Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1875-08-20
WHEN ELIHu CAME HOME,

All her life loug Sara Holmes had a r,
nance. I began and ended in these words
"When EIihu comes home" And thoug
Ishe was but nineteen years old at the tim
of which l write, it seemed to her on III
Icvcning Of that burning July day, tha
she had been living one or two cen,uric
in this world, and all the time dryamin
golden dreams Of. Eiihu. only to find then
shiycrrd into atoms at the last.
For Elihu had come. And the time an,
the manner Of his coming were So un
looked for ard 80 unexpected tc her, q
10 every one Else, that II was no wonde
lie girl 50. there in the moonlight, ssyin,
10 herself. He is here. never nee,
watch or wait for him again Poor Elihu :
| The earliest stories she could remembe
had been told her. by her mother. abou
Cousin Elihu" md the enormous forum,
he had made "iown South. I" at a tim,
when fortunes could yet be mad, there
She hal heard fabulous tales of the pal
scc ~ which he liv.d, Vf the slaves who
flew 10 do his bidding. of his beautiful
carriages and horses and Of the Jewels and
silks and velveis that fortunate woman
would p,ssess who would one day bl come
Elihu's bride.
Other g,rls had heard these stories also,
n d the belle Of Hol'nesdale often said
hat. when she was sixteen, she would fluid
her way down South. and ''set her cap''
for Eiihu Holmes. And now Elihu had
come home.
As Sara Holmes grew and developed in.
to queenly and self-possessed young wo
man. the thought would sometimes occur
to her, As she stood before the mirror
braiding her dark hair, IF he should come
! ack would he think NE pretty!" The
tread low brow, the oval cheeks and dim
pied chin answered; the heal,hful color,
The deep, dark eyes. the sudden. bright,
bewildcrdicg smile, said yes For the
treasures of her mind and heart might
we'll have won an older and wiser man to
love her, long before Elihu came home.
And now she drew long breath and
set herself to recall all the incidents OF
that sudden aud startling return.
Tea was over-the milk strained-and
they were oil sitting on the front plaza un-
der the shade of the naples and the To-
Gusts, while her father read bits from the
weekly village paper aloud. Her step
mother Was knitting; her sister Grace was
lining . hat and her brother Ben was
whitiliDg out y toy boat, while Sara sat
besi6e him in rcverie about her hero in
tie South.
A carriage drove upethc village road and
hailed At their gate. The driver descend
I'd from his seat and beckUned to herI
father, who hurried down to meet him
After ta:k'' e sometime together, small;
trunk was lifted down and left beside the
,slc. Then the carriage door was opened
md TALL figure descended, and. directly
.fier. Ben, Who had followed his father,
% 1t of boyi. b curiosity, galIOped back
xith distended eyes and whispered loudly
Mother girls! Cousin Elihu has come
And has lost every cent of his property
,0wn South! heard the driver tell father
~! Aud they have sent him off here,
Hone. because they thought he was going
. be sick; and there he is, you see, lean
nx on father and .he driver, and be cant
W, lust walk. Isn't . blamed shame of
hese SouthernevsY'
mercy Z" exclaimed Ben's step-mother,
ising. ~ they al rose. when the tall,
lender figure approached.
Sara looked up with her heart In her
yes. to her great hero-no less . hero TO
'er for the pi,iful history OF loss and ruin
hat she had just heard.
He was tall. upright, elegant IooktDgI
nan. with fair complexion. large, mel
ncholy blue eyes. q long strstght nose.
ro,pinx ~yehwws, fine lips and firmly l.
,nndcd chm. thar sometimes cOunterscied
,e listlrse sadness on the rest Of his face.
lis hair vas fast turning gray, and thelt
ssvv col en- brown mustAchs had one OF
m threads Of silver, but with that ex
en.i.,n he wOre no look Of age.
rnhs vss well but plainly dressed in .
suis of gray. He removed h's
4. = - drrw nsar the Isdies. with .ls
graes bst he h'oked - VAN foF|s
he w.rn weluoms fgom the second MA 4
rolnae sd ~ dAsxsssr 0racs ihss gel
I'D heys sscsivsd isoa aas ows cessast
a - - diva s.
~ nel.es nowed = hin oaldly tAe'It
~