Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1880-04-01
COMM THRO THE RYE"


"Did you hear the bells ringing this
morning2" said Mr.. Adair to his numer-
Gus family seated around the breakfast
table. 81 hear Washer returns to-day,
and it is high time, his estates We're going
to ruin
The father did not notice the look OF
dismay on the faces around the board.
"There is a great deal of nonsenslcal
talk about his marrying one OF the hand.
soonest women living, and two days af-
ter, leaving her and never seeing her again
for year, and since then never speaking
to her, or only when courtesy demands;
but it is all gossip, for the Washers we're
all prudent people and made no hasty
marriages"
But there was one little episode in the
Adair family that the father never was
told, it having occurred While he was
away for several months in Australia.
Paul Washer had won the love OF Helen
Adair, and loved her with the passion of
a strong nature, and upon the fathers
return they were to wed. In his youth
he had loved a girl of magnificent beau
ty, but before they were united the
mask fell from her and he saw that she
was unprincipled, and could be true to
no man. After fierce fight with him
| felt he conquered his passion, and when
he saw Helen Adair, her purity, honesty,
and piquant beauty, charmed him and
took entire possession of his heart. Syl-
| via Forester had declared that no other
woman should ever wed Paul Washer,
and as he war obliged to go to Rome to
settle some business, she tricked him in
to marriage by putting notice of Helen S
marriage in the papers, having letters
forged, and managing that his valet
should receive letters giving an account of
the marriage. None but a mailman
would have doubted, in the face of so
many proofs, and he out of his mind,
driven to despair, was led by this wicked,
handsome woman to the altar; but when
he became aware of what he had done,
he saw that he had been indeed mad, for,
living or dead, married or single, his
whole soul was hound up in Helen
Adair, and it was only two days after
his marriage that he heard it was all a
| terrible mistake and that his own folly
had separated him from her forever.
Gossip this time told the truth, and an
insane desire to see once more the sweet
| face Of his idol caused his return TO her
neighborhocd.
He had been back but four days when
a servant came to Helen's room and said
''AIr. Washer awaits you in the drawing
room"
"Nell," he said, "Sylvia is very sick
and wants you to come to her,
81 cannot, Paul, and don't believe
she is dangerously i'll; remember he1
wonderful powers Of Discrimination"
''It you could have seen her as did q
few hours ago, you could not but have
pitied her. Her mother died of this same
trouble"
81 cannot forgive her, Paul, but 1 will
lgo."
Upon reaching the mansion he led hel
to a room that looked out into the gar
den and left her tor few moments. This
she knew in a moment was to have been
her room if she had been his wife, and
the first time she entered it was when
she came to see her successful rival. The
first time Paul met her after his sojourn
on the continent for few years was in
field of rye, with her hat of, hair down,
and on her head a wreath of porpies,
singing at the top of her voice Comm
Thro' the Rye"
The walls of the room were hung with
straw colored silk and border of pop
pies, and the carpet was of the same del
lcate shade, with bright peoples and
grain scattered over it; and over the man
tel hung the picture of a young girl
dressed in white, looking through her
veil of hair, with her head crowned with
/ peoples, which was a picture of herself
in her girlhood. Now it was Paul's own
room, she knew; as his cigar was on the
table, his gloves and various other arti-
Giles belonging to gentleman thrown
around.
She had finished her inspection, when
Paul appeared and said Sylvia would see
her.
The first words Sylvia said to her were
"You think am going to die, and you
are glad, are you not9?
'If this liz why you sent for me I had
better go back" said Helen.
mo, no; don't you see I'm very sicki
| And if l don't die this time, it will sure.
| ly take me Off some day, and you must
say you forgive me-"
81 cannot"
"Then you are not the noble woman
you are reputed; and it is you, Helen
Adair, that ought to ask forgiveness, fol
you know he was first my sweetheart, anG
you stole him from me, and then stole
him from you. What is IN you that has
so bewitched himG All these years b,
has never spoken to me but in the pres
ence Ut servants Once / went up be
hind him and put my arms around hi
neck, and though he said nothing, ther,
was murder in his face. Night a1tel
night I've crept to his door and in hi
ihrashing and tossing could hear hin
call Nell, Nell, and never once have