River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-17

She looked at me wistfully, with her
great blue eyes full of tears as she rose to
go.
at was cruel of him." she said, "cruel
to leave me so poor, but he was never
kind, never-not in the honeymoon
even"
81 regret to hear it, | said.
81 could expect nothing more," she
said. II did not love him-I never
loved but one-and that one"
She paused and looked at me.
''That one / love STILL" she said
And Heaven knows no feeling of re-
venge of petty triumph was in my heart
when / looked in Aletta Stanton's eyes il
did not understand her, and courteous |
ly bowed her out
Did / ever care for that woman2' |
thought, "or IS it all dream"
took my adopted child to d theater |
that night and we saw the Lady of Lyons
together. 1t was her first playing ex-
perisnce, and she enjoyed it immensely. |
She wore a white dress and bonnet and |
the coral drops had fastened into her
ears. could not help looking into her
eyes and touching her hand with mine.
When l left her kissed her.
''Good-night, my child" said.
And she answered. good might" with |
a cheek dyed on the instant deeper scar
LET, and ran away as Betty came out to
chat with me.
From that night dated an odd change. |
MY adopted child seemed shy of letting |
me keep her hand-shy even OF chatting |
as She did. She was graver, more wcm- |
anly. fancied she did not care for me |
as she did. Perhaps some of these farm |
ers who leaned over the gate at sunset,
some of those young fellows who so often
escorted her home from church, had won |
her from me. l grew little moody. / |
found myself in brown studies when / |
should have been at work. At last / de- |
termined to discover whether was really |
to lose my child, and went down to the |
cottage. | found her there sitting AT |
work with Betty.
After all, il was no easy task, could |
not do as had Hoped. / tried testing, |
and spoke of one and of the other young |
fellows near. "We shall have Nellie
stolen from US, I suppose" said. ''There
is nothing so easy lost from a family as a
pretty daughter. But who is to have you,
Nellie2"
She looked at me as children look be-
fore they burst into tears-her chin quiv
ering, her throat swelling then she
dropped her work, and stole from the
room without answering me
"What ails the child, Betty" asked,
"have | offended her?'
Old Betty stood before me sturdy and
stern-a look in her face that had never
yet seen there.
master Albert" she said, "whatever
she was when she came here, Nellie is
no child now. Oh, Master Albert, can't
believe you've done it on purpose. You
couldn't such sweet innocent thing
but it's done. All can say is, go away,
or let her go away, and maybe the wound
would heal. | ought to have spoken in
time. | was an old fool On, how could
YOU, Master Albert? How could youl"
"What have l done2' l cried. 81 would
die rather than harm her.
And yet you have made her love you"
said Betty, sternly. "You who knew you
would never love her. You've been very
selfish, Master Albert"
A new light dawned upon me, radi-
ance brilliant beyond my hopes
BETTY" said I, you are dreaming.
She must think me old enough to be a
grandfather, with my long face and bald
crown, and this crutch. I've had one
dream broken; don't set me dreaming
again for heavens sake"
Old Betty looked at me, then caught
my face in both her bands and. kissed
me.
sMaster Berthe said she, 81 shan't tell
you word more; go and find out what
YOU want to know for yourself You
silly, handsome good-for- nothing fellowP
l found my child under the grape vine
her face was wet with tears. | sat down
by her and put my arm about her waist
Nellie" said /, ''don't shrink from
me. | am your true friend whatever
answer you may give me now. | am
older than you. ] am not vain enough
to think myself young girls beau-ideal.
But do love you dearly, Nellie. Can
YOU love me enough to be my wife? 1t
you cannot, if another claims your heart,
do not say yes from gratitude. Tell me
the truth, and still Ietain fathers, and q
brothers affection, Nellie"
bt MT over her, and my life seemed in
her keeping. Until that moment | had
not known myself loved her madly-I l
felt it now-better, far better than in my {
youth l had loved Alotta Stanton.
"Nelliew / said; "Neliia% and a
brown hand was aid of its own accord in
mine, and beneath my gaze the dark {
eyes aid not dare to lift themselves, but ,
hid their sweetness on my breast Nellie
was mine.
[ sat with her be ting heart so near
my own, and thought il all over, ! re- t
,nember9d the child in her cotton gown '
standing in the gallery OF the church on
the wedding day. | remembered the
child whom l had taught; the girl with
whom had passed 50 many happy hours
| felt THAI this living life, sprung, phmnix-
like, from the ashes of the dead, was the
purest feeling of my life.
So my fancy of keeping house with ray {
child came true at last; only when she :
crossed the threshold of my home with
me | called her wife. And the touch of
her brown hand brings comfort with it; {
still her sweet voice is better to me than {
all the music in the world; and, as in my
youth fancied myself old, surely in my
age | shall believe myself young, for ,
while we are loving and being loved
youth can never die, and while we live l