The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-02-26

glance up into the young mans face, and
her whole soule thrilled IS she caught the
magnetic love-beam Of his eyes. ts'ts q
~ What do you mean, she demanded. 4.
= ''Justiwhat say, Lu. / admire you;
love you. II have long wanted to tell. you.
so, and to ask you this. Now what say
you, will you be mine r. ~ - '>.>'
What could she say! She knew Mr.;
Hardness too well to suppose for = mo-
ment that he was trii1ing with her; but
it seemed impossible to realize that the
man she most revered. Of all in her. limit
ed circle of acquaintsnces had really
asked her to become his wife. Why did
his request touch 50 deep chord in her
soul Was it because it was the answer
of IN aspiration she had not dared &C.
knowledge, much less to cherishIl Be:
fore she could command herself, to frame
an answer; . dull football sounded upon
the stairs. ~" :.
=: "Let me GO; uncle is coming.''{ And
she tried to withdraw her hand. ""'
''Quick, then; yes or no!'
II guess so,'. and with = skip she
bounded into tho dining.room, to hide
the 5joy-Aush which would mantle her
cheeks with stranger glow.
Homer Hardness did not allow the mat
ter to rest long in that state. Satisfac-
tory terms were arranged with the uncle
and aunt, and it WAS decided that the
marriage should take place At the good
old New England anniversary-Thanks'
giving.
Early in the evening the ceremony was
very quietly performed, and the happy
husband started with his bride for q fly
ing visit to the home Of his parents in q
neighboring town. Ned had been given
= holiday for twenty-four hours, which he
was passing with a relative in another
portion of the city; so that an unusual
sense of quiet, almost amounting to de-
sertion, settled over the usually busting
establishment Of the Towncrs.
But at midnight the quiet was rudely
broken, and the noighborhood rang with
sharp cries Of ''Fire!" A defective flu<
in the bakery had caused the misfortune
the flames leaped rapidly from room te
room Of the old wooden building, so that
when the fire department reached the
scene they found the fire bursting Out
from basement to attic.
l VuSb NJ IuO OPVA o
tions, Ned dashed upon the scene, breath
less and excited. He saw the dense
smoke pouring from the window of Lu's
room, and wildly inquired for the occu
pant. But no one answered his Ques
ton, for none understood his meaning.
Calling her name wildly, he rushed W
the stairway. What transpired after
ward only the eye Of the Infinite saw. A
daring fireman attempted to follow him
few moments afterward, but the hall a.
the head of the stairs was sea Of flame
through which none could pass and live
Hours later, when the fire was extin
guished, from out the ruins was takel
something which, though bearing littl'
resemblance to the human form, coult
still be identified as all that remained o,
earth of Ned Snyder.
Lu, recalled from the strange dream Q
her new-found happiness, stood beside tn
cofdnel remains and heard the story o
his death. The memory of the disagree
able days and years was oil gone now
she remembered his many uncouth act
Of devotion, and the heroic manner Q
his death, in a supposed effort to save he
from the flames.
"Who would have thought that h
cared so much for me = she said. 'Poo
fellow! poor fellow!"
Eyes, dear Luz her husband respond
ed, ''you see that even such as he ma,
love so that life is disregarded in trying t
render q service to the object of that love
Poor fellow, indeed; but his death shal
not be IN vain, for will learn from hi
example to devote my life to you, as Ion
as life shall last, and it would indeed b
to my shame should my love prove les
unsel3sh than the love of FOOL