The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-08-18

lonely with only harry and VIII IN this
great house. Papa always sad our
means would be independent, and I sup
qc9e they are"
And so they proved, and so they car
ftad out bis plans.
Ethel remained iH the big, lOusiT
house, keeping with her the two boys,
eight and ten, and letting Arthur 60,
aB proposed, to school.
But she was not lonely, as she had
/ feared Her next-dOor neighbors pre-
vented that.
Come in and read 70 me for an
hour or two, now and then. my dear"
i Mrs. Clifton had said; and when the
i girl had come, she would not let her
| 20. Or, when the snow was on the
ground, the doctor would call and take
I her for brisk walk; and in the even
ings they would come to her or make
her come to them.
'What should I have done but for
yOup she said one dav to Mrs. Clifton.
''YOu have been like an own dear
mother to me-"
And Mrs. Clifton listened, half in
pleasure, half in pain.
Perhaps she thought, Il might
have been her mother, had not Arnold
already selected for me n daughter"
Strange this was the only subject on
which the little party had not touched.
| ArROlds engagement had been for so
/ long so intangible a thing, that they
/ had grown to dwell upon it rs little rs
pOssible-it was like touching a sore;
so that Ethel, with her young heart
already throwing of its burden of
| grief, in new, sweet iOy-tO which
/ she gave no name, or stopped, indeed,
/ to know that it existed-l.ttle dreamed
/ Of the misery in store for her.
/ Nor did Arnold think more than she.
He called himself brother to the lone
I ly orphaned girl He wrote Miriam
long accounts Of her-how he hoped
one day they would be friends. Yet,
when he knew that day was about to
dawn. he shrank back, and knew not
/ why.
The knowledge came with the an
/ nOuncement from Miriam that she was
| coming home sooner than she had
/ hoped, and in the early Nav would pay
a visit to his mother
In May! and April was half gone.
The snow had long melted, but he and
Ethel still had their frequent walks.
He h1d an engagement with her on
/ the afternoon that he received tine let
ter. As they were walking along be-
it from his pocket.
"Ethel," he said, ''yOu have been my
| friend so long that I am going to be
speak your friendship for some one
Yerv dear to me. This letter is from
my future wife. VIII you read it?'
A great wave Of color surged to her
| face: her very heart seemed to stop its
beating, as she stretched out one little,
/ lev hand to take il from him.
j Silently she read it through, then
folded and held it out for him to take
again.
81 am very glad for You" she said,
| In q quiet, measured tone.
Then their eyes met, and each read
/ down, down into the others soul
'God help US both" said the man,
and turned homeWard.
Three weeks later, Miss Featherst0ne
arrived. She was a tall, queenly wO-
man, Of somewhat majestic stature,
/ and q charm of manner which attract
/ ed all who came within its scope.
''NO wonder that he loved her."
| thought Ethel, rs they met; ''and-
I and2if his heart did turn to me for
| little minute, she soon will win it back
again"
But the human heart is q strange
anomaly, and in these days Miriam
watched her lover with strange pcne-
tration.
His letters had been filed with Ethel.
He now rarely mentioned her name,
and the hours when the two girls were
together he absented himself as much
as he could.
Yet, with almost feverish eagerness,
he urged upon Miriam, As her stay was
drawing to an end, to consent to their
speedy marriage.
She listened in silence, then looked
up into the pale, excited face, with z
little laugh.
"Don't be foolish, Arnold" she
said. 81 have wanted to tell you, dear,
ever since I came down. that l thought
it very foolish in US both to cling to
sentiment time has worn out You see
I have been away so much, so long
separated from yOu,' there was little
choke in her voice here, but his dull
ear did not notice it, "Jhat l don't feel
quite the same; and-and-I think I've
guessed your secret, too. Arnold, and
so It makes the telling easier.
A great light came into his face put
she turned her head away rs though 1t
hurt her, and for an instant q heavy
| anguish crept into her brave eyes.
'You have guessed my secret - he
| repeated. after her. You no longer
love me-"
"If 1 loved, could I give you up, do
you think?'' she answered. NO, no,
Arnold! I'll go back to the old blind
father who needs me- but now and
then, when I need a little rest, you
and Ethel will let me come 10 you, will
you nOtP'
'sGod bless your he said, and raising
her hand he pressed his lips with fer
vent passion upon it.
She smiled. 1t was the first time his
lips had touched her with such fire.
Don't say anything till l am gone,
she whispered. at may seem strange
to her! "
And, man like, he never guessed
that q deeper reason lay beneath-ney-
or guessed that her own wound was SIS
vet too deep to see her rival win the
happiness she had lOst-neVer guessed
that, as a week later, she bade him her
calm "Good-bye!' her pillow the night
before had been deluged with her
scslding tears, and her soul cried out
in rebellious misery against the life
long loneliness TO which she had de-
creed it.
But Ethel. with her keener woman
vision, as she offered up to heaven her
thansgiving for the wonderful JOY which
had SO strangely come to her. did not
forget to pray for the noble heart who
had sown in tears what she had reaped
i'm glorious happiness.
: ThsSt. Clair Flats Fishermen.
Yesterday forenoon there was q party
of five persons on the wharf waiting to
: take the boat for St. Clair Flats, says
the Detroit Free Press, and each man
had fishing tackle and other prePara-
{ Z fionr foy n good time After looking