The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-01-06
A REPAID DEBT.


y
in the little German village through
whose outskirts two lovers strolled,
They had left behind them the cot.
tages, and had wandered off among the
green fields and under the shade of the
trees, behind which the sun had almost
sunk 20 rest.
1t was an old story, the story of their
loving, They had been betrothed since
the girl was fourteen, 1t was well-nigh
five years now, and on her nineteenth
birthday they were to be married.
She was an orphan, and her snug
dowry, lying so safely nestled
away in the village bank, she had
accumulated by the labor of her
own hands. But a shade was on
her lovers face tonight, and even in
the shadow her quick eye discerned it.
Sing to me, Hans" she whispered,
knowing that in song Hans Werter for
got all else.
After moments silence, he obeyed
her, and the sleepy birds woke in their
nests, and almost Indignantly drew
their heads from beneath the soft shell
ter of their wing, to listen to this
strange, wonderful rival to the sweet
ness of their notes. The air was filled
with the exquisite melody 1t rang full,
and clear, and sweet. 1t sank down to
the violets, as they stirred TO the listen
ing wind, and scared to the stars.
Poor little Marguerite! Hans music
ALWAYS brought the moisture to her blue
eyes, but tonight it seemed filled with
something she had never heard before,
and her little hands were tightly inter-
laced, and her red lips parted in a sort
of painful ecstacy.
But at the close, she was all unpre-
pared to see him end the last note in
dry sob, then fling himself down on
the sward and bury his face in his
hands.
Hans, what is it?" she cried sinking
down beside him, and trying to raise
his head upon her breast.
Was he weeplngp She had never in
all those years seen him thus moved.
His powerful frame seemed shaken to
its innermost centre by the torrent of
NllbtlDh NIlNil uhtDl ONNI IL.
Almost rudely, in his inconsistencies
to all but his own suffering he repulsed
her. only the next moment to be filed
with remorse.
Conquering himself by o mighty eff
fort, he drew her to him with gentle
force.
Forgive me, dear" he said softly,
"but never ask me to sing again, Mar
guerte. 1t only teaches me what |
might have been, and what am. Think
what it would be if | had the money to
reach Italy! | could have the world at
my feet, Marguerite could be great
and famous! know it feel it. But
| am chained here, tending my herds
and feeding my cattle, powerless to
break the chains. | need so much mon
ey-so much-and | have so little.
Though sold all / had in the world, it
would not bring me to my journeys
end. No, no! I must give it up; but
never-never ask me TO sing again"
The girl answered him nothing, as she
stroked the hot brow with the little
cool hand, which, all Drowned and
hardened as it was, fell very softly,
very lovingly
In her eyes he was king, this shep-
herd-lad. lnstinctiyely she knew that
silence is ofttimes more healing than
speech; and, besides, wonderful daz-
cling thought had crept into her own
busy brain, and driven all lighter
thoughts away.
Still, silently, they rose and walked
silently home. At the door of her little
cottage, he stopped and kissed her on
the brow, as they stood beneath the stars.
In two more months he was to share
her fate-the home left her by her dead
parents-so they both had thought
scarce an hour agonc. Tonight Mar
guerte knew differently.
How much would it bring, the sale of
this humble little shelterp
1t was this problem which banshed
slumber through the long night hours.
1t was solved three days later, when the
sum for its possession by strangers, lay
in her hands, and, added to it, the nest
egg from the bank, made in the child's
eyes fortune,
What mattered it that she was beg
garedP 1t was for Hans sake! 1t was
now her turn to be silent, as, hand-in-
hand, they walked beneath the golden
studded skies.
"llans," she said, at last, very soft
ly, ~ have been thinking, dear, since
the other night, and and, Hans, we
won't be married yet awhile A wife
would only pull you down, instead of
helping you soar TO the birds where you
belong. don't want you to think of
mel want you to 60 away, and study
to be great singer"
And US she spoke, she strove to
thrust the bag within his grasp.
"Marguerite'--shc shrank from the
sterness of his tone-"how did you get
the gold?n
Honestly" she answered proudly.
1.-THE gold was TO have been my dowry;
the notes-I--I sold the cottage for
those"
"You did this for me, and you think
so meanly OF me as.that would accept
such sacriiicep
His voice quiycred as he smoke
CLANS, vi was 10 have been your wife. -
she whispered. "Who had the right II
not ~ Oh, shall be so proud-so
proud, some day, when YOU come back