Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-09

thoho mhoA OF White Nlk.' lhen no /
very improperly wanted 10 hold the |
scissors and thread the needle, till finally |
Laura, 10 get rid Of what she called his
" "impertinent questions, " sent him back
again with book 10 the porch After
which she settled 10 the work In hand.
1t was a warm, languid afternoon,
still with n silence made up of those
many little summer sounds with which
earth and air arc instinct, and which
seem 10 blend into the droWsest still
ness of all. The hutter Of bird among
the leaves, the buzz Of bee In bios
som, the drone Of locust In the grass,
came in an irregular mingled murmur
10 her ear. Through II all she could
hear the rustic Of Arthur's book as he
turned q leaf, and more distantly, the
tinkle Of notes from the room where
Margaret was running through some
melody on the old piano. Laura listened
with sort Of under-accompaniment Of
thought Of her own, as the sounds stole
in and out
For thee pine and sigh, Aileen Aroon.
"How can people live and wait on so,
/ wonderP-Dear me, how quickly Ar
thur has read that last pagep There,
buub - q hulhhllilk-ulIu III bub houb1~
suckle, h-m.m-m!"-The buzz pro-
longed itself, and seemed to come from
the needle in her hand, which grew into
long, slender bill darting in and out Of
the silken folds, her head bent lower,
the hum crept up int her brain-and
Laura was asleep.
Not for the space Of forty winks, how
ever, for when she woke with a start
Aileen ArOon was still on the air, and
outside was the rustic of Arthur's book.
Arthur But who then was this that
held her close, his breath on her cheek,
his voice in her ear7 Not Arthur,
surely, for at the scream Laura gave,
Arthur came with one bound in through
the porch window. Another step
brought him TO the intruder, but the lat
ter, a tall, powerful man, caught and
held him in a vise-like grasp, though
without offering him any injury.
"Come, sheer off, messmate," he
said with a frank smile, "when a man
comes TO see his sweetheart after six
years out of a Christian country, you
needn't jump at him like a tiger out of
a Jungle"
Z" But we will look for your sweetheart
presently" answered Arthur, humoring
what he supposed the mans crazy fan
cy. "This is my sweetheart, youknow." "
" Your sweetheartl" repeated the in
truder, dropping his hold and facing
around. "What, my own girl false to
me after all these yearsP Didn't / find
her making her wedding-dress, that
brought her home SO long agoP All,
my lass, we little thought, when we
kissed good-by, that it was for so long
And did dream tell you l was coming
after all, Margaret"
"Margaret!n cried Laura, with lit
tie scream, as he caught her hand again
=" Why, Arthur, it is-He says Mar
garrett"
"What is it, LauraP Did you call
meP" said Margaret, opening the door
upon her name. "Arthur, is any thing
the matterP" she continued, seeing the
third figure, and the signs of excitement
upon all.
The stranger turned around and faced
her fully. She gave one start, ther
stood, dead-white, but without a word
looking at him So they staid for what
oto the two watching them, seemed g
long time motionless and speeohless
gazing straight into one another's eyes
Then the newcomer, with one glance
around at Laura, said, 81 don't know
who you are, but this is my Margaret, >
and, putting his hand on her arm, LED
her through the door into the next room
leaving Laura and Arthur with the
closed door between.
"Oh, Arthur" gasped Laura, 4" ism
it Just like novelP to come back aftel
all these yearsl"
"But what is it all aboutP" asked
Arthur, a little impatient of the mys
terry.
"Oh, don't you knowP why, it is Mar
garet's sailor-lover, that was drowned, ,
answered Laura, simply. Arthur
laughed.
'FDon't talk nonsense, child" hi
said, with fond superiority. "Is it ,
common thing in your experience fol
drowned men to come back againP"
"No, and that's what makes tn,
wonder of it," replied Laura. Arthur
laughed again, and raised his eyebrows
al did not know that Margaret had
story" he said presently. "She is s,
quiet, $3.50 altogether unsensational
that 1 never should have thought o
lOhAuhON anu hpA eOkaNbAOLs JhO 10 W
nice for the regulation novel heroine,
he concluded, with smile.
She is the dearest and best girl il
the world!" said Laura, warmly
"When she-she was so kind to me
yesterday" she went on with blusl
and a falter, "she wished / might be a
happy as she had hoped to be, and
told her 1 wished might be half a
good. And do, Arthur, and l mean u
try" she concluded, clasping her hand
on his arm, and looking earnestly up il
his face.
ait was not bad wish, my darling,
answered Arthur, STOPPING and kissing
her. Margaret is one of those womel
who know how to make homes and keel
men in them. am sure shall be bet
ter all my life for having known her.
This was much for Arthur Dayton b
say, for ne was not given 20 warm praise
nor, indeed, TO enthusiasm of any kind
But it was true that he had strongly fel
the influence of Margaret's character
the firm yet gentle nature, the lovely
self-saorifcing disposition, the sweet an
! cheerful piety that made the house i
which Margaret dwelT the abode G
peace and happiness. That Laur
might grow in these respects as like he
/ sister as she already was in person ha
been Arthur's steady hope, for he be
! lieYed them to be the surest foundatio
, Of home in the best sense of the word.
While they stood together thus, tn
) door from the outer passage was opened
, and Aunt Desire came in, just returne
from the sick neighbor, .s..-.-..
} "Oh, Aunt Desire" Laura exclaimed
| "such thing has happened-you neve
t would guessP Margaret's sailor hG
, emma hack ~