Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-10-26

~
cd NJ her. There are women of sixtec,,
and children OF sixteen. This was a
child. She wore the scantiest of cotton
dresses, belted at the waist. pair Of
leather boots and white apron In her
hand she carried sOn-bOnnet, and her
hair cropped short like boys. cnrled in
black rings about her head. The face was
babys fare in sweetness and Innocence.
the little brown hands the han Is OF toll.
No young lady this. yet there was moth
ing coarse and vulgar about her unless
II was her hands.
That is Oldtown church. my DEAR" 1
sid. ''are you going there
Yes, sir, to see the wedding. Are
your
was. more fool I. though l did not
say so to this child. The bride for whom
the bells We're ringing was TO have been
mine once-would have been but for the
accident which had crippled me and
changed her heart. She had done moth
ing treacheronsly. but saw the truth
and set her free. She took her freedom
gladly and we were two. She had quite
forgotten me. no doubt. / believed that
l never could forget her.
knew lust exactly how she would
look In snowy silk and ic' and coronrt
of pearls had dreamed of her in her
bride robes so Oftrn.
nodded to the little thing beside" me
trudging over the meadow path with the
tall grass almos; TO her waist, and look
ing Mt me so wistfully.
II never saw wedding, she said.
mop
mo. sir. Grandfath said l might
come. He didn't care himself. It's Il
hot MI hos
very DID,
sDocs your grandfather ep the tay-
ern?- asked.
NO. sir. wish he dir said the child.
ale has only his fiddle and people half
the time don't care for tunes. What can
he do. though? Tonight there's dance
AMI he's to play for them. That's why
we stopped
A poor fid,ller's untaught child-as
poor as ,leccrt poverty could be-ye her
presence somewhat cheered me. Half
chill. half woman. yet al child at heart
Innocent. beautiful. kinh1y. encouraged
her to Iingrr at nv side. | sail TO her:
IL will show YOU place where Won
can see The bride well. lf is in the gal
lery. Will you like iliai?"
II don't know" she said. IL haven't Of
ter been to church. We pray together in
lonely places. grandfather and | Will
yOu he there, sir"
.Ya-"
Il know I shnuli like ~
.a'6,ne with me- them" said. and she
followed
had meant 10 lille myself in the GAL
irrv r,,i see nv lost love married! quite
rn en- This com naninn had not been
in nv roll at all M friend. No relation.
not nv own sister would have hsd he
side M, bu' this nlish thing was too
innocert to fear. ! le'l the WAY up The
dark oil stairs AMI toward Il spo' quite
sh.lls>a.l from gen"r,l view. Then l
sat down and she s,oers leaning over the
l,alu trade. F
The church was full Of bonn"tr. H"re
anl there only y m1srulinr heel. The
minister was in his scit reading. in a
nnsi,ion taken Cor cffec.. IL was a
li,n lSnme nun AMI he kre it perfectly
we'll
Girls WHISPERED anil gigglrd. ma'rors
fanned tn mSrlveS. anil men yawned.
soon - . SOIL r.Il Of crrrirg on III"
gravel path was herrl. ar-1 The bridal
party ru.er,d. Isiw her ~ | ,s' A'e'fa
lis that The bri,i..?~ half s"hhrd The
girls voice at nv sill. rs it y real ally?
beautifully, 7. ok. Look
She touched me with her little brown
land AMI looked at me, her eyes spark
ling.
Did ynu evrr see her beiore:" she
asked. is she like iI,t in everyday
cloihe-? Oh. how prr'tv. how pretty"
Men have no right tn weep. pat nv
j,erd down on rI,e ru.'Ii ,r-'I pew AMI
i,isi nv eyes, | telt the child creep down
be-isl" me:
.P.,or IN m. hos tire'l,' hrar.l her
whisper, anl she put her little h::n., Oui
aE'l paft..,l IN" softly by stealth.
Soon looked down into the church
again. AMI saw Grant Stanton kiss his
brIl..
is il all over?~ asked the gill.
Yes. child" I i'll. sail over"
Then mus, 81" she said. '.frhank
you for being so 'iiud Ia M. SIR"
Went HON" when the elprrel, was
quite empty. |; had moi been so hart, Ia
bear rs had far".l. and oddly enough
fomnd myself thinking of that clild'-
little gypsy heal anil those long fringed
eyes wondered myself. hut it was so
II shOulsi like to see the child ag,i,.'
said; and rs | spoke | saw crowd
about Il tavern door upon the road.
II WIS Il rough place. AMI poor rough
people made mp the group. But it was
pl,in it was no common quarrel OF
drinking bout which had brought them
here. tor their faces were all grave ard
their voices suppressed. crossed thu
road.
"What has happened, friand?" l asked
Of II tinker near by.
Only blind fiddler dropped dead
he S.i1 IN a oral
about it,
And then passed him and went in
An old man lay upon the floor. ant
across his body Il young girl had throw
herself. knew the gypsy hair aDC
brown neck fhe scan. cotton dress ant
son-bonnct. hung with handful of wilt
flowers ipou the hoOr; and | bent Ovel
her touching her little drspairiHg head.
MY child" said, ''he is happier thai
we are.r
And she looked up.
lille was all Ilad," she said; .sall. ALL
So had thought when Aletta gave
me back our betr0thal ring. My hear
nched for her. said no other wOrl bu
led her to another room while Two mel
bore the dead m IN up stairs. She wep
wildly but my presence seemed to com
fort her
After a while she drew closer to me
anu sitting upon a low stool. laid heI
head upon my knee. Soon my band rest
ed upon it and i'm an hour she had sob
bed herself to sleep.
SAID a few words to the landlady
when arose to leave. and she promised
10 attend TO my orders. enforced BY the
contents OF my pOcket-bovk.
1.-The girl sllan't 90 until herr from
you, SIR" she said. Indeed. | don't