Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-06-24
WOODBURY., N j.. THURSDAY, JUNE a. $780,

y
0 take her place in my life forever.
Even her sweet little boy would be
| taken from me no doubt before long,
and given to some other woman-sOmt
Sophy Temple! And Harry But
just at that stage of my reverie, when ]
felt the choking in my throat, and the
hot tears in my eyes, heard the same
well-known step close beside me, and
| Harry Bent, flushed and breathless,
threw himself on the ground at my
| feet.
81 thought / should find you in this
lovely spot. May I not come toopn he
entreated.
Il thought you had gone with
Bardie."
Yes, left him there playing with
| the little Temples. / made brief call
on the ladies, and then gave Bardie the
| slip. / wanted to get back. and only
| hope ne will not discover my retreat.
Everybody g lazy to-day except you,
Nora. You have your work laid out in
very notable way, though after all
| do not see that you have done much. +"
Some days are unlucky," / an
swered. did not feel in the mood.
But will sketch now," and began to
work in earnest, partly to get rid of the
searching eyes which seemed to read my
troubled thoughts.
Rest instead, Ellinor, and let US talk
awhile.
eyes, talk; but 1 can work too. I
want to make this picture; the view is
SO lovely, it haunts me-"
Ah!' said Harry, there is picture
which haunts me-a picture l lately
saw, and can think of nothing else; a
woman, young, fair, and with the
sweetest mother face; and a little
child"
GA Madonnap"
Perhaps so. The child was asleep.
Such repose, such confidence in his
whole attitude and expression! Evil
IDENTIFY the one right spot on earth to
him was his place in her arms. And
she looked like brooding dove. Nora,
| can never tell you what / felt when
| came upon you SO suddenly to-day
with my little sleeping boy, nor what a
revelation from heaven came to my
heart that thus it might be-must be.
[ said we were fellow-mourners; can
we not be fellow w-comfortersP"
| could not speak; the sobs ] had
suppressed, the trouble had been fight
ing, had their own way now.
He looked at me in doubt and distress.
What is it, dear Ellinor? Do / hurt
youp do I shock youP Have you no
heart TO give mep No, viii not ask
anything now. Calm yourself, sweet
child; rely upon me. | will not say
another word, If it distresses you like
this"
g / must speak" 1 cried, with des-
perate effort. Harry, Harry, how can
you ask such things of me, when you
know that you can never care for any
body again as you did for Susie?n
g know" he answered.
"When you know that l am no more
to be compared to her than this little
common flower at my feet is to be COM
pared to an exquisite half-blown rose,
petal after petal laden with sweetness,
down to Its secret golden heartP'
Yes," he answered, picking the lit
tie common flower and holding it to his
lips. 1t is not the rose. But it is
heart's-ease. 1t has its own mission, its
own perfume" "
And do not speak of Bardie, !" l cried,
more passionately than ever. Do not
tempt me with him. / wish he and /
could go away together to some secret
place, and could have him always"
OCdls yOu may LdfC 1llL1 ftlW
No other woman ever shall"
A long pause ensued. l determined
to grow calmer before speaking again
1t was SO hushed that we could hear
the stirring of some little rabbits in the
bushes behind. He looked at me en-
treatingly. / shook my head.
No, no, Harry; do nor ask me, do
not tempt me. l am not much of girl,
7 r
I ought to be first in the mans heart
You know cannot be first with you,
| sighed, there is nobody on earth
with whom / am first, nobody who
loves me best of all.n
The stirring of the rabbit became
violently excited, and with great
crushing of leaves and parting of
branches, and rending of little blouse,
Bardie tore himself from his lair, and
flung himself upon me. Yes, yes, my
darling Nora" he cried, with tears,
kissing my head and face and hands," /
love you the best of all, my own Nora
/ want you. Go away, papa. Marry
me-marry Bardie, Nora, dear!n and
he threw his arms around me and buried
his head in my neck.
Eyes, Nora" cried Harry, clasping
his armsround us both, marry Bardie;
marry US both We do want you; we
can't possibly live without you. There
is nobody on earth, there never will be,
whom we love half so well. Sweet
Nora. say yes, and make Bardie and me
perfectly happy
They had conquered. Ny heart
yielded to both father and child, and /
made full surrender, with my head on
Harry's shoulder, and my arms around
his child, and my tears all kissed away;
and wonderful sense of home and be-
longings, and fullness and content,
glowed through and through me, and
/ felt as if Sussie's smile came down in
the sunbeam, irradiating the whole
scene, and blessing the new part was
to take in the lives which her death had
left wrecked and stranded.
Aunt Urania came to meet us as we
returned to the farmhouse, putting on
her spectaeles of discovery as she came.
But it needed no glasses to see what had
happened. Dewy eyes, disheveled
tresses, happy, agitated faces, told the
whole story, even without The help
of the ecstatic child in wofulIy torn
blouse growing over his victory, and
hardly waiting to get within earshot
before proclaiming the secret in his clear
high voice:
'She's going to marry me, Miss Scud
1ur1onrn. Sha nrnr1icpd- cha rU0y1 IA III