Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-03-27

= HfOm1D0 inst you VIII ' wIlIC W
that mass son, That you will hide your.
elf from him. Promise me, or ! shall
not rst In my grave. Promise, child,
and I dali die easy, willingly. Can you
refuse this last request?" And amidst
Krief and distraction, poor Bertha prom
ised. And he kept her promise for
years and better. Never one
word fos Angus had crossed the water to
tell him whether she lived or died, though
longing thoughts and wishes went out to
On every wind that blew, though
night after night her pillow was wet with
bitter tears, though he had never been
out 81 her mind, waking or sleeping. At
first she had comforted herself with the
belief that he would find her out himself;
but, a time passed, this hope faded and
died, and was given decent burial. How
he know that she had proved
true, that she had loved him on and on
Why should he not suppose that she had
left him Of her own choice, because she
scorned the ron Of his father? No doubt
he had thought himself to unlove her
had almost forgotten the old fondness,
the old hurt; and married some good
woman, md VA happy by his own fire.
side with his children. She hoped he was
happy; ~ for that good woman, she did
mot care to think Of her overmuch. But
daily she pictured him in the midst OF
his family-pictured him young and
handsome, with the color in his smooth
cheek, the bronze shade in his waving
hair, the sparkle in his eyes, forgetting
that twenty years had robbed him oi
youth and its beauty.
When her father died there had not
been enough money left in the purse to
take her home to England, though Capt.
Seymour would gladly have carried her
back without it If she would have taken
him for better OF worse. Afterward she
had parted with her trinkets one by one
for her daily bread, till she could earn
With all but the shining ring that Angus
had given her, and which was now worn
quite thin, though the old legend en-
graved within wa yet plainly iegible:
aTAesgh be sssk till he be gray,
Love will find ont the way"
But In all these twenty years she had
never saved enough from her necessities
to pay her homeward passage. If per-
chance she gota few dollars ahead, some
poor souPs greater need appealed to her
and it was now fifteen years since she
had gravitsted to Great Harrington and
east anchor, but no one in all the place
dreamed that romance had ever touched
% plain snd old commonplace a body as
Miss Bertha, who wa doubtless made to
sew, 10 tend the nick, and stir gruels and
broshs and mustard plasters leaving the
poetry OF life for her younger neighbors.
She hadsbeen out, toward the last Of Janu-
airy, watching all night, and as she
stepped into the frosty cir, and began to
to remember that she was hungry and
drowsy, she suddenly encountered DR..
March coming round q corner.
"Speak Of angels and you hear their
Wings" said he. ~ was thinking of
Of you. Miss Bertha, this very minute"
"Don't turn my head, DOCTOR"
Well, you see, the brig Abby Jane
came In hAely. She's q whaler-been
Oh these two year,. Most of the crew
belong in Great Harrington, and the
deuce take II II they aren't al down
with the ship fever; came ashore a. well
~ y0u are, too. Now the bother ia,
s0me have families TO see after them,
and soms haven't; and all the people
are . scared a. they were in the small
p0x panic, and nurses can't be found for
love or money-at least not enough.
I've been up myself these two nights
with q poor fellow, who's wild . a
hawk, and I'm ready to drop, not to
mention my other patients, and | can't
find anybody willing to rec after him /;
and / didnrt know-1 thought to myself,
There's Min Bertha, she's always ready
to do Z good turn, and he isn't afraid Of
man, the devil, or the small pox-'"
And 30 you would like me to 10 to
" Exactly. He will die if you don't.
4 = missionary work, Mis- Bertha. l
don't know o the man has a sou to nav
nurse"
~ don't want any money, if he has,"
THAT is lucky. Come home with me
and have . cup of Mrs.. March's coffee,
and then I'll take you to the Harrington
Arms. There's where our patient put
mp when he ZANE ashore. Looks A il he
had no relatives in the place, and l
donfs remember seeing his face in these
parts."
.Poor fellow, poor felloww Mis-
berthA had forgotten that she had been
up over night and was breakfastlesA.
thought, to be sure" she unused,
during the next nights vigils-"i
Thought TO be sure, he was q young man
but he II gTayer than / am. I wonder II
bis wife = locking for him home COR,
He int weather-beaten like q sailor;
his hands are soft and white and well
kept like . gentieman'A. l don't be.
slieve 40 ever taFred the ropes before this
voyage. Perhaps he il reduced in cir.
culmstances, and went whaling to seel
his fortune. / wonder il he will de-
but the disease left her little time 70,
IDLE reflections and surmiseA the ser
VICES OF tie doctor, and the occasional
assistance Of the other nurnes vhore m,
tients were c~onvalescinr. being Ill I'm
rellei Afforded her. One night Is sh.
moved about the room, coaxing the Rrs
mo : 9iow, stirring the cruel in the por
nngcr, pouring the wine, dischareinr Ii,
ninety-and-nine little duties Of tie sick
r0o1st seemed to her that the uatien'
followed her with his eyes curiouslv-
fhose great hollow, darkling eyes. full O
I'd questioning.
DO you want 10 ask me anythinS?'
- nd. Pauaing beside his pillow. Is.
neetsn4tbe gose.
kesAa74 he faltered-"perhaps-
4 wan ANmIA All --&H-l- iAg@ -