Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-05-08

= By the light OF the hnrIDg candle Elsie
i held, sle could not Distinguish his lea-
j lures. she only saw the strange eager
look Of . pair Of very bright eyes a. the
stranger bowed in answer TO ief saIu-
taticn.
+ MADAM, he said, II am benighted.
as you see, and in trying to reach the
next village have Iosf my way. ] am
drenched 10 the skin, and nv horse IS
TOO weary to 90 further through these
miry roads; and seeing light here.
have ventured to crave shelter for him
and for ms, tog q shs EspIsiadss ;l:'. s. g..
ne no ungrateluI guest"
"Sir," Elsie resumed, simply, sthe
doors OF Raymond farm have never
been closed 10 The weary wayfarer. En-
ter, and a servant viii care for your
horse"
The stranger bowed again, and passed
her silently, as she held back the broad
leaf Of the door. What was IL that, al
the sight ofthat tslImufled form, caused
her heart TO beat so wildly She put
up the bar that secured the door and
then preceded her guest to the apart
ment she had left.
| She stirred the smoldering embers,
and threw on fresh wood, which caught
the flames that soon leaped cheerily up
the ebroad chimney. Leaving The stranger
covering over the blaze, she went and
called the gardener 10 take charge ofthe
horse that was neighing impatiently at
the outer gate.
When she came back she busted her
self, silently, in preparing refreshmcnt
for the stranger, who still sat beside the
hearth, casting curious gIances at her as
she moved about. Thrill after thrill
shot through Elsie's frame, as she met
those bright. strange glances.s She bad
begun to feel almost frightened at his
singular manner, when he suddenly ad-
dressed her:
MADAM he said, pointing 10 the
row Of little shoes, and the overfowing
basket of toys, 81 see that lonely as Is
this house, II Is not desolatc. Human
flowers, that brighten so many homes,
bloom here. You have little children,
beautiful and loving. and doubtless a
good husband. Pardon me, madam. /"
he added, observing Elsie's emotion,
"we who are lonely wanderers up and
down the world are wont to notice,
with somewhat OF jealousy, the tokens
of domestic happiness that are denied
to u.s."
He was silent, as if awaiting for an
I answer, dnd Elsie, conquerIng her emo
ton answered quietly:
FhAsThere are children here, but not
NINE. / have neIther husband nor chill
dren," and a faint sigh struggled up
from her heart, as she thought OF what
might have been.
Just then the gardener came stamp
ing in at the kitchen door and showed
himself, shaking the water from has gar
ments. Elsie turned to the stranger.
"Your meal is prepared" she said;
"when you have partaken, the servant
will show you TO your ROOM"
| And bidding her guest goodnight, she
went away to her room, and lay down
upon her bed, but not to sleep. Through
the long hours, until the late autumn
dawn, she tossed restlessly upon her
couch, thinking much of the strange
guest, and marveling why his image
mingled so continually with her visions
Of the past.
The next morning, when the break
fast hour was passed, the stranger spoke
of his departure.
"Before I 60, madam" he said, 81
ought TO inform you who ! am, that you
may, at least, know you have not be-
slowed your kindness on one unwor-
thy.
"For twenty years have been a
wanderer in other lands, sad, lonely,
disappointed man. Yet | have ever
kept one hope bright and vigorous, the
hope Of return to my native shores, and
the scenes of early happiness.
al was born and lived till manhood
in the midst of region much like this
IN which your home is situated. Twas
an orphan, but I had small compe.
tence and many friends. My guardian
had daughter whom I hoved, and who
acknowledged that my love was return
ed. We were betrothed, by the con-
sent of her parents. and our wedding
day was very near, when strange mis-
fortunes overwhelmed my Alice. First,
her father died sudden and terrible
death, then her motner dropped beneath
the blow. and shortly followed, leaving
to Alice the care of the younger chill
dren, and exactIng from her promise
that she would never leave them until
they were all provided tor. ] would
willingly have shared the heavy bur-
dens that now fell upon Alice, but she
refused TO bind me 10 her life Of toll and
self-sacrifce. She laid her love and all
her bright hopes upon the altar ci duty,
and |, appalled, by the sacrifice and mad
with disappointment, fed from the
country and became a wanderer in other
lands. N
Elsie, I promised to return when
your task was ended am here Have
you no word of welcome, after all these
years of separation -
He Lad no need TO ask, fer. Elsie lay
sebbing III the arms opened TO receive
her. while the little ones looked on
wonderngly; and the old gardener, 10
whom the secret had been impaired
The night preyIons. stood with clasped
hands ustering CALCULATIONS of thankful
ness.
ELISE. shall we ever part again -
"Never,'' said Elsie, with her quiet
simplicity: "never again until deatE;''
and she looked up into his lace with the
old confding glance that had greeted
him score of years besprc.