The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-10-02

times added a pleasant Good morn
ing, Miss De Ruyter."
Aud alway thought of the wrong
be had done, and Of he good be could
have done instead; and ia my heart !
fear hated hin,.
| | heard not word from Robert or
of him. thought it very possible
that be would fnd wife among the
daughters of bis beloved Germany.
will not pretend to say | hoped SO.
/ could not think of it without agony.
Yet | knew that though like man
be had loved me, still, like a man he
would love again. Then one morn
ing | met bis father He paused,
raised bis hat, and said, "Miss Mar
garet, bat | must give you yet anoth-
er pain. Robert is dead"
dead ?" | repeated. "How can
Robert be dead ?n
He looked at me pityingly. "Iou
have suffered see; and now 1t Is too
late to hope. Poor child And yet, "
be added, "what is your hurt to mine,
who am old Z"
/ 40, Mr.. Tremaine, tell you truly
when | say that you have given me
no new grief The cup that is full
can hold no more and Robert is no
further removed from me than before.
Life suudered us cruelty, death has
made him wholly mine"
If pray you be mereiful," be said
And /, in my pity for his gray
hairs and his desolste old age, gave
him my hand in forgiveness and kind
ness.
1t seems that Robert had taken
passage for home the steamer with
all on board was lost, or supposed to
be
4 year went by Judge Tremaine
was still my neighbor, and he begged
that be might be allowed to be neigh
borIy He was sixty-fve years old,
and | was twenty-eight And the
little kindness he offered me | accept
ed, because it made him feel less the
burdened by his grief and mine. At
least | thought so, aud when one dag
he asked me to marry him my sur
prise was beyond measure. 1t was
only exceeded by my Indignation.
marry youl BE your wife!"
"Yes, Margaret. | mean il; be
my wife / will be g tender loving
husband to you and though it may
seem to you, in your youth, a mock
ery for me, with my gray hairs, to talk
of love, | tell you truly that ! do love
you aud could make your life, which
has been defrauded OF its best, rich and
grand and beautiful
For moment, for a wild moment,
did suffer myself to stand on this
mountain of temptation did suffer
myself to see the kingdoms Of the
esrtn, in their beauty and glory pass
before me; | did think what this could
bring iutJ a life which be had right
fully called defrsuded
| 0nls for moment. Then G food
Of me nories swept over me, memories
50 sect, so sad and so over-master-
1 ing | stood ia the dear past; and
hesrd Robart's voice, and looked into
Roberts eyes
Then ] said, as teuderly as could,
81 do not mock your passion nor call
it unreal, nor DO / fail to see what
you could do for me, bat | remember
what you have done, and | remember
Robert God help me- When for
get him, | shall forget all earthly
things"
! And so that was ended.
Two weeks later, as passed, early
in the morning, saw Grape swinging
on the door of the Tremaine mansion
Judge Tremsine had died the night
before A sudden stroke, the doctor
said, for be had seemed in excellent
health only the day previous.
I bad not seen his face since The
day he turned from my door, and
then it wore a look sad 10 see on the
face Of an old nan. Grief, remorse,
and tie hurt look Of one who had
failed 10 the ut.ermost
But death had touched him " ith
its blessed resifalness snd be lay at
last peace crowned
/ One must have little soul who
can stand by the dead and say over
the senseless clay, 81 hate you. /
remember ell the evil you have done,
and viii remember r' | felt only
pity and forgiveness for the man who
had passed beyond the need of eth
er.
4 short time after the will as
read Il was found that all his pos
sessions, houses, lands, bank-stock,
and oil, were left to me, whom be
named as his "loved and respected
friend, Margaret De Rayter."
Truly, The mills Of the Gods
grind slowly, though they grind ex-
eeedingly small" Others marveled
at the strangeness of the will. /,
who knew what they did not, reeOg-
nized the justice of it. Had Robert
lived, it would have been his and
now it's mine for | should have been
Roberts wife.
1t made me glad that be made this
acknowledgement Of his wrong.
said in the Beginning of this story
that had always expected 20 be
rich; and this was the way it came
and having passed through so much,
II was not strange that be first
thought that came 10 me was Of the
relief from irksome duties and petty
economies that it would bring.
1t was the thought Of the negative
good tha. came FIRST. The rusty al
lpacas, ihe fret Of daily teaching, and
the struggle With the kindling wood.
Later came the Consciousness of
the world this would open 20 me, and
| should have exulted nightly only
for the one loss which never could
be made up 10 me (; the loss for which
20 late restitution could atone.
took possession | moved ny
old feeble mother away from the plain
little house, and gave her the bright
est, sunniest room il the grand man
sion. / beauti6ed aud adorned the
grounds as chose; bot in the house
| made few changes, save TO bring
books and pictures according to my
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