Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-03-21

Mrs. North was too busy during the
days that preceded the wedding to no.
tice her daughter particularly, but the
girls apparent Indifference to all mat
tiers concerning the wedding surprised
her. When David North closed his
ewes on this weary world his wife took
up the burden of life again " and car.
ried it. even better than her husband
had done. Christie was not like her
mother. She had accepted the loving
and petting that always had been Law
ished upon her as the flowers take the
sunshine, and, indeed, she had received
little else during her life. But here
was something that Mrs. North could
not understand, and she soon became
used to Christie's quiet manner and
pale face.
John March remained unchanged.
Ever thoughtful for the wants Of 9th
ers, and always very tender with Chris
tie, he prepared his home for his
bride and hid his own trouble in his
own heart.
One beautiful October day, when the
trees had put on their gorgeous colors,
Christie was married. As John March's
wifeishe occupied position vastly diff
ferent from that which Christie North
had filled, and almost before it her
hands were full of work that she knew
nothing about. Coming in contact
with the sorrows of others she was
learning to forget her own. But in
spite of an increasing interest in her
new surroundings, the pale face grew
paler still, and one day her husband
said
"Would you like to go to Al
next week, Christie? I can leave home
very nicely just at present, and if you
like, we will take a vacation and see
if we can get little more color up
there among the mountains"
Five days hence we find them in one
OF the hotels at Al. To Christie
everything was new and delightful the
music, the handsome ladies in their
bewildering costumes, the clear, cool
lake and the grandly solemn mountains.
With the eagerness of child she en-
tered into the plans which were made
for her enjoyment, and before they had
been there a week she was looking
more like herself than she had done
since her marriage.
When the ladies found that she was
married, they fell down, fguratively,
and worshipped her beautiful face.
1.-THE lovely Mrs. March " was in great
demand, and to say that Christie en-
joyed it all would poorly express her
pleasure.
One afternoon, John March and his
wife were walking together on the piaz
"a. Somehow MS. March was grow
ing very proud of her husband. She
hardly dared to own that it was any
thing more than pride which brought
the light to her eyes and the blush to
her sweet face whenever she looked at
the man whose goodness had won her
respect long ago. Never, since her
wedding day had her husband offered
Christie a caress, waiting, with quiet
patience till the girl should know her
own heart. As they stood still for
moment, to watch some new arrivals,
Guy Meredith came up the steps with
several ladies'. AS he glanced at the
two standing there together, a mo-
mentary look of pain swept across his
face, but, quickly regaining. his compos-
ure, he raised his hat and passed into
the house. As for Christie, there was
one quick hard throb and then she
grew strangely calm, so calm and quiet
was she that her husband glanced down
at her more than once, after they had
resumed their walking, with curious
look of anxiety on his face but he was
too wise to disturb by any careless
words Christie's questioning of her
heart.
That evening Mr.. and Mrs. March
were presented to Mrs. Guy Meredith,
a tall grey-eyed woman who followed
her young husband everywhere, and
after Christie had exchanged few
words with her she pItied the man who
had once been so much to her.
Two days after, John March was
| called home on business, and Christie
wondered to find herself longing for his
return. AS she came down to dinner
on the last day of her husbands alb
sence, Mrs. March found the house in
a state of confusion. Everybody was
either scanning newspaper or talking
anxiously to his neighbor. In answer
to a surprised look from Christie, lady
said
"There has been fearful railway
accident over twenty people were in
stantly killed, and the number of the
wounded is not yet known"
"What train was it ?" asked the girl
with trembling lips.
"The noon train down ran off that
high embankment three miles from the
station; did you have any friends on
the train ?" continued the lady, kindly
placing her arm around Christie, as
she saw her white face.
My husband" replied Christie, and
then she went up to her room and knelt
down by the window.
Through that long afternoon such
revelations of herself came to her AZ
she had never dreamed of before. All
the great love toward her husband
which had been growing for many
weeks came upon her there, and crushed
by her great sorrow, she knelt despair
ingly and motionless. Outside, some
children were playing on the shore and
their childish laughter foated to her
ears through the open window. A bee
flew in, filling the room with it's drowsy
hum and then all was quiet again. On
the peaceful bosom of the lake few