Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-05-21

Elihu, that when you go shall think
Of you as among strangers, poor, per-
haps i'll, perhaps dying"
She hid her face in her hands and
sobbed aloud.
Elihu waited till her grief had ex-
hausted itself, and then took her
hand.
"What you say is all very true,
Sara, l am not fit to go out into the
world alone. Will you go with mo?
You have good home here, know,
but if have you to work for, / will
soon give better one.-And bye
and-bye Ben can come to us, and we
will make man of him. Will you
be my wife, Sara?"
She looked at him with all the sol
emn fervor OF woman's love and
devotion shining in her eyes.
eff you will take me, Elihu, and
let me care tor you, l shall be the
happiest creature on earth. From
the moment when l saw you come in
at the farm-gate, from that moment
when knew that your fortune was
gone, and that you were i'll and alone
in the world, have prayed that you
might love me. don't care where
our home is, so that we share it to-
gether. l can be happier with youin
a log-hut than l could be with any
one else in palace; for you need
me, Elihu, and IL have thought and
dreamed of you, and, l really believe,
loved you from the day when my
mother first told me about you, when
/ was sitting at her knee"
So they were betrothed, and after
storm at the farmhouse, when her
decision was first made known,
Sara followed the fortunes of her
lover to a distant city where they
were married.
Ben went with her as her protector
and "bcst man." Her father kissed
her and cried over her, as he bade
her farewell, and put a pocket book
containing five hundred dollars into
her hand for the wedding portion.
can't 60 with you to give you
away, my dear, and can't let you be
married here" said the old man. /
shall never hear the last of it if l do;
and Pm getting old now, and l want
peace and quiet in my old home. But
God bless You, Sara, and your hus-
band that is to be. Poor Elihu!
Your mother loved him dearly, and l
don't know fault he has in the
world, except that he is poor"
So strengthened by her fathers
approval and blessing, Sara approach
ed the alter to consecrate her life to
the hero of her dreams.
The ceremony over they drove to a
first-class hotel, and breakfasted in a
style that made Sara tremble for the
future. And after breakfast Elihu
laid package before her, and cas-
ket by the side of her plate.
"My first present to my wife" said
he. Gas for you, Ben"
A cry of delight from Ben made
his sister turn round to look at him.
The boy was glorious in gold hunt
ing-watch and chain.
'Open your casket love-" said her
husband, smiling.
She obcycd, and river Of light
seemed to flash upon her from the
diamonds within. At the same mo-
ment her husband broke the seal of
the package, and showed her bank
note inscribed with her name.
''Ten thousand dollars are deposi-
ted there subject to your order," said
Elihu carelessly.
"Ten thousand dollars! and the
watch and the diamonds! gasped
Sara, turning pale. "What can it all
mean?"
II know" broke in Ben, with a
joyous laugh. "Cousin Elihu has
been pretending to be poor all this
time. Nicely sold all those people at
the farm will be!'
Sara turned to her husband. He
smiled, and drew her closely to his
breast. From that happy day not
wish of hers or Ben's has been un-
gratitied. And all the romance Of
her life began instead of ending (as
she for a time supposedly "when
Elihu came home"