Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-16

Bsidgeford church-ysrd. ssst there b.
fore his time lie was saidl BY the ras-
cality Of young tovnsoan. for whose
benent be had signsd heavy notes, ooIy
10 be left 70 pay them without assist-
auce, and even without sympathy or
kindneas from the man Who had been
his ruin.
Black indeed had been the day When
Philip Oliver entered the old homo
tod With lying promises upon his
ready tongue.
One short year had left the father
hampered with mortgages and other
embarrAssments, which he never lived
TO clear away. aud the daughter bauk-
rupt in faith and love forever!
Poor HApsy!
On the evening OF her thirty eight
birthday. she sat in the open door Of
the old Homestead, looking out across
the grassy trial gle. at the light maple
by which Philip Oliver had 80 often
hurried to meet her during that one
beautiful year, when the world was 80
bright aud happy, when her heart and
her home together we're so full OF life,
and light and love!
Her soul was full Of bitterness as
she gazed at the willow tree, now wav-
ing its widely spreading branches high
up in the air against the setting sun.
"Loves Willow" she mutterei to
herself, with s-eer upon her faded
lips. II named it 20 on that last night
when he left me standing there. Hate
willow I call it now! And oh! if my
curse for my fathers ruin and death,
and for my own blank life could only
reach him, and harm him, how happy I
could be still! But it cannot. Up
yonder he lives, rich and happy-the
great man of the town-and his wife
and children idolize him, they say.
While /" q
Her voice failed her. Her head sank
low upon the clasped hands resting on
her knee.
"Ne--it is not right! Heaven is not
just! He prospers in everything, and
yet he is u hard and a wicked man. 1t
is cruel-cruel--cruel! will not try
to endure it another day!"
A dark and deadly purpose was form
ing itself out of her intense lonliness
and despair.
Through all those long years she had
toiled as worker in city factory, in
order to pay the needful taxes, and the
interest on the mortgage, that she
might keep tho homestead farm.
Bad tenants had imposed upon and
cheated her. One or two had ''levant
ed" making no payment at all. The
land had been neglected. The build.
ings had not been kept in repair, &C.
cording to agreement; and in every
transaction between Hapsy and her ten
ants her own interests had invariably
gone to the wall.
Finally the bank that held the mort
gage foreclosed, in order to get its
full advance with interest from the fast.
decreasing property.
During that year of foreclosure Hap
sy had wrought with feverish haste
against time," still hoping to save her
land.
1t was all in vain. Equally futile
were her efforts to raise the money on
the value of the land. Men shook their
heads when she begged them to become
security for her.
Finally, in the depth of her misery,
half insane with the dread of losing the
old home, she had appealed to Philip
Oliver, now q rich man and the hus.
band of millionaire's daughter, and
'the great mongul" of her own native
place.
A letter came 10 her in the once IA
miliar handwriting.
She tore it open eagerly. Only to
find u cold refusal of her request,
coupled with an impertinent wonder
that, after so many years of constant
labor on her part, she was not yet Gin
dependent, as she ought to be-"
Can you wonder that she sat there on
the threshold Of the home so nearly
lost, with heart darkened by despair,
and her only hope the hope of rest
rest in the still pool below the willows.
from among whose branches Philip Oh.
liver had once brought her, the Lovers
Tree?
Twilight darkened down around the
lonely homestead.
As the first star twinkled out through
the deep-hlue sky. some one came up
the road and crossed the triangle, halt
ing beside the bowed figure in the open
door.
"Hapsy ?" said kind voice,
The woman looked up quickly.
"That ought to be William Hewitt"
she said, as If speaking to herself. "But
William Hewitt went West when he
was nero boy. Poor Willie! How
fond I was Of him then! And he was
fond of me-"
HE was" replied the voice, and it
had Q little tremble in it now-''so fond
of you Hapsy, that be never was able to
care for another woman in his life-so
fond Of you that he has come back here
to the old place tonight, to see you, and
to ask whether You can like him we'll
enough, even for the sake of old times.
to be his wife?''
Hspsy started to her feet and looked
hard at tho stranger ON hearing this
strange declaration.
She saw by the moonlight Q tall,
stout-built. and sunburnt man, with q
kindly honest face, and two bright
blue eyes. that were watching her very
anxiously while waiting her decision.
ssWi1lv Horikkl r.. - h. WILL o.,