Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-10-15


Hhe turned from The rsuk patch O
thistlss and slowly resumed Ter wall
Whsn " cans 10 the lane where on,
path separated sho put mp her littll
aEms 70 bo taken and 6med before loav
Inc - - she aid, /" to come back M
aBs rood TO yourself, Eddie, and
nsxt wintss. il ~ little lonely AIDE
linas come cold and frightened to the old
rcd school-house yonder, be kind to them
- you were TO me-"
Something choked my throat, and
could not say . word; but ! kissed hel
moro than once; and after she had
alipped from my arms and was twenty
rods away, ] sat down and cried like 4
baby, because I was never to see Adelina
again.
Hwasnotlo long before the rumor was rife
In the neighborhood that Mira Lagrange
had married 4 middle-aged city million
aire, and that the young widow and her
child had found 4 new protector in place
Of the one death had taken from them.
YeaTs fitted by-l was tweuty.four:
/ had fought through the great rebellion
entered the army . private and came
out Of 1t Z captain, shattered In health,
and utterly depleted In pocket, to find
myself at home again, i'll and altogether
distrustful Of fortunes smile.
In my frequent walks to tho village
postolRce ! often passed by tho old red
school house, and never without . sigh
Of regret for tho many happy, ~care-ffee
days spent within IL battered walls.
Among the letters handed to me one
morning wa one postrmaxked New York,
which informed of the agreeable fact
that, through the fundamentally of .
friend Of mine whom he was anxious to
serve, the undersigned, Mr.. Maxwell,
had been induced to extend to me 4
commercial opening ct the liberal salary
ct two Nhoumndea year, 10 be increased
II meritsd. There was fortune for me in
the ofer, and ] accepted Il with alacrity.
Mr.. Maxwell, . rich New York mer-
chant, from the frst took = lively inter-
est In my Advancement. The unknown
friend / could not account for In any
other way than by supposing 1t to be
some soldier comrade whom / had be.
friended In the past.
Within . month ! was fairly estab-
liahod at my new post OF duty, and sue
ceeded In pleasing Mr.. Maxwell 30 well
that, at the beginning Of my second year
he SAINT mo to Europe in the interest OF
the house. When ! returned, / WA
given q weeks vacation, which I spent
among the breezy hills of my old coun-
try home, passing the pleasant September
dxysin trAmping through the woods and
fields and by.ways that were the chosen
haunts Of my boyhood.
! wa Just turning the curve In the
road where the Canada thistles grew,
and 70 lost in my walking reverie that /
was almost opposite . lady standing in
their midst before ] was aware of her
presence.
~ am glad you still love the old
scenes Mr.. Durand," she said, without
expressing the least surprise.
was ~astOnishcd. Here was q lady
whom, to the best Of my knowledge, !
had never aeen before, addressing me a
familiarly - If We had known each other
Al our lives.
Names ore treacherous things, and
IL I were ever 10 fortunate - to have
known ycuEs, ! am guilty of having for
gotten IT" l replied.
"Men forget easily, I am told; but l
had hoped to find you an exception to
the rule"
A very awkward silence ON my part
ensued. She took pity on my evident
embarrassment, and continued:
"Has your battle with the world en-
tirely driven from your recollection all
Her voice dropped to its old, sweet,
clear winning cadence, thrilling my
whole being with delight.
I caught her hand, and before 1 knew
what ! wa doing, had carried it to my
lips and kissed It.
Excuse me-" I stammered; but l.
Am 10 glad to zee you, and you seem
Just the same little girl I kissed here
years ago-not q bit taller, not q bit
older-only Adelina, always lovely and
loved"
Then / told her all about myself, how
prosperous / was, and the strange manner
In which had been brought to thenotice
OF my kind employer. When l had
6nished abe merely said, In her simple
way:
II know it"
"You appear to know everything.
Do you know Mr.. MAXWELL"
"He 10 my father"
"And my unknown friend"
aAdelina."
staggered back, In my soul ashamed
that ahould owe every good in life
everything-to . woman who owed me
nothing but tho poor favor OF once hav-
Ing united for her . wretched black and
white worgted hood.
! turned away, cut to the heart, but