The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-10-28
AFTER MANY YEARS.

AFTER MANY YEARS.
WELL, darling" | said, catching her
two hands in mine, as we met under the
trees in the loveliest corner Of the square.
| had no other words, and she did not
need any.
The old story" looking up at me,
just glance that showed her pretty eyes
had been crying. "I'm-I'm here, Shir-
ley"
Do you guess what those three words
meant? That Edna Nerdery, before the
first star looked out of the opal sky up
above us, would be my wife.
1t was the old story, you see-a penni-
less lover, true-hearted little woman
clinging to her faith, and a parental curse
impending over both our heads.
drew her hand tight through my arm,
and we walked away very quietly, for she
was tired, and the little hand trembed
against my side. She only told me that
she was not afraid, that she loved me, and
over and we two safe and far away to-
gether And 50 we went on and were
married.
Then took home my wife. 1t was
poor home, but she was not afraid to
sweetcn it with herself, and she had said
that she was glad TO come. She never
spoke of her father and mother and never
seemed to miss them or regret what she
had lost in them. | never should have
known that was grief to her but for one
day. She met me when | came home at
night, with her face all sparkling and her
voice unsteady with excitement, and even
before she kissed me cried out:
"I've seen my mothern'
Your mother? Has she been here ?"
| asked.
"Yes! Only think how glad | was
how surprised, She came and she kissed
me, and forgaye me-" putting her arms
around my neck and beginning to cry in
her gladneSs, land forgave you, too; and
she said she couldn't live and lose her
only daughter. Oh, Shirley, it was the
only thing more that | wanted on earth!
I'm so happy, darling!'
And your father"'
"He couldn't be as kind as she was"
said my little wife, with her cheek on
mine. Fathers never are; but she
thought-she was sure, she said-that he'd
forgive it all, and that she loved me just
as much all the time, and it would be all
right at last, Shirley. Oh! aren't you
happy, too? Look glad Tell me you're
glad, dear; you don't know how | wanted
it,"
was glad, for her sake, God knows; for
my own, | would never have cared to look
on their faces again.
But all that was changed now. Mrs.
Verdery's carriage ratified, day after day,
down the little dull street and stood at
Mrs. Lecompte's door, and Edna Lecompte
was pardoncd and petted and caressed as
if Edna Verdery had never disobeyed.
And then we were asked to dine at
home" she and and the old man greeted
us both kindly and kissed his daughter
to bury our old enmity as he shook my
hand; and after that night it was all sun
shine between us.
But | never ceased to feel an odd chill
in my heart like a prophecy of something
bitter coming between us. Perhaps it was
because instead of growing richer since |
married a wife | only grew poorer, and
the world outside our little room got dark
and threatening overhead and seemed only
a cold place for my child to inherit.
He came to test its tender mercies just
with the early winter and, as he came,
Edna was very nigh going out forever.
She was delicate little thing and needed
so much petting and nursing and tender
care that my heart ached, as many poor
mans has done before me, when looked III
the white little face that had been so rosy
when | first took her from her home. And
instead of growing stronger she only
drooped more, like Il flower in the first
frost and the child was as pale as she.
There was a season of business losses
and heavy failures; firm after firm gave
way and men went home idle, and my
turn came with the rest. And | knelt
down by my wife's bed, looked into her
eyes, and told her and asked her to for
give me for the wrong had done in low
ing her.
Don't feel so badly, Shirley" she
whispered, moving her head on my
shoulder. 81 know / am burden to
you, darling; but II can't wish it un-
done; We are so happy still-we've got
each other and baby and such long life
yet for all these little troubles to pass
away inl And it can't last long; you'll
get something better than what you lost.
Perhaps it will be the very best thing for
US, after all, that you should lose this
place and be forced to make a change"
"Perhaps It's all a chance" l said.
bitterly, "and must sit with my hands
tied, and you-Edna they were right! l
was selfish brute to draw you down to
this"
She clasped her arms around my neck
and kissed me and stopped my mouth,
and we were silent for awhile and the
room grew dark in the twilight.
"Shirley," she said softly, at last,
"would you let my father help you?"
"What do you mean?"
mamma asked me north ago if you
would leave New Orleans and take posi-
ton in my uncle's house in New York. |
never told you, because-she wanted me