The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-08-13
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per, team you imagine anything at all
nbout what tell Won ?"

per, VAL gou ihldhluc uug tulllS dt hii
about what tell you ?"
"No," replied Miss Richardson, bitter
ly, "for there is no romance, not one
grain of it, in my lifo. The romance I
had was spoiled just short time ago.
Keep your faith in your Richard, Martha,
but 1 have none left for man. You must
go on now, and lot me know the rest.
~ would rather die than lose my faith
in Richard" said Martha, tremulously,
"There is such little more to tell, - she
went on then; ''all the time his letters
told me he could not afford to come; he
was waiting in hopes, and oh, if the
time was to him as to me, then TO both
it was dreery, dreary waiting. Aud
grandpa began to fret; he wanted TO see
me married before he died. But one
day, month ago, he died, and left me
alone with the COWS, Then to show
Richard how much 1 yet loved him, and
how little I cared whether he was rich or
whether be was poor, l wrote him glad
letter, that l was coming to him soon,
soon. When 1 reach the end of my
journey, there he will be take me home,
to his home. l can almost see him now,
so glad to find me again"
She was moving restlessly abe ut like
wind, and her bands were winding their
fingers about each other, her eyes thin
ing and her chin with its cleft pointing
into ray of the moon.
"I think know your Richard, said
Miss Richardson, by.and. bye. He is a
tall, handsome man, with blonde eyes
and hair, and pleasant, bright way with
him. You know I live in Sacramento,
too"
In few moments the porter came
along again, and Miss Richardson gave
orders to have only the lower berth
made. "For we shall sleep together to-
night, Martha" she said quietly.
So all the night long she lay awake,
with her arms around little Martha, All
the night long, thinking and thinking,
she lay, with the sweet breath of tie trust
ing chil1-woman falling on her LIFT band
the hand was shorn now of its spark
ling ring,
81 loved him too, she cried to herself
suddenly, and then her arm tightened
upon the child-heart beating against it,
and the tbrob ran through her like an
appeal for mercy, The cars tramped in
to and through the night, and by-and-
bye the morning came, as fair and fresh
as though Kate Richardson had not made
a sacrifice the night before.
When the train rolled into the depot
at Sacramento, Miss Richardson espied
Dick Powers waiting, and by his side
was Al Fisher. He was haggard and in
distress, be was thin, and he had grown
five years older then when she left him
two months before. He saw her, too,
and ran along by her window, grasping
the hand she held out to him.
"Oh, Kate, Kate = he pleadeded, i'm
plorirely.
She went to tho door to meet him, and
drew him along the aisle; "Dick, here is
Matte, said she
He looked at the Wild rose, blooming so
sweetly for him, and as he saw the soft
hazel eyes, brimmiug up with drops, the
falling corners OF the shy mouth culver
ing, the old sweet beauty grew upon
him again, and hungry smile dawned in
his eyes.
"Oh, Martial" he murmured.
"At last. dear Richard, at last - she
cried. as he gathered her in his arms,
Al Fisher took Miss Richardson home.
and she was gravely polite and smiling
all the way. But 1t was two years before
she allowed him to draw the last drop OF
bitterness out of her heart; and, even
then, she gave a last kiss before marri-
age to baby Martha.