The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-04-03
MISS MARGBRBT's ROMANCE.

Miss Margery stood on the veranda in the
shadow of the luxuriant clemats vines, and
watched the man and woman in the garden
among the roses, with sorrowful little
shadow on her face. 1t was a sweet, pleasant
face, despite the shadow on it, and the few
silver threads that fve-and-thirty years had
left among the brown tresses ON her forehead,
- grave, kind face, with a soul looking out
of the brown eyes, and making you feel at
once that Margery Marsh was woman to
be trusted, and one who was able to stand
alone with her pure womanly dignity. But
it is q sad thing to see any woman-or man,
for that understanding alone in the world.
God never meant 1T to be so.
The man she saw helping Ellie Daryl to
tie up her rose bushes was John Cramer.
She had known him years ago, when they
were children, in fact, and she had never
forgotten him, though years of separation
had come and gone, and both of them were
growing old. She had loved him then, and
her heart was not one of those which changes
easily and forgets the absent face. She had
thought that he loved her. Indeed, she was
sure that he had, for with John Cramer,
softly whispered words meant something.
He was not the man to use words lightly.
But an uncle of his in England had died sud-
denly, and he was sent for to take charge of
affairs, and the years had come and gone, 10
of them, she told herself, as she thought it
all over, and that the man she had loved
was lost To her.
Well, 1t was better to have sad yet
veet little memory Of pleasant vanished days,
than life full of discord and regret for hasty
action Now she was sure that he had
ceased to care for her in the old way, and if
he had cared for her as she wanted the man
she married to, he could not have forgotten
30 easily. He never could have forgotten.
And since he could forget, it were better that
everything between them had ended as it
did.
But her woman's heart would feel its
loneliness sometimes in spite Of her, and
vearn for something to can on, and some
one heart dearer and nearer than any other
heart could be, to confide in. And this
morning, as.;she saw the man she had loved
walking and talking with Ellie Daryl, her
heart cried out longingly for what seemed
beyond its reach.
1t is bitter, tantalizing thing to see the
happiness we covet most, coming unasked to
brighten lives that have no need of it SEEM
ingly-lives so full of completeness before
that they can not properly appreciate the
greatest of all boons, love-while we wait
outside the charmed land, and stretch eager
hands. imploring entrance where that must
be which we have looked for, and not found
1t must be somewhere for all of US. If We
could only find i'll
When John Cramer came back from
Europe a thrill of the old love woke in Mar
gery's heart, like an echo Of music that hal
almost died away in mountain glen, bu
which something suddenly sets ringing again
The man whom she had loved SO long ago
the man whom she had thought her love
once. was near her. The thought was sweet
and at the same time bitter. Her lover NJ
longer She had thought, in vague, dream.
c way, whe she heard that he was coming bacl
unmarried, that possibly, after these years o
absence, his heart yearned for the woman n
he had left behind him. But when he came
and the first quiet greeting was over, she wa
quite sure that he had long ago ceased to Low
her, and she had kept herself in shy seclu
sion. He came often, but she fancied that
was Ellie Darryl's pretty face which attract
ed him thither; and thinking this, with
nameless pain at her heart, she tried to avoi
him. and forget her foolish dream of wha
mighs not be.
He looked up rs they stood among tn
roses, and saw Margery standing on tn
veranda A bright smile made his bronz
and bearded fare look very much like tn
face of the John Cramer she had known veal
ago, and he came up the path, and said as
ran up the steps and held out his hand in tt
old, frank way:
"You have grown TO be a little gray nul
Mareery 1 hardly see you at all. | al
half Inclined to think you hide away when
am here. You are not afraid of me,
hope?"
aOh, no." she answered. quietly, thong
the touch of his fingers woke strange, swi
thrill of fird in her veins. 81 am never afra
of an old friend"
can old friendl" he repeated softly, WI
his ewes upon her face. "Have you ev
thought that that might be a sorrowfui VOL
70 listen tor"
Friendships never a sorrowful word, 81
answered, her eyes faltering a little und
his earnest gaze.
II might be if we cared for sOmethiI
more than friendship" he said, and there W
something in his tone which made her lift
ewes in q sudden, questioning way to his fat
There was strange, grave tenderness In
ewes that she had seen there long ago.
Just then El8e came up the path with b
hands full of roses.
See these white ones. Aunt Msrger,
she cried; "your fsvorites, you know. \
must let me put some in your hair. Th
will make her look Ike 3 bride, Won't In
Mr. Cramsrr'.