The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-09-16


when you honor me with the coDver-
satioD, for see you do not like it."
'I do like the truth, Miss Annie,
but It Is never told To me in such an
abrupt manner W4sH
"Ah me % she sighed. 81 shall new
er do. / see, I'm sure I should copy
Miss PrOudtOp more, for she never
tells it abruptly"
81 do not wish you to copy any
one"
'Inded ! / never should have con-
suited your wish :"
pardon me, Miss Annie, my too
great familiarity"
/ Upon my word this girl las made
me act impoiItely, rudsly and even
ind elicately. was indignant. =.
pNows Mr. Vernon she said, ~
A guess wed better be going home-
ward, If that word is known here il
it Is not too abrupt"
mot till you have told me that you
forgive me-"
"I have nothing to forgive"
"But my rudeness to you ?"
81 have really almost forgotten it."
Pshsw! She was an arrant hirt.
l was not even enough to her 10 have
my impoliteness remembered. nm
"I am glad you are SO forgetful," !" I
said stiffiy. "Aud now shall we go to
your aunt ?"
"Oh, not yet, let us wait awhile.
Do you know, Mr. Vernon, that I
lsomefimes think 1t wouId he so pleas
ant to die by the seRslIore-r
l wss astonIsbed this girl who had
made me so rIdie1IDus ANA now talK-
ling IN this way
81 often, she CONTINUED, "foOk
over the waves to the tiny ships that
seem to me to be like little hopes We
sometimes send from Us. They leave
their ports, our hearts frelghted with
fond fearful wishes, and they sail
past our lives into the great sea they
struggle on and on till they reach
the ports we sent them 20 i; ara ac-
knOwledged, aud we are happy. Bat
some Of them never reach the other
side. Now you are friGh tened; I
know knDsv ySuL- Ga'' are TEsrs take 1sEnF me 80
To confess the trutb, I was startled,
so that Was very quiet as we strOlled
along toward her aunt
That lady was waiting to receive
US.
"Come here, Annie, child % she
cried. 81 feel SO strangely. My head
is so heavy, and I have odd stinging
pains all over me- Il
And Annie, as she took her arm,
exclaimed.
"ADd =, On, Aunty, your face
is all in red blOtcbes, like musquito
bite. Help me Mr.. Vernon she is
fainting 9'' -
And so she was. carried her to
the hotel.
She left that evening for a little
cottage, which the doctor recon.
mended, near the hotel.
The next day felt very badly. ! i
Was heavy add lOW-spiFited. So
came doRn stairs TO the beach. Go
ing out | Boticed that something |
more than common WAS going on.
Trunks belonging 70 people leaving |
were everywhere. I hurried out, and |
just as the train passed me caught a
glance of Miss Proudtopis face at one
OF the windows OF car. She pa ssed,
butI failed TO comprehend.
AS went little further | met An
ME nurrylng on. III.
overlook her. 5ln
"Oh, Mr.. Vernon, don't come near
me. Haven't you heard ? Stay
where you are Poor Aunty ~ she
said brokenly ~
"What Is the matter with your
aunt, Miss Annie ?n
''0h don't you knew" she was
weeping, small pOx.p
Had tae hotel fallen on me / could
not have been more dead for the min
ute. was blinded, and when L oo1ld
see again Annie had disappeared.
/ tried to hurry to the doctors to
get q remeGy protecting me against
the Tnalsdy for was not with her
yesterday? tried to hurry but could
not, my feet seemed made of lead,
and at last l reeled into his Office, and
then knew nothing more.
Oh, the long awful days that must
have passed ere 1 opened my eyes in
3 cool little chamber, and saw q
young girl in deep mourning standing
BY the window EEFEx I
She turned on hearing ne. and
heaven lit was Annie.
Palef-thap nsuaL end sad looking
ireeESd IN the black dress.
"Hush J" she said, coming up to
me, "you have been very ill; you are
getting much better, thank God"
Tears were in her eyes.
"And you ?" faltered.
"I have nursed you now rest p
l looked about me horrible sus-
piclou rose in my mind. looked for
, mirror there was none. Then l
knew that had had the smallpox,
and, weak man that was, tainted.
cooling hand held my head when
awoke, and looking up I saw Annie
beside me.
81 know it is hard to bear" she
aid, "but l have had bitter loss,
too Aunty is dead"
Then, indeed, forgot myself in my
pity for the noble girl who could
lurse her only relative. and after los
ng that one friend could come to me,
/ stranger, and care for me. |,
"But where am ?n i asked.
sin the little cottage where we had
lunt after she caught the disease.
had you brought here, too, for hotels
ire not places for sickness, and, be-
Iides felt that T was in a measure
he cause of your being III. You were
y ASh ohO bOOh lllC OAoco5C1 anu Il /,
.-s --..--.-
"Annie," said, ''am 1 very awful
70 look upon ?"
"No !p
"If you had any one whom you low
ID, who was as disfigured as 1 am,
would you kiss him ?"
"Yes," she answered firmly, bnt ,
Durning rea And there, yes there,
just caught her around the neck, and
lolding her close to me 1 kissed her.
Then I-Rsked for a mirror. She
would have denied it, but I persisted
md she brought me one.
Alas Lost were the good looks +
which had made me Alexander. Lost
orever the praises and adulatiOns of
parents and friends. Lost now to me
he vanities, the conceits that had
made baby boys boy a man, but a
nan fool. Lost were everything
hat had formed me as / knew N.Y.
elf, but found--a better knowledge OF
What a man might be, an d found, ah
Ound, true loving, gentle little wife,
EhO taught me all that I ever knew
Annie.