The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-08-19
TRI-W EEKLY EDITION

abroad at night on less urgent crrands SO,
smiling at her causclcss alarm and still
trembling in spite Of her bravery, she undid
the fastcnings Of the door, and threw it
open.
tall man, wrapped i'll a long, dark
riding cloak, stood upon the Threshold
BY the light of the tlaring candle ELSIE
held, she could not distinguish his face.
She only saw the strange eager look of a
pair OF very bright eyes, as the stranger
bowed in answer to her salution.
"Madam," " he said, 81 am bcnightcd, as
you see, and in trying to reach the next
village have lost my way. am drenchcd
to the skin, and my horse is too weary to go
| farther through these miry roads, and see
| ing Il light here, have vcnturcd to crave
| shelter Tor him and myself, for the remain
der OF the night. assure you that you
will find me no ungrateful guest"
''Sir," Elsie resumed, simply, 'thc doors
OF Raymond farm have never been closed
to the weary wayfarer. Enter, and ser
want will care for your horse"
The stranger bowed again, and passed
her silently, as she held back the broad leaf
| of the door. What was it that, at the
sight Of that tall mutilcd form, caused her
heart to beat SO wildly2 She put up the
bar that secured the door and then preceded
her guest to the apartment she had left
She stirred tho smouldcring cmbcrs, and
threw on fresh wood, which caught the
flames That soon leapcd chccrily up the
broad chimney. Leaving the stranger, COW
| cring over the blaze, she went and called
| the gardener 10 take charge of the horse
that was ncighing impatlcntly at the outer
gate.
When she came back she buslcd herself,
in, ~, rpf. e.
stranger, who still sat beside the hearth
casting curious glanccs at her rs she moved
about. Thrill after thrill shot through
Elsic's frame, as she met those bright.
strange glanccs. She had begun to feel al
most frightened at his singular manner,
when he suddenly addressed her:
'Madam, " he said, pointing to the row
OF little shoes, and the ovcrilowing basket
OF toys, 81 sec that loncly'as is this house,
! IT is not dcsolatc. Human flowers, that
brighten so many homes, bloom here. You
have little children beautiful and loving,
and doubtless good husband. Pardon
me, madam, he added, observing Elsie's
emotion, eve who are lonely wanderers up
and down the world are wont to notice,
with somewhat of jealousy, the tokens of do
mcstic happiness that are denied to u.s."
lie was silent, as if waiting for an an
swcr, and Elsie, conquering her emotion,
answered quietly:
l have neither husband nor children ~ and
faint sigh struggled up from her heart
as she thought of what might have been.
Just then the gardener came stamping in
al the kitchen door and showed himself,
shaking the water from his garments. Ell
sic turned to the stranger.
'1our meal is prepared" she said
when you have partakcn, the servant will
show you to your room.''
And bidding her guest goodnight shc
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 rcstcssy upon her couch, thinking
much of the strange guest, and marvcling
why his image mingled 80 continually with
her vision of the past.
The next morning, when the breakfast
hour was passed, the stranger spoke of his
departure.
''Beforc go, madam" he said, 81 ought
10 inform you who am, that you may, at
least, know you have not bestowed your
Kindness on one unworthy.
''For twenty years have been a wan
dercr in other lands, sad, lonely disap-
pointed man. Yet have ever kept one
hope bright and vigorous, the hope of re-
| turn to my native shores, and the scenes of
| early happiness.
II was born and lived till manhood in
the midst of region much like this in
which your home is situated. I was an
orphan, but had a small competence and
many friends. My guardian had caugh-
ter whom loved, and who acknowledged
that my love was returned. We were be-
trothed, by the consent of her parents and
our wedding day was very near, when
strange misfortumcs overwhelmed my Alice.
First her father died sudden and terrible
death, then her mother dropped beneath
the blow and shortly followed, leaving to
Alice the care Of the younger children, and
cxacting from her q promise that she would
never leave them until they were all pro-
yidcd for. would willingly have shared
the heavy burdens that now fell upon Alice,
but she refused to bind me to her life of
toll md self-sacrifice She laid her love
duty, and /, appalled, by the sacrifice and
mad with disappointment, fled from the
| country and became q wandcrer in other
lands. -.
'sElsie, promised to return when your
task was ended / am here Have YOU
no word of welcome after all these years of
separation 2"
He had no need to ask, for Elsie lay
sobbing In the arms opened to received her,
while the little ones looked on wonderingly;
and the old gardener to whom the secret
had been impaired the night previous,
stood with claspcd hands uttcring eiacula-
tions of thankfulness.
"Elsic, shall we ever part again ?"
"Ncver," said Elsie, with her quiet sim
plicity; 'snever again until death - and
she looked up in his face with the old con-
flding glance that had greeted him score
OF years before.
Very quietly the middle-aged pair settled
down at the old homestead, which was
beautified and adorned by the wealth John
Francis brought from foreign lands, and
dcarcr far to them than any palace home,
with the store of memories that people its
dim chambers and all the green demesne
which had witnessed their early joys, and
their reunion after weary years of separa-