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

ulated Aunt Desire, ~ she rose from her
chair, adding, "but I'm sure i donr
know anybody that deserves such q
miracle more than Margaret does"
She stopped tO pick up the white folds
still lying on the sheet where they had
fallen. 'I s'pose I might ~ well take
all this finery upstairs, whose ever itis,"
she said, and gathering the silk over her
arm went out Of the room, signing under
her breath, "The ways Of Providence
are wonderful"
Arthur burst out laughing. "I Inever
saw any thing like you Hew.England
people" he said. Drowned men might
be coming back every day, and you
would not forget the washing and bak-
ing. / believe the genuine New-Eng-
lander takes the marvellous as the rule
Of LIFE"
Laura, her humor still somewhat dis
composed, was about TO make some
pettish rejoinder, when the door Of the
inner room opened, and Margaret and
her sailor entered. But Margaret's face
was as Laura had never yet seen It in
all her life, and she Just stood and gazed
at her without a word.
"This is my little sister Laura, isn't
itp' said Margaret's companion, adj
vancing and taking her hand. "I sup
pose may kiss you now without fright
ening you-if this gentleman doesn't
object,n he concluded with a sailors
half-shy bOldness, turning toward Arthur,
who smiled permission. 81 shouldn't
have come in, know, in such a rude
way as did, but a man that's spent
halt-a-dozen years slaving among the
sayages loses his manners, " he continued
with laugh. "And when l saw you
sitting there so like the girl left all
those years ago, seemed TO forget
everything else, somehow" He passed
his hand over his eyes, then turned
around and smiled a frank smile at
Laura.
"I've come just in time to make my
wedding-present, it seems, he said with
a sparkle of his black eyes, "and III
give you-with your consent, sir-the
finest dress that ever a pretty girl stood
up to be married in. But that one you
we're sewing on when came in-why,
you won't take it wrong, L know, if
say that Margaret, and nobody else,
must wear that for a wedding dress.
It's waited half-a-dozen years, ike her
and me, and we three won't part com.
pany in the end"
elbow lucky that we are near the
same height, Margaret" said Laura,
glad of some commonplace remark with
which to approach this new, strange
Margaret, whom she seemed to behold
for the first time to-day.
Margaret smiled, and putting her arm
around her, kissed her for answer.
81 don't quite know" said Arthur
holding out his hand to the other with
a laugh, "where to begin to congratu,
late man who has had hardships and
adventures 80 completely out of my
line, but 1 wish you happiness with al
my heart"
"The same to you," was the answer
"And 1 think it's a pretty safe wish fol
both of us, considering all things" ht
added, looking around at the two girls
/ who stood leaning fondly together.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Aunt Desire
| who did not need that Joy should b.
personal, to be able to sympathize in it
was putting away the wedding-dress
, smoothing down its folds with sof
touches, while she murmured reveren
tally
"The ways of Providence are myste
, rious, and past fndin' out tl"-Eramfne
? and Chronicle.