The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-07-16

her forever. fr- rr
Oh, it is hard-so hard to bearl' thought
Marion, as, with hands unconsciously tightly
clasped she passed slowly under the apple
boughs of the old orchard. "Life is bitter.
1t has taken all from me. 1t can have no
more to give, Only my dear, dear mother,
and Myral For their sakes / must be strong,
and try to bear it ALL
On the verge of the orchard, where the
high bank sloped abruptly to the meadow,
she came to mass of tangled honeysuckle,
fashioned into a rustic arbor. Wat had made
it for her, and here in fact, it was that they
had last parted.
Down in the meadow ran little path
way, leading by short cut to Watts home,
a couple of miles away. How often she had
sat here of an evening and watched for himl
She could scarcely look back upon any
object now before her eyes which was not
connected with some association of Wat.
There was the walnut tree which he and
jack used to climb, and there the clear,
laughing brook in which he had taught her
to steer the little boat which he had made
for her, laden with grain, down to Jacks
famous water-mill at the roots of that old
willow
Further up was the real "grist and saw
mill" which Jack had always been so de-
sirous of owning, and which everybody said
would be such good investment for one
who could manage it properly.
And then Marion, seated on the bench in
the rustic arbor, turned and looked long and
yearningly at the oldfarm-house peeping
from the great beeches across the orchard.
No other place on earth could ever be home
to her. And her mother? Oh, it would be
harder still for her, whose whole life of so
years;had been spent under that roof.
H.
whistle as of some one calling to a dog, and
she saw through tear-dimmed eyes the figure
of man hurrying along the pathway in the
meadow. She drew back behind the screen
of the honeysuckle.
The path led past the arbor, but at the
foot of the steep bank she would not be dis
covered in her retreat So she thoughts; but
IA moment or two after there was sound of
footsteps ascending the bank, a rustic of the
honeysuckle branches and Marion saw
standing in the entrance of the arbor the
figure of tall young man who looked
almost as much startled as herself.
For moment they gazed at each other
Marion pale, and the stranger with a flush
rising on his handsome face Then he said,
as he held out his hand, ''Marion don't you
know me?"
She gave him her hand in silence. 1t was
w ot- 1ilo SbIoCHlN Will VIC SlSul Vi
came the full bitterness of her sorrow, in the
consciousness that he was lost to her forever.
She was nothing to him now, and he must
be nothing to her.
Il am glad to have so unexpectedly found
you here in this dear old spot he said. Il
arrived at home only an hour ago, and
could not rest until had seen you"
She met his eyes, bent upon her with a
strange earnestness, and her pale cheek
family flushed, but she could not have spoken
word.
Marion he said suddenly, shave you
no welcome for me?, Is it possible that you
can not forgive me?"
Forgive your"
"Yes; for all my absurd jealousy, and
pride, and folly. / have never had happy
moment since l parted from you, Marion,
and I have come back at last to beg Your
forgiveness, and to beg, too for the love
which forfeited, but which l can not live
without"
Il do not understand you, Wat. do not
know why you should speak thus to me,
when-when you are going to be married y
''Who told you that of me, Marion?"
at came from Agnes, your own sister,
He smiled
''Aggie knows my wishes. 1t was she who
encouraged me to come back. She thousht
you would forgive me. VIII you, Marion,
darling?"
She had averted her face to hide her tear
full eyes, but he now took both her hands
and as he drew her toward him, a great
tide of unspeakable JOY rushed over her, and
she coulk only murmur family: "Oh
Watl''
When they were both calmer she told him
of the heavy grief that had just fallen upon
them. They must leave their dear old home
which had passed into the hands Of
strangers.
"of strangers Marion? Do you call me q
stranger?"
.You, Wat?''
He looked surprised in his turn.
"Did you not know it was l who have
purchased the dear old farm? Did you moi
receive Jacks letter."
Oh, Walter, it can not, can not be true!'
He took from a pocket-book pape,l
which he opened and placed before her. Il
was the mortgage which her father had
given Mr.. Abner Harris
''And the place is really yours nowi' she
said. looking up radiantly through sudden
| tears.
'sNot mine, but ours, darling"
She was too happy to speak word in an
swer.
"You see DEAR Wat said, Jack and ]
talked 1t over the other day. and we agreed
as he was so anxious::topurchase the mill ant
had not means sufficient for both, that
should take the farm, and leave him at liber
ty to invest in the mill property. 1t is tn,
very best thing for Jack and for his mother
as explained to her, if only she had receiv
ed his letter Jack is not fitted for farmer
and could never have made much of tn,
farm, he certainly will do with the mill
He came up with me in order to attend t,
the matter. Forgive me that l neglected t,
inform you, but | left him behind in tn
maple-field talking with Aggie.'
Marion started up with glad cry. Com
ing down the opposite declivity of the mea
dow was somebody, joyously waving hi
hand, and in two minutes she was sobbin.
in her brothers arms-sobbing from full
ness of joy such as she had never in her lif
before known.
They fastened to the house, all tire
eager to gladden. the heart as the mother.
Jack sprung up to the steps and took he