The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-10-07

denly the troubled look disappeared; be-
eyes came back from tie FIRE full Of light
e smile stole over her patient lip-, and sun
dry significant mods of her small head init
marely that . solution was found fo
the difficult problem, "What has come ove
Elinorf"
With q little sigh of relief she arose
threw shawl over her shoulders, and tip
toed her way to the door of Elinor's room
The door was ajar. The faint moonlight
coming in at the window revealed the TN
pre- .'-r-- of Ff- and Elinul
hersem-still in her brown deiaine-in a
woful little heap on the low beds foot, not
sleeping her headache away, but sobbing
her heart out to the spirit. of the dark.
Mrs. Lee was besides her in an instant
She laid one hand caressingly on the tan
g,ed wet hair. and with the fingers of the
other she smoothed the hot, beating temples
waiting till the sobs subslding into long.
drawn sighs before saying:
Il am your mother, Elinor. Tell me OF
Bohemia
eyes, yes; only put your arms around
me close, and let me find the old blessed
place on your bosom. Therel / didn't mean
to be such baby, ever. / SAID would be
patient and brave;that ought to be happy
and that l would be; and yet-and vet 0
mother, ,notherl I'm SO sorry let Tom 60
away; and I'm $3.50 wretched.''
1t was out at last-The old, old story
and Mrs. Lee folded her Bay State shawl
and her arms closed around her darling,
kissing and crying over her,as women will,
when happiest or saddest, over their best
beloved.
"May / tell you a little story?" she in
quired, after while. And hearing, or
fancying she heard, quiet" es'struggling
from the Bay-State, Mrs. Lee commenced
her story:
"It is year to morrow, since Tom went
away?'
No answer save quick, half smothered
sob.
ole was pc. of mine, you knew, from
babyhood; and from the time of your 60
ing into long clothes till he went away ]
shared the secret of his love for you Your
refusal nearly broke his heart, dear. He
wept like child, Elinor, or rather like n
man, when he told me that you never had
loved him except as you would surely have
loved the little brothers asleep in the orcherd
if God had suffered them to grow to noble
manhood-or that ut leasst you had told
HIM so. But be added-listen Elinor as
if the girl were not listening with ears and
heart and soulD If ever you have reason
to think she has mistaken her own heart
even the slightest reason, Mrs. Lee, to
think she has mistaken her own heart, will
you let me know? Will you watch closely
and let me know, Mrs. Lee? feel sure,
he said, that there will never come time
when | shall not be paiting-Dever time
in the Hereafter, when, to know that she
loved me, even little would not set me
high above all other men or saints land
for one year l shall wait in hope"
"In hope, mother Did you says, in
bope'2"
eyes; those were Toms very words
And he added, Il am coming back mex,
New Years eve--if Elinor is not married
to try "
"Wbat?O mother, mother! you would no
jest with me?" She had flung loose from
the Bay, State and the clinping arms, anc
was standing white in the while moon
light you could not jest will
me?"
Gilmore your mother, do that?"
"Forgive me, please, ,and--O Tom, Toni
dropping on her knees, and burying he
face in her mothers lap
! 81 have had 20 reason, DEAR" Mrs. lie
| cont inued, ''no reason al all until to night
to think yeu were conscious of having mis-
taken your own heart. You have KEEP
your secret well--and | have kept mine
Perhaps if we had confded in, as we hav
loved, each other, you would have bee
spared some headache"
What answer Elinor might have mad
we are never to know; for at that momen
there was ring of the door bell that sen
Elinor to her feet with something on he
cheeks that drank up their tears, land some
thing in her eyes that gave them the look c
an angels in the moonlight.
She followed her mother down stair
meaning, of course, just to get one goo
look at Tom, and then 60 back to her roo,
bathe her flushed face, readjust her cola
and grow indifferent poor foolish Elinor!
outwardly. But the sight of her darliu
whom she had mourned as lost, standr
there in the little room she had thought
lonely only an hour before, standing thel
80 strong, so grand. so helpful, and wit
the old look over his handsome face, put a
her resolutions to fight, and IN An insts'
she was in his arms, call tears and trent lie
bat anchored and at rest.
And so the New Year dawned golden
for Elinor Lee; and so may many and maj
New Year dawn on the so-rrwful ever,
where in the better time to be.
A Bad Man.