Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-04-24

Il was . noble letter, and stirred Mac
| Murray's passion to the drega. l trem'
bled when | raw him run his hands
through his hair d~istractedly, and heard
him declare that he'd do anything rath'
ain Eli you what I'll do, Bruce" he
said; "Ill offer to take Jamie--confound
the brat! always hated him; he has .
way Of getting under everybody's feet
him; but I'll take the little cub for the
sake of getting Mary. A man will &c
most anything for q woman that ne loves,
Bruce. But that's the extent Of my
o1er-that's all I'm willing to do"
told him it was nobly generous on
his part. but it seemed that Mary disa.
greed with me. She not only refused his
offer, but declined to have any further
negotiation in the matter.
HAnd now" said Mansfield, when
went up to see him that night, "her
whole future is blasted because of this
| Quixotic idea of devotion to me and the
| children" Mansfield WIS bolstered up
in bed, jamie was asleep in a crib near
by that l had sent up three days before,
and Mary was busily sewing. They had
only saved the garments they wore, and
her dear face already had that care-worn
appearance that lacerates the heart loyal
enough to share every pang. at cuts
me to the SOUL" continued Mansfield,
"to zee Mary deliberately put aside, for
the sake of me and the children, the hap
piness of a lifetime"
"The misery, you mean, papa" SAID
Mary. "I'm only too thankful to have
escaped marrying such a selfish, mean
wretch"
Her eyes shone 20, and her whole face
was 50 glorifed with intensity of feel
ing, that I could scarce help crying out
at her beauty.
"Tut, tut, Mary" said Mansfield.
"you cannot reasonably blame a man
for not wanting to saddle himself with
q hulk like me, and a horde of half
grown boys. You cannot blame Mac
Murray. l am a miserable wreck, and
the boys are none of them out OF the
way. You could not expect, Bruce, a
rational man, however he might love a
woman, to marry her under these circun :
stances"
"Not a rational man, perhaps l said,
and my blood was all in a glow, the
words slipped to my tongue withoutany
volition Of my own" not a rational
man, perhaps; but suppose a mailman
should offer to do such a thing-and he
must be q mailman to hope for the fe-
licity-suppose ! was fool enough to
think that Mary would marry me under
any circumstances; suppose that l had
worshiped her for years, and that she
was dearer than ever to me now in hel
devotion to you and the boys; and sup
pose that whether she marries me or not,
she is but the one woman in the world
for me-"
"God bless my SOUL" cried Mansfield
leaning forward and clasping his hands
together; "can this be possible? Mary
Mary, don't speak just now child. Take
time to consider this noble proposal o.
our friend, to whom ! am under unlim
tied obligations-a man in a thousand
Mary; the tip of his fi%nger-nail worth
the whole miserable body of such a rep
tile as McMurray. Take time, Mary
take q week."
"Take a year." l implored; and as
went over to her, and got down on my
knees beside her low chair, l tremblet
like a man upon the scatfold. The nee
die shook in her fingers; the muslin
auttered out of her hands upon the floor
"Mary, Mary" l begged, like a coward
that / was, "don't take from me tn,
sweet uncertainty; let MI wait an eter
nifty. In the meantime, I'll taxi
jamie" / added, for he was awake ant
whimpering. Poor Mansfield fell bacl
upon his pillow, and lifting the child t.
my heart, l sat down by the bedside
Suddenly two soft arms stole around m,
neck outside of JAMES. Mary's warn
cheek was pressed to mine.
"Take us ALL" she whispered" ever,
one of us, please" And l did, God he'll
ing me.
Mansfield began miraculously ts mem
from that moment, and took the head O
his department in less than a year. On
of the boys is in the counting room a
ready, and another one will be anon
the goods as soon he a leave schoo
Mary and l will never have a chill
nearer to us than little jamie. Every
thing prospers with us, and the onl
thing that troubles us just now is how I
properly heat the house We are built
ing up in Westchester county. What
wanted to say was, that if anybod
knows of q heater that will do the bus
ness thoroughly without exploding, L
: like to communicate with him.-Ha
per's