The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-10-17

I'd dream of Margery, who had given him sucl
bitter pain.
il. INDEPENDENCE day dawned bright and warn
ne the sun coming down in brassy floods; whit
a here and there u golden arrow shot tnrougD
The foliage into Mrs. Dorsets cool breakfast
n. room, where host and hostess awaited their
in guests John came first trim and natty-look
Ing. and a moment after Mrs. Allan entered
n her white morning robe, bound at the wais
- with lavendar ribbons, while knots of thu
, same delicate hue peeped out of the crnkley
black hair and looking up, John stood face
o to face with Margery-not the fresh piquan
y Margery of old, but still Margery; pale, jad
ed looking, with the old rogulsh glitter il
If her big black eyes and the old smile on hel
.e lips .......f. ...
=, Not muscle moved in either face not the
n least sign of "old times" showed itself in the
k voice or looks of either party, as Dorset went
through tn" ceremony of introduction, in.
o wardly owning himself disappointed.
J., But there was a flash in John Grants hon
f est eyes that no one understood better than
Margery, who looked defiant and selt.posses-
ed as she ate her breakfast and kept Dorset
: Lettic in commissions Of laughter by her wit
ty sallies.
"ConiOund her" muttcrcd John, as he left
, the table, she's making fun OF me, | know.
; But I'll be even with her"
gentlemen, gathered at Dorsets, and by nine
O'Clock the cavacade, made up of buggics,
phactOns and carriages was on its way to
Stony Point.
John and the widow followed lcisurely on
horseback, and Margery, with white plume
noddng over her brow looked almost as
young as the day she listened to Johns love
making under the poplars, if John had only
been good.natured enough to see it,
Margery evidently enjoyed his rage, for
she talked bewtchingly and laughed wick.
eddy, until JOAN could not stand it no longer
and burst out in a righteous bit of indigna-
! ton.
"Margery Allan, if had led man on as
you did, only to make fool Of him in the
end, would be ashamed to look him in the
face" he said,
$50 would if had made fool of him"
replied Margcry, reused to sudden anger; "but
| if my memory serves me right | think g0U
made fool of me-"
"Ofyou? Why, never spoke Of love to
another woman but yourself. And didn't
spend every cent of my earnings TO have a
home ready for you? And didn't you show
me by word and deed, that you !oved me =
And then when | asked you honeStly-lov, |
ing you better than anything else on earth, |
Margery-to marry me, what did you say" |
"Why, put my answer under the white |
stone, like "a romantic idiot. and watched YOU
run down the beach, like mailman, after
you read it, said Margery with a nervous
laugh.
you said mo-
81 said yes John"
at was mo- | tell YOU" growled John, fu
riously. "Iou need not think have forgot
ten that; or, because I've stayed single seven
years, you are going to bewitch me into mar
rying you now"
"Who said | wanted to marry you?" snap
ped Margery. Not |, am sure; for any
man who would jlt woman as heartlessly
as you did me, would not I've worth marry. /
ing"
Saints above! Don't add falschood to the
rest of your failings, Margcry, for you have
sins enough on your head already. If a man
has not right to run away from a girl who
refused him, after hanging on his neck doz.
en- tines, vowing she loved him to distract
ion, | don't know what he has a right to do
And then you capped the height of your foi.
ly by marrying that baldheaded old miser,
jim"
"Stop!' cried Margery, her face flushed
crimson you shall net insult me- | won't
ride another rod with such an unreasonable
bear"
Margery resolutely stopped her horse in
along the road in thick clouds, and John
gulped down Il mouthtul as he cried petlsh-
ly:
Come on, and don't stand there in the
dust and heat. There is n storm coming,
and you'll be drenched TO the skin before
long"
But Margery sat on her horse like statue,
refusing to move al inch. John rode on, in
wardly matchmaking women and Fourth
of July excursions. Looking back, he saw
Margery turn her horses head in the direc.
ton of a huge poplar, whose dropping
extended far out over a narrow,
rocky stream. He rode on some distance,
and alighted near clump of alders. He
threw himself down on the grass TO smoke a
cigar and bite his mustache wrathfully. In
the distance he heard shouts of laughter as
the eXcursiOnsts reached their destination
and prepared to en- oy themselves; and
through n break in the woodland he saw =,
Margery's pony nibbling the branches, while =
Margery herself walked along the reclining ,,
trunk of the poplar, and seated herself on I,
huge bough that the rising wind rocked gen
lily. q :
Now John imagined that he hated Mar
gerry with hatred that nothing on earth ,,
could eradicate; but he felt little uneaslness
when the wind began TO blow like q perfect :
hurricane, and he saw the poplar bough on ,
which Margery was seated sway frightfully =
IN the wind. q
THE bough will break and let her into the :
water he murmurcd, rising to his feet and ;
her intently.
But Margery fearlessly kept her seat until .
the wind with one swoop, swept her from her :,
set. She caught blindiy at Il slender branch, !
and chung on with the grip of death, swing y
ing like pendulum over a deep blackish q
water. IF let him go I'm lost but I'll die !,
before John shall hear me scream" !
But her hand ached terribly, and she was !
drenched to the skin; while her feet almost !
touched the water. oh" giving a little !.
scream of fright rs she felt herself going :.
Hold on just moment" yelled John, :
coming to her aid, and running out among ,
the overhanging branches like a squirrel he :,
lrav. Ia m o., An CO e., g., ~. u