Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-15

Sophy Templei And Harry But
Just ut that stage of my reverie, when j
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.
"I thought I should find you in this
lovely spot. May / not come tooP" he
entreated.
Il thought you had gone with
Bardie.n
"Yes, left him there playing with
the little Temples. made brief call
on the ladies, and then gave Bardie the
slip. l wanted TO get back. and only
hope he will not discover my retreat.
Everybody is lazy to-day except you,
Nora. You have your work laid out in
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 4 of the
searching eyes which seemed read my
troubled thoughts.
Rest instead, Ellinor, and let us talk
awhile.
Eyes, talk; but l can work too. l
want to make this picture; the view is
so lovely, il haunts me-"
"Ahi" said Harry, "there is picture
which haunts me-a picture l lately
saw, and I can think of nothing else; a
woman, young, fair, and with the
sweetest mother face; and n little
child"
"a MadonnaP"
Perhaps so. The child was asleep.
Such rerose, such confidence in his
whole attitude and expressionl Evil
dently 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 IL might be-must be.
] said we were fellow-mourners can
we not be fellow-comfortersP"
| could not speak; the sobs i 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 EllinorP DO l hurt
youp do / shock you? Have you no
heart TO give me2 No, | will not ask
anything now. Calm yourself, sweet
child; rely upon me. l will not say
another word, Il il distresses you like
this"
~ must speak," 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?"
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 hal-blown rose,
petal after petal laden with sweetness,
down to It's secret golden hearth
YES" he answered, picking the lit
tie common flower and holding il to his
lips. ut Ia not the rose. But 1t is
heart's-ease. II has its own mission, its
own perfume"
"And do not speak of Bardie," cried,
more passionately than ever. do not
tempt me with him. / 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. | determined
TO grow calmer before speaking again.
It 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.
mo, no, Harry; do nor ask me, do
not tempt me. i am not much of a girl,
| know, out l am worth more tLaD that
l ought TO be first in the mans heart
who marries me. No, do not speak.
You know cannot be first with you,
and so / cannot marry you. Oh, dearr
! sighed, there Is nobody on earth
with whom / am firsts nobody who
loves me best OF ALL"
violently excited, and with a great
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
I want you. Go away, papa. Marry
me-marry Bardie, Nora, dearw and
he threw his arms around me and buried
his head in my neck.
"Yes, Nora" cried Harry, clasping
his arms sround 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 a wonderful sense of home and be-
longings, and fullness and content,
glowed through and through me, and
] felt ms il 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 Uranin came TO meet us as we
returned TO the farmhouse, putting On
her spectacles of discovery as she came.
But it needed no glasses 70 see what had
happened. Dewy eyes, disheveled
tresses. happy, agitated faces, told the
whole story, even without The help
of the ecstatic child in a wofulIy torn
blouse growing over his victory, and
ha.-d1p WAITING IN Qoi within oaeaiaf4f