Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-18

jewels to offer her, and how can hope to
win favor in her eyes ?"
Still there was no answer, unless he read
it in Joicy's heightened color, and he
urged:
"If Isaac, instead of her rich uncle's
son, had been poor man, with only log
house in the woods to offer, what do you
think Rebekah's answer would have been p
Joicey had been for the moment con.
fused by the unexpected turn of events,
but now there was slight curl to her lip,
and spice of mischief in her eye as she
answered
"Very likely she would have told Flea.
zur that she did not care to leave home,
and could not think of taking such jour.
ney."
Would you have said that ?'
1t would have been easy to have said
yes, and ended the matter; it was the an
swer Joicey felt that his presumption de-
served, but the disappointment in his tone
touched her. She stole a glance through
her lashes at the erect figure and fine,
manly face-a goodly Isaac indeed, fol
whose sake she inwardly confessed a woman
might leave kindred and fathers house, SO
as she could not answer yes, and would not
no, she evaded the question with, - How
can ! tell what would have done in her
place | am Joicey Sweet instead of Re.
bekah. "And l am Theron Brent in.
stead of Isaac, and my home is in Balm.
bridge instead of Hebron, but my need OF
wife is just as great. have lived alone
till l haven't words to tell you how tired !
have grown of solitude, of going out morn.
ings with no voice to bid me God speed,
and returning nights with dark house and
cold hearth for welcome.
81 am very sorry for you, she mur.
INJURED.
"Sorry enough to change all that"
'' But are there no damsels in your own
country she asked, ignoring his ques-
ton.
Zone or two."
81 should think one would be enough" "
Plenty, if she were the right one"
But how can you tell when you find
the right one ?"
81 think have found her now"
How can you tell +? You know nothing
about me ?"
81 know you are brave. l believe you
are good. hope" taking her hand in his
as he spoke, you will be pitiful.
What could Joicey say 2She had dreamed
of eyes that should look into hers with the
tender pleading of this handsome young
strangers, of hand that should hold hers
in such close, warm pressure. But the
vision had always been dim and distant
and its unexpected nearness startled and
disturbed her. Half frightened she felt as
if borne along by mighty current, her
barrier of evasive talk had been swept
away like straws. The question she would
have ignored faced her, and must be an
swered, and most perplexing of all she
could not tell what she wanted that an
swer to be. This was strong, fresh per-
sonality she did not want to Danish from
her life, and yet-so she faltered, sit is
so sudden.
81 know it is" he asserted. 81 would
gladly make my wooing as long as Jacobs,
but l have borrowed horse. | must be
in Painesville tonight, home tomorrow.
Rebekah gave her promise to an Isaac she
had never met. You at least have seen
me-" And then, in the soft October quiet,
while all above them a blackbird called
his mate, and around them the ripe leaves
futtered and fell, and beside them the
river hurried lakeward, Brent pleaded his
suit again. Perhaps not in the phrases of
courtier, but with manly frankness and
earnest sincerity, and to Joicey, bird and
leaf and stream bient in harmony whose
refrain was For love-" and blending
with the urgent words, the strain found
an echo in her own heart, and she, like the
old-time maiden, made answer, 81 will
60"
SO Theron Brent rode away through the
forest with great JOY blossoming In his
heart, and Joicey Sweet, who, not two
hours before, had left her school-horse
fancy free, walked homeward through the
fading sunset promised wife. Space
forbids that I should tell of the wedding
that occurred few weeks later, or of the
years that followed, whose trials, whose
tolls, whose dangers this brave, true
hearted woman (braver and truer than her
lover ever dresmedl met and bore with
a courage that never faltered. and ten
derness that never failed. Green be the
turf above her, and greener still the men,
CRY in the hearts of children and children's
who may well echo Theron
Brent's oft-repeated blessings on the day in
which he courted Joicey Sweet Ella
Thomas, in the Cleveland Herald
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