Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-06-03

snOuld nave enough TO i've upon IN
comfort until l could make practice.
You know am but beginner"
Esther slowly turned and looked al
him with large, clear, wondering eyes
Were you going to marry me for
for money!" she asked, with just tinge
of seora in the last word.
Certainly not" he replied, loftily
81 merely understood that we should
have enough to live on. AS it has
turned out, why, we should starve--
that is all.
He walked once or twice up and
down the room, then stopped in front OF
her.
Esther, man could do more mean
and selfish thing than to marry without
money, and so make slave of the wo-
man he loves. Don't you agree with
me?"
II don't know
"But 1 know all about it, young as |
am. / have seen enough of that sort ol
thing. An unhappy. broken-down wo-
man, Shaving over cooking, washing.
heaven knows what-while her husband
tolls for their daily bread. Esther, /
love you too well to expose you TO such
life. / hate to give you up; but if
you would prefer being free from your
promise to me, I should consider ii
Sc, fish to oppose it,
She made no answer.
"Of course" he resumed, coldly -
"of course. if you prefer that our en-
gagement should continue, shall hold
myself in honor bound, even though ii
be many years before we are able to
marry"
NO" said Esther, slowly-"no. 1t
is better that the engagement should
end"
81 am glad you see it in so sensible a
light. It will save you much future
unhappiness.
Yes"
"It is hard to give you up, but there
is no alternative. And we shall remain
friends, Esther, and will come to see
you sometimes.'
s'No, l would rather not. And /
would rather that you should go now, y
she added, chokingly.
Il will 60 if you wish it. Aud hope
you will be happier, Esther, than il yuu
had married poor man like me, to lead
a life of poverty and privation. God
bless you! Goodbye"
She passively gave him her hand. 1t
was cold IS ice, and her eyes had a
frozen, far away look as they followed
him to the door.
"Poor thing! I feel really sorry for
her, but she will get over it,o mused
Doctor Farnham, as he passed briskly
through the field, with his cane whisk-
ing OFF the feathery heads of the sway
ing broom, and with the high heels of
his polished boots grinding down the
tufts of moss in his way, and leaving
them crushed and dying behind him.
Esther went TO the window and looked
after him as long as he was in sight
looked with an agonized, straining gaze
until his form disappeared in the dreary
twilight. And then she gaze d around
at the bleak wintry prOspect-the bar
rem field, the cold, dark river, the SOM
Der pines-and throwing up her clasped
hands above her head, murmured with
white lips: ''Oh, my Godl how shall l
bear itP" and sank insensible On the
floor So old Chloe found her, and ten
derly put her to bed.
Marcia was not altogether heartless,
and she did her best to persuade her
cousin to leave the lonely old farmhouse
and seek a more cheerful home. She
even, probably moved by some feeling
OF remorse at the part she had had in
depriving Esther of her fortune, offered
to obtain her place us governess, or
iady's companion; but Esther refused
it all. She expected, she said, to live
and die at the old farmhouse.
Oh, the dreary winter days, when
snow lay deep on the ground and tie
river and the pines sang their perpetual
di1ge as the chill wind swept over
thera! And the long, weary nights,
when horror of loneliness seemed to
brood over the deserted old house, and
it seemed to Esther, in her sleepless
dreams, that light and warmth and
summer sunshine would never again
look down upon, or upon her life.
One evening she sat alone, reading by
the light of the pine-wood fire. while
Ch Zoe in the next room prepared sup
per
1t was bitter cold and windy night !;
and Esther suddenly started up in
alarm when there was tap at the door.
Then came sound of stamping feet in
the snow, and the door opening dis
closed tile stalwart form and frank,
CHEEKY face Of George Harrison.
Excuse my yunceremonious entrance,
please, Esther. feared you would
take me FOR tramp and be frightened.
came over to see if you were showed
up, this awful weather, and am glad
to find you alive and well"
Esther was heaping fresh pine-knots
on the fire.
&c / am so glad you came, George ?
she said. feeling the cheeriness of his
presence through the lonesome room
g So am l." he replied, laughing.
There. let me do this for you. Now,
we shall have royal blaze What a
comfort there is in a good, CHEEKY pine
wood fire, with the logs glowing on the
hearth, and the blaze lighting up the
walls. Have you had supper, Esther?
Mop Then if you don't object, I'll stay
and take q cup OF tea with you, and
iii tell you my errand at leisure"
Esther, as she drew up the little
square table opposite the fire, and spread
the white cloth and Aunt Phe be's best
old china teaset, wondered at the sud-
den brightness that seemed to have
come over everything. Her own face
frightened, and she found berself
smiling at Georges remarks, when it
had appeared to her that she could
never smile again.
And when Chloe came in, her broad
black face beaming benevolently upon
the two, and her hands bearing tray of
crisp corn meal pones, and delicate milk
biscuits and ham and eggs, which she
begged them to eat al once while they
were hot and sizzlin', for ham and eggs
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