly blanched as she be.
held the countenancc of this ''strang,
man." who had been the subject of little
Lucy's exhuberant hospitality
1t was Ernest Morton who sat by the
Western Preside, with Bessie and Jane
clinging to his knees.
Ernestw
At first she thought it was baseless
delusion Of the brain-some fancied re-
semblance springing from the secret, UNI
satisfied longlngs of her heart. But
when he was holding both her hands and
looking straight into her eyes, she knew
that it was none other than Ernests
self-Ernest come all this weary length
of miles to see her once again.
"Gct the little ones ready as soon as
you can, Alice" he said cheerily, when
| she had set down opposite him, with her
cherry lips apart, and eyes all humid
with unspolSen happiness. "We are all
going Eastward together, you know"
WEI"
:" Yes, | and my wife, and my little
sisters, for | stopped and spoke to the
minister at Okcville, two miles back,
and he is coming to marry us this very
evening""
"But, Ernest"
{" My dear, I know very we'll what
you are going to say; but | behaved like
a brute. Not until you were gone did |
see what pearl of price [ had thrown
away. You were right, as you always
are, and was wrong. / tried to live
without you, and found it was an i'm
possible thing. So here | am and here
| remain until you return with me. I've
taken the pretty house in Parker street
you remember it-with the bay-windows
looking toward the South, and the de-
lectable china closets in the dining
And it's all furnished as neat and com
plcte as a pin-a room up stairs just the
thing for these little women, and"
stop, Ernest. / have no right tc
ask you to burden yourself with the care
of my half-sisters," said Alice, reso-
lutely.
WHO has asked me, I'd like to know
You haven't. I've adopted them of my
own free will and pleasure, and you
have nothing whatever to say on the
subject"
The tears rushed to Alice's eyes. -
What change in the horizon Of her life
since she had locked the school-house
door with such weary heart nearly two
hours since.
- Oh, Ernest, l think | am too hap
py~
You can't be too happy, my brave
hearted little heroinc--that's quite i'm
possible" he said, tenderly clasping her
hand. ''How pale you have grown. -
But / shall bring the bloom back to your
check, when get you safely established
in Parker street. There's little car
riage and pair of ponies in the stable
there. What will the girls say to
that p
Tia children crowded around to hear
of the wonderful new acquisition, and
Alice stole away to lay aside her bonnet,
and brush out her curls.
And knceling at her bedside, she muir
INJURED prayer-a prayer Of thanks that
the stern road of duty, once set with
thorns and brambles, had blossomed out
into lifelong roses.