Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-10-14


terribly. | intend stopping there.
Will you 90 with me r
| Miss Thorburn, promising to send
some necessary articles found it easy
to decline going herself At the
very next corner there stood Fitz
! Maurice Maurice. He reproved her
for running away, in manner which
implied he felt her loss keenly then.
with a graceful sallew me- deftly
caught the flower slipping from her
creamy lace, and, after lifting it to
his lips, transferred tito his button.
hole.
Up to that critical nom9nt, Anthia
Thorburn rather liked this young
gentleman. Suddenly and unac-
countably he turned obnoxious, nay,
even ridiculous, with that penciliag
of dust under the sulphur. colored
mustache. The penalty of his hem-
age to the little field. flower.
Had she noticed Bessie Wade try
| ing TO make it up with Hal Bloomer
Did she see Tom Forbss's stunning
tie? Had Kate Smith told her when
she was to be married /? So ran the
shallow current of his conversation,
until they reached Thorburn's door,
where Anthia gladly dismissed him.
Miliville gossips called both these
gentlemen Miss Thorburn's lovers.
Some three or four years previous,
Ralph Aden's father was one of the
wealthlest men in the place. Through
some fraudulent proceeding. Maurice
seniors was Whispered lost
everything, and died shortly after.
Ralph was obliged to leave college
an 4 accept an inferior position in the
mill, for the purpose OF providing for
an invalid sister and younger brother.
However, he had not relinquished
his medical studies, and was already
in the enjoyment OF an extensive
practice among the poorer classes,
where, kill or cure, il was no pay.
"A fine young man. Will make
his mark some day. was invariably
conceded, the while it was mutely
yet unanimously agreed to wait for
that suspicious hour before any pub
lie recognition of his merits be ten
dered him. They were blind as well
as dumb, not to see that this young
mans mark was already made, and |
that, too, where the Carpenters Som
left His own hallowed imprint-in
the homes of the poor and lowly, in |
the hearts of the common people.
Asfor Fitz Maurice Maurice
idle, stupidity good tempered they
all laughed at him bshind his back,
yet everybody respected him as the
only child and heir Of the richest
man in the place, and good sort Of
fellow in his ewn right.
The house of Tnorburn, not feel |
ing under obligations to attend sec.
ond service on the Sabbath, settled |
into profound dullness or slum bering
as the day wore o.. Anthia found |
it easy to decline going with Ralph |
Alden to vieit the suffering child, yet
not quite 50 easy to quiet her con-
science on the subject afterward. -
The soft gold of the April day melt
ing into the grays of twilight. only |
left her more restless and disturbed. |
As child of God, she had humbly
asked some task at His hands, then
theughtlessly shirked the first duty
presenting itself.
The fire in the open CRATE OPP
pressed her, the stiffness OF her faith.
er's and annt's reclining figures only |
made her pulse run quicker. She
drew the curtain and looked out in |
the darkness to meet the mill walls |
inelosing her like the sides of some |
huge box. Their garden was a neg.
lected spot, stihsd ia regulation
shrubbery, yet she recalled in sort
Of eestacy its secluded avenues,
where the breath of lilacs blew
through the shimmering dark, and |
over which big stars were keeping
watch. Snatching up a shawl more |
like meshes of sea-feam woven in a
mermaid's loom than the work of
woman's fingers, she stole ssttly out
and paced the garden paths.
Milville's landed proprietors seem.
ed to have agreed upon the singular
choice OF fixing their residences in /
close proximity to their business.
Consequently, Andrew Thorburn's
mansion rested complacentiy in the |
shadow OF Thorburn Mills, while his
employees occupied tenements at a
respectful distance,as become objects
supposed TO have no more in COM |
mon with this great scheme of ac-
oumulating wealth than had the ma.
chinary in use certain length OF |
time, then turned cut on the lots and
forgotten.
From that garden slope, showed |
over with cherry blossoms, aud |
sprinkled with incense from the lilacs
censers. Miss Thorburn could see
these humble homas. Singing out
the light from Susan Printers win.
dow, she remembered how this poor |
creature had gone from their own
door to be married, and how sad
life she was leading ever since. Then
she thought how often Ralph Alden
had tried to interest her in these mill
people. The recollection of her fee
ble,readily relinquished efforts in the
mission-sehool returned to her with
rang. Was this the work God |
wanted her to do? Through this
mans entreaty and example had she
been called time and again, and time
and AGAIN refusad
Susan Priater's candle glimmered |
more redly, sending a beckoning ray
through the slumberous dark. An |
invisible breath touched Anthia
Thorburn's cheek, then fitted entic.
ingly away. That very instant her
mind was made up. She would 60 |
and see little Beta. She seldom tray
eled that way. yet, seeing it daily, |
every step was familiar, aHd it did |
not take her many minutes to arrive
at Printers door. Although not as
bad as its neighbours, the room was
by no means clearly. The children, |
too, had an uuwashed, unkspt look,
owing, probably, to an early toilet |
and no subsequent attention. Even
Susie's face wore the mill mark, and |
K was evident that solIed hands had |