The Red Cloud chief., 1876-06-22
I'll MANY YEARS.

TWO ndIluS III nl1nc, as we met under the
trees in the ~lOveliest corner of the
square. l had no other words, and she
did not need any.
"The old story" looking up at me,
just a glance that showed her pretty
eyes had been crying. "Tm-I'm here,
Shirley"
Do you guess what those three words
meant? That Edna Verdery, before the
first star looked out of the opal sky up
above us, would be my wife.
1t was the old story, you sea pen
niless lover, a true-hearted little woman
clinging to her faith, and a parental
curse impending over both our heads.
1 drew her hand tight through nv
arm, and we walked away very quietly.
for she was tired, and the little hand
trembled against my side. She only
told me that she was not afraid, that
she loved me, and she would he glad to
rest when it was all over and we two
safe and far away together. And so we
went on and were married.
Then / took home my wife. 1t was a
poor home. but she was not afraid to
sweeten 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 re-
greet what she had lost in them. l never
should have known that was a grief to
her, but for n day. She met me when
l came home at night, with her face all
sparkling and her voice unsteady with
excitement, and even before she kissed
mt, cried out:
1--WE seen my mother!"
Your mother? Has she been here .
I asked.
"Yes! Only think how glad 1 was
how surprised! She came and she
kissed me. and forgave 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 l wanted
on earth. I'm so happy, darling"
And your father"
IL couldn't be so 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 I wanted it."
l was glad, for her sake, God knows:
Tor my own, 1 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 Lee
compte was pardOned and petted, and
caressed as if Edna Verdery had never
dlsobeyed. And then we were asked to
"dlne at home;" she and I; and the old
man greeted us both kindly and kissed
his daughter with two tears in his cold
eyes, and seemed to bury our old en-
nifty as he shook my hand; and after
that night it was all sunshine between
us.
But l never ceased to feel an old chill
In my heart like a prophecy of some
thing bitter coming between us. Per-
haps it was because instead of growing
richer since I married a wife, I only
grew poorer, and the world outside our
little room got dark and threatening
over head and seemed only a cold place
for my unborn 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 a delicate little thing.
and needed so much petting and nurs-
ing and tender care, my heart ached as
many a poor mans has done before me,
when 1 looked in the white little face
that had been so rosy when l first took