The Owosso times., 1881-10-21

Il am not quite sure, but 1 think
that the gentleman who has apart
ments at Mrs. Stoneleigh's is going to
marry Miss Stoneleigh-Mrs. Stone
leigh's niece
what is the gentleman's namep
'Mr. Robert Parker
And the child passed on.
The young mother turned deadly pal g
for an instant, and leaned against the
railings. No one observed her, how
ever, for all were too busily occupied
in watching for the wedding party;
and soon recovering little she walked
steadily on, and advancing to the door
upon which all eyes were fixed, rang
the bell.
A char-woman appeared, with very
smiling cOuntenance, and evidently
dressed in her best. But the visitors
face looked far more like weeping than
smiling.
Il wished to see Mr.. Parker she be-
gan, in low, trembling tones, but am
afraid and she paused, and
seemed to gasp little for breath.
The char-woman stared at both her
and her baby, and then replied that
Mr.. Parker was just going to church
to the wedding.
For she added, smiling broadly
now, 'he was so good as to promise to
give away the bride, you see, ma'am.
Praps you'd like to call again.
oh yesp and the visitors voice had
wonderfully changed. 4 will not dis
turb any one just now.'
And p'raps you'd liketo see the we'd
dingT interrupted the char-woman.
1T is to be at the church close by. And
what shall L tell Mr.. Parker, ma'am, if
you please?
But NOrrie - for of course it was
Norrie-would not leave her name
She knew "the church close by" well,
and she would 60 to see the wedding
and yet not that either, but to see
how her Robert locked, and to read in
his face whether he had sorrowed even
ever so little at losing her. She went,
sat in retired corner, and commenced
her watch, still holding her treasure
her little, sleeping baby.
A good many people dropped in by
degrees, for Mrs. Stoneleigh was well
known; but NOrrie scarcely saw them,
and remembered the face of neither
bride nor bridegroom. She thought
only of Robert, saw only his face, up
on which she kept her eyes fastened
from the moment he entered the church
till he left it again.
He looked years older; his face was
pale and thin, and its expression unal-
terably grave and serious. And a lit
tie huttering hope rose up at once in
Norrie's heart, and she could not help
feeling happier than she had done for a
whole long year and more, as she
thought
My own dear Robert! 1 think, /
hope, that at least he will not be vex-
ed at seeing mel
The wedding was over, and every
body gone, when Norrie Ietraced her
steps, and once more appeared at Mrs.
Stoneleigh's door. And this time she
had sent in a tiny note, just a twisted
scrap of paper, on which she had writ
ten:-
DEAR RoBERT.-I have come back
to you again, and / have brought our
little son with me. You will love me
now, will you not? "NORRIE."
She was shown into little side room,
and there she waited, first laying her
little one ON couch. 1t was only
moment that she waited-or it seemed
but a moment to her-yet how much
passed through her mind in the time
She went back to the sorrowful days
that had preceded her departure; and
then she thought of the voyage and the
storm, and how, after long weeks of
suffering, she had recovered, to find
herself among strangers, and the sole
survivor of that terrible wreck, and al
so to learn that with the rest she had
been reported dead. The last fact,
however, distressed her but little.
Perhaps it is better so,' she thought.
Robert will not mind, for he did not
love me-
Her gentleness and kindness soon
won her friends, and in various ways
she contrived, however humbly, to
support herself.
At length she became a mother, and
it happened that the wife of an Eng
lish clergyman, who was passing
through the place, visited her, and at
her desire now wrote to Robert for
her, and also lent her money to take
her home as soon as she should be able
to travel.
Patiently she, had waited for an an
swer to this letter, but none had ar
rived; and at length, sorrowfully
enough and anxiously enough also, she
had set out for home.
And now here she was, and how
would Robert receive herp Q
He came quickly into the room.
My NorrieI he exclaimed, in voice
that was tremulous as a woman's with
strong feeling. lis it possiblep'
And she sprang up, and threw her.
self sobbing with joy into his arms,
and in few words told him all.
And he clasped her closely and kiss
ed her as he had never kissed her till
to-day, and told her his story--how he
had made the mistake of imagining
that he did not love his wife, when the
truth was that she was his greatest
treasure in the world.
But soon Norrie quilted him, and
went to her little babe. He started
he had almost forgotten the child-and
then he followed her, and bent over
his infant son with feelings too deep
for words.
He belonged to you as much as to
me- murmurred Norrie, 'and 1 fell
that ought to bring him TO you, OF