The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-06-11

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out upon which he had founded his
professional hopes. Nothing remained
for them now but removal to a more
promising place.
Accordingly, the first bright morning
of the following week found Elsie and
Fred perched upon a huge baggage
wagon laden with household goods,
slowly vending their way along the
high-road that, girt with narrow prai-
ries and charming oak-openings,
stretches from the shores of Lake
Michigan further west.
Winter had passed, and the wild
spring winds had swept across the prai-
ries tide after tide of fantastic bloom.
In the town the gardens were at their
brightest Along the white-fenced
streets the villa-like cottages we're en-
powered in Towering vines. The air
was fragrant with the delicious breath
of roses and honeysuckles, and more
than ever fragrant at that hour of the
morning, when the owners were for the
most part fast asleep, and the flowers
themselves were heavy with dew.
AT that hour a laboring man, whose
clanking boots had sounded harshly
along the pavement in long approach,
paused at the door of lodging house
built apart from the gardened cottages,
and asked slipshod girl who was
cleaning its door step, "Does Miss
Arnold, the school-ma' am, live here ?"
"She lives here" answered the maid,
"but ye can't see her afore breakfast,
at his hathen hour"
"But must see her," the man said,
planting himself doggedly upon the
step "it's bizness."
eau I'm afther tellin' ye, bizness or
no bizness-- But sure here's the
tacher hersilf."
"Is it for me ?" asked a sweet voice !;
and into the doorway from a room ad-
joining the passage came young crea-
ture in white morning robe and golden
curls-Elsie Arnold. "Have you a
message for me?" she asked.
81 cum to see, miss, if we've heard
anything direc' from the squeer."
"No news" said the wife, sadly.
/" No. I hoped, indeed, you had some
word for me. [ am expecting tidings
every hour. The last were from THE
Pinery,' five weeks ago, when the RATS
were ready to go down the river. They
should have been long before this at
st. Louis"
"Wa'al," said the man, GIVE cum
for my papers. l heerd accidental as
heow Squeer Arnold, up in them pine
woods, had took the measles worst sort,
an lay at the pint of death Ye see,
meow, if he should drop of, my bizness
might fall Through"
The nasal drawl in which this SEN
tence was uttered broke at the last pro-
longed syllable into something like
whistle of dismay, for Elsie had fallen
senseless to the floor"
"Ye've killed her intirely," cried the
maid. And "What ave you done to
Mrs. Harnold ?" demanded the land
lady, who in the one instant required
to transfer volition from the key-hole
to the latch appeared upon the scene.
" She dropped like stone, an I
don't know what fur" exclaimed the
man; and he considerably added, as
the women lifted the slight burden and
bore it away, "I'll leave them papers,
an SEN Billy fur en-"
1t was long before Elsie recovered
from her deathlike swoon, and then
only to lie silently with closed eyes,
while people of the house watched in
turn by her bed. Two days had passed
thus, when late in the afternoon the
doctors wife entered, and something
i'll the tone of her voice aroused Elsie.
She looked up with a faint smile.
Are you strong enough" were the
words that greeted her, "to bear good
news ?"
eff there can be good news" mur-
INJURED Elsie, who during the long
hours of day and night that had seem
ed to her an eternity of suffering, had
looked at life as into an open grave.
The doctors wife was cautious in be-
slowing what she had brought. She
proceeded to deliver messages from the
school girls, and to strew the counter
pane of Elsie's bed with the bouquets
her little scholars had sent. By-and-by,
however, a package of letters were pro-
duced, and at last missive of more re-
cent date. Fred Arnold was on his
way home. He had already reached a
village only twenty miles distant he
might be in F. tonight.
"Coming tonight !" These were the
words that lifted the PROSTATE Elsie, as
ii some potent magic had made them a
staff of strength. "Coming tonight r'
she repeated to herself, and refusing
all help, she glided to and fro in loving
preparation, arranged every thing in
order, decorated the room with flowers,
and put on the blue dress that was
Fred's favorite. All his letters she had
read ; many OF them she had read
twice.
"Coming tonight !" she said to her.
self for the huudredth time, and hardly
could believe its full truth yet, when
she became aware of an unusual com.
motion in the passage leading past her
room to the front steps. There, after
tea, to enjoy the spring twilight that
fingers so long gacross the prairie plains,
were grouped. She heard the
of an arrival, voices of well
come, his voice The door opened, and
she was clasped to her husbands
breast.
Minutes OF perfect happiness, long as
they may last, are brief. Fred had
whispered to his wife, "We must never
be parted again." and Elsie had said,
in her tremulous delight, "Life has
come back" And then she lifted her
head from her husbands shoulder to
take one look at his loved face. And
then
There was-never to be recalled,
never to be forgotten-a start of hor-
ror. cry of pain.
Elsie crept back into her husbands
arms, cold as an icicle, shiyering like a
frost-bitten leaf.
"Speak to me, dear Fred, that may