The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-01-07
time to the ticking of the old clock in


the corner.
Mrs. Stanhope had been failing slow
ly for years. Her life had faded "a the
day fades; you scarcely can tell that the
light is going out, but the irst you know
il is gone. 1t was so with her. The
light was almost me out, now. ID only
fickered for moment; then there would
be darkness.
"Marcia," she said family
"Well, Moiher?"
"There is something I want to tell you.
/ ought to have told you long ago. Dick
Gresham left letter for you when he
went away. read it, and hid il IN the
old clock. 1t is there yet. When ] am
gone, find il and read it. But not till
then. Marcia" She looked up pleading
Iy into Marcia's face.
"No, not till them" Marcia promised.
with a strange feeling of expectancy, re-
gret and anger at heart. What did that
bidder letter have to say? Perhaps
and then she tried to put all thought of
it ont of her head until he time came
for her to know what Dick had to say.
Bnt she could not do that.
By-and by Mrs. Stanhnpe said she
wanted to 20 to sleep. Marcia arranged
her pillows, and the sick woman closed
her eyes weArily.
She slept long and we'll, for she never
woke again.
The funeral was over. And then came
that awful sense Of desolatuOR which
follows "after the bnrial" Whoever has
passed IhFongh this experience Of life
can never forget the dreary loneso meness,
the solemn silence that Is about the
house. The world seems TO have stopped
for little time.
Tick, ticki the old clock kept repeat
ing that night, and Marcia went 10 it TO
solve the my ystery it held. She took the
old door, and removed the cnriously-
carved front. In the bottom covered
with the dust of fifteen years, she found
the letter she had never known of for so
long.
She read it through with a curious
blending Of pleasure to know that Dick
had loved her, and bitter regret for what
she had lost. If she had only known
thenl Now her life must 90 on as it had
gone SO long, but she shonld have it 10
think OF that he had LoUed her!
She laid her head down against the
old clock and cried softly. His love
would have been 30 sweet. 1t would
have made life so pleasant. But it was
lost. 1t had been lost for fifteen years.
There was a knock at the door. She
| got up drying her eyes hastily, and went
to admit her visitor, hardly conscious Of
what she was doing, but acting more
from force of habit than anything else.
A man stood on the threshold.
"Marcla," he said, and held out his
hand "You don't xnow me, guess.
am Dick Gresham. / came back to-day.
heard of your mothers death, and J
knew you'd be lonesome, and | thought
perhaps you'd be glad to see an old
friend, so I made bold to come"
"Oh, Dick, Dlekp' she cried, and then
broke down in true woman fashion. 81
wonder what sent you here to might? ]
have just found the letter you wrote and
left for me before you went away. ]
never knew there had been one until
three days ago. You can't blame me for
not writing, as you asked me to, Dick, !"
and then the face of this woman, whose
years were thirty five, and out of whose
heart you would have supposed all girl
ish romance had fed, grew suddenly hot
with sweet shame to think of what her
words meant.
"God scat me, guess" he said, with
a great gladness in his face, and he
caught her to his heart, and kissed her.
81 was sure you loved me, Marcia, but
the letter looked for never came, and /
thought your mother had got you to
thinking as she did. So ] gave up hop
ing for that which / took it for granted
had lost, and stayed away because
there was nothing to draw me back here.
A month ago got it into my head that
I wanted to see Hilbury again, and
came back. They told me that you were
Marcia Stanhope yet, and think that
act me to hoping a little. You see it's
hard to give mp hoping, in the first place.
and it don't take much to set man to
hoping again. after he thinks he's given
it up, for he can't forget"
And so, after fifteen years, the old
clock gave its secret up, and two hearts
came together to meyer be parted more.