The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-24

:" thought should find you in this
lovely spot. May not come too?" he
Il thought you bad gone with Bar
"Yes, leftJhim there playing with
Inc little Temples. l made brief call
on on the ladies, and then gave Bardie the
sup. J. wanted to get back, and only
nope he will not discover my retreat.
Every body is lazy to-day except you,
Nora. You have your work laid out in
very notable way, though after all /
10 not see that you have done much"
Some days are unlucky," answer
ed. Il did not feel in the mood. But
Will sketch now," and began to work
IN earnest, partly to get rid of the search
ing eyes which seemed to read my
troubled thoughts.
Rest instead, Ellinor, ard let US talk
awhile.''
" Yes, talk; but I can work too. /
want to make this picture; the view is
so lovely, it haunts me.h
"Ah!" said Harry, "there is pict.
ure which haunts me-a picture |
lately saw, and can think of nothing
else woman, young, fair, and with
the sweetest mother face; and little
child.''
ga MadonnaPn
"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, l
can never tell you what I felt when |
came upon you so suddenly to-day with
my little sleeping boy, nor what reve-
lation from heaven came to my heart
that thus it might be-must be. l said
we were fellow-mourners: can we not
he fellow-comforter
Icould not speak; the sobs | had sup
pressed, the trouble L had been fighting,
had their own way now.
He looked at me in doubt and distress.
"What is it, dear Ellinor? Do l hurt
your do shock youP Have you no heart
to give me? No, 1 will not ask any
thing now. Calm yourself, sweet child;
rely upon me. l will not say another
word, if it distresses you like this
:" must speak," I 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?''
81 KNOW" he answered.
When you know that 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 heart?''
eyes," he answered, picking the lit
tie common flower and holding it to his
lips. cit is not the rose. But it is
heart's-ease. 1t has its own mission, its
own perfume"
"And do not speak of Bardie, cried,
more passionately than ever. "Do not
tempt me with him. l wish he and |
could 90 away together to some secret
place, and could have him always"
"Dear, you may have him always.
| No other woman ever shall.'
A long pause ensued. 1 determined
to grow calmer before speaking again.
1t was so hushed that we could hear the
stirring of some little rabbit in the bushes
behind. He looked at me entreatingly.
shook my head.
&c No, no, Harry; do not ask me, do
not tempt me. L am not much of girl,
| know, but I am worth more than that.
ought to be first in the mans heart
who marries me. No, do not speak
You know can not be first with you,
and so can not marry you. Oh, dear!"
l sighed, "there is nobody on earth with
whom am first, nobody who loves me
best of ALL"
The stirring of the rabbit became vio
lently excited, and, with great crush
ing of leaves and parting of branches,
himself from his lair, and flung himself
npon me. "Yes, yes, my darling
Nora," he cried, with tears, kissing my
head and face and hands, 81 love you
the best of all, my own Moral want
you. Go away, papa. Marry me-
marry Bardie, Nora dear!' and ne
threw his arms around me and buried
his head in my neck.
eyes, Nora" cried Harry, clasping
his arms round 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 per-
fectly happy"
They had conquered. My heart
yielded to both father and child, and l
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-
lodgings, and fullness and content.
glowed through and through me, and l
felt as if Susie'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 spectacles 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 wofully torn blouse
growing over his victory, and hardly
waiting to get within ear-shot before be-
traying the secret in his clear high
voice:
"She's going to marry me, Miss Scud-
dvronre. she promised she would. -