The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-02-27

is tunatef" and he passed his arm aroune
her taper waist.
II 'Because-because-oh | cannot beal
is to mention it; though do not mind now
q at least not nearly SO mnch.''
It But what is this terrible reason why ]
l. should not love you, Jessie? Tell me
dearest"
IT "Oh, Frank! That is like your kind
: sympathy for me. OF course you guess
:, 1t is because | am blind, you known'
Frank recoiled as if he had been stung.
= choking gasp escaped him, and he could
not speak for moment
+ Blind" he repeated in moment, as if
$ in a dream. "Blind! Oh, Jessie! So
!. am !''
: 1t was too true. Blind from his birth,
Frank Carson had never dreamed that
Jessie was afflicted like himself. Maggie
had never told him this, and the terrible
: fact was now revealed to the lovers for the
time. Franks knowledge ofthe ground first
and neighborhood, in which heahad lived
, for years, had enabled him to keep Jessie
in ignorance ofhis infirnity, which he, of
course, fancied she was aware Of.
And had it come to this after all
Jessie seized his hand. doh, do not tell
ME this! Frank! dear Frank! Tell me
that you can see me! Have you never
seen me; never at all?n
ha faI L
fell almost like blow
Never"
And this was the end of he dream of
love! She had been SO very happy to
think that one man at least had been so
kind and sympathetic; that one man had
seen her vacant eyes and scared face, and
had loved her for herself alone not FOR
beauty and not for wealth. But now the
charm was snapped, the golden bowl was
broken! She bent her head. A great
warm drop fell upon her hand, now c1asped
in his once more. She started as she felt |
it. He was suffering too. She drew her
self up, beautiful smile upon her face
then bending toward him, she pressed
kiss, the first kiss of her pure lips, upon
| his forehead. -a
''For better, for worse, till death do US
part, dear Frank, I am yours, if you will
take me sop
"Till death do us part" he repeated
solemnly, and he in turn was stopping to
his love when
A hot and brilliant flash of light rent the
sky overhead, rafting peal of thunder
folloWedit to the earth, and Frank and
Jessie lay extended beneath the riven tree,
hand in hand, to all appearance locked in
sleep-the sleep that knows no waking.
Till death did them part! Was this to
be their parting, on the Threshold of their
lives?
Peal after peal of thunder ratified over
head, the lightning flashed around them,
the rain poured down in torrents, and there ,
they lay, unconscious Of the elemental
war-asleep!
= - y
"Merciful heaven, have pity ON them!'
Itwas the rector who spoke, as he and
some others Of the party came suddenly
upon the senseless forms beneath the tree.
Was the prayer heard? We dare not .
speculate on subjects such as this Who ),
can tell? =.
The bodies were borne to cottage close .
by; the light clasp of the fingers were un- :
loosed at length. Jessie, the bunch of
roses contrasting SO with her palid face,
was laid upon bed. Frank was in the ;,
next room, insensible still. i
A stifled sigh first proclaimed to Maggie !
Denne that her heartfelt prayer had been y
and Jessie sat upright. Turning =
to her kind attendant, she said family: =
Maggie, dearestr'
Maggie, full of joy, hastened to the bed.
There was Jessie Hamblyn, indeed; but \
it was the Jessie of old. Her eyes were
open and full of life.
''It is true, Maggie darling, it is true,
and l can see you once again-I can, / can.
Look, here are my roses; there you stand. s
Oh! thank heaven, can see the sky once c
more - 0
She fell back exhausted; then rising a
again cried: Il
''Is it true about Frank? I love him. tx
He loves me. The lightning struck US
res, but give me sight for him. Thank p
Sod! Where is Frank?n she inquired o
lfter a pause: ST
In the nextroom," said Maggie, as she d
wiped away her happy tears. sOh, Jessie, p
low thankful we all are! We feared the
worst for both ~ y
At this moment the rector entered soft ST
y.
: 'Oh, come in papa; come in. Darling p
Jessie can see us all again. Is it not won
lerful? I am 50 thankful!' h
tsTt was wonderful, - replied Mr.. Denne. h
And now, he said, after he had affee-
ionately congratulated Jessie, II have A
more good news; Frank has recovered, is
nd has asked for Jessie. May he come Y
n?'' 81
II will go to him. she said, rising from ra
he bed. And before they could stop her,
he had hurried away to the next room,
where, lying upon sofa, was poor Frank th
larson. She hastened toward him. ssOh, cl
rank! ~ she cried, "dearest Frank, I am ST
0 glad" Then blushing rosy red, she
"Till death do us part. God ol
as given me my eyesight once again, to
urse and tend you all my life. Dear, I
ear Frank!.' tll
He said not word till, rising up, he ds
melt beside the sofa, and Jessie's thanks !.
living and his went up to Heaven to- FL
ether. so
But little remains to be told. The lovers 81
rere united before many months had q
assed. Algernon and Maggie soon fol-
owed the good example set them by Jes-
e and her lover. On the formers wedding r,
ny, the only gift presented to the lovely W
ride by her devoted husband, Frank, SO
as bunch of roses. IN
TEne Word Home y
~
It must be borne in mind that-so far as -
lie mere word is concerned-competition o.
rdent as it is, is limited to relatively Il
nall area. Neither the Slav nor the Latin :,
ices take part il, in, for the excellent rea- !,
IN that their tongues contains no term n
1