The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-10-20

sick, and he's sent the carriage sOVe
for us to drive every pleasant day"
Every week there came long exult
ing letter from Miss Gaines to her dca
friend Dorothy, until the time wa.
drawing near for the elderly spinster',
! wedding.
All her wedding garments wer,
made, marked. and neatly. packe,
| when she received q letter from hel
brother:
.'Wait until Wednesday,. and I viii
be your escort to Meadowville."
;. This curt epistle had been written al
ter :. day of great moment to Robert
| Alderman.
He had gone qnite early in tho morn
| ing to the post-oflice. and returning
passed the cottage of Miss Gaines. He
had sometimes loitercd little at that
hour to chat with the ladies' as they
trimmed the garden flowers. but on that
day he paused and caught his breath
as an excited voice rang out upon the
air-the voice of Martha Gaines-say-
ing;
and I'll send you home tomorrow.
How dare you set up to teach me how
to treat my husbandr'
A low sweet voice answered:
"You need not be so angry, Cousin
Martha. only said thought Robert
Ackerman deserved a wife who loved
him."
..Fiddlesticks-love! You sentiment
tai schoolgirls talk such arrant nom
sense. Robert Ackerman is incoming,
dreamy old bachelor who wants wife
to manage him and keep his house.
Robert Ackerman is a noble, true
geHtleman-a man to honor, n man to
love! And if he marries he wants a wife
to love him, to give him tender service.
to make his life glad and bright
'.My good graciousr" gasped the as
tonished old maid.
s'You think more this minute" con-
tinued Susie, ''of his house, his money,
his carriage, and his table-linen than
you do of him!
''Well. suppose l DO! Perhaps you
would like to marry him yourself"
'.He would never think of such q
thing; am just an Insignificant school
girl, to whom he is kind. But if did
marry him, it would be for love, and
not for his money or his houser'
Here the sweet but excited voice broke
in a sob, and Susie evidently fed from
the battlefield.
Robert Alderman walked home very
slowly.
For many weeks, ever since that
meeting in the cemetery. he had felt as
if his lost love, the hope of his young
manhood, had been restored to him.
Every hours intercourse with Susie
brought back the long buried dream of
happiness more vivilly. But he had
crushed down all hope. Never could
he link that bright, just dawning life
with his sad memory freighted one.
But this mornings experience gave
him a new hope-a hope that made his
breath come thickly, his heart throb
suffocatingly.
He could not bear such suspense
long, and in the afternoon he wandered
to spot i'm the woods where Susie had
often brought her dainty necdlework.
and where Miss Martha keen ewes had
never fallen upon the two rs they chat
ted by the hour of books, of travel.
even of little Susie's school exper.
fences.
As he expected, he found Susie there,
but she was pale and shy, had evident
ly been weeping, and shrank from him
as she had never done before.
Very gently, very tenderly, he wooed
the sweet blue-eyed child. till her gold
en- head rested on his breast and she
81 cannot imagine greater happiness
than to be your WIFE"
Miss Dorothy Ackerman was all
really to return to Meadowville when
her brother presented himself in the
parlor of the house where she was Wis.,
iting.
III -,
which she had arrayed herself for trav-
el with such manifest disgust that it
her Indignant surprise.
dress.
What are you looking at me in that
way forP' she asked sharply. "This
road dust and cinders. Come to look
you are wonderfully spruced up your /
self. Why. your suit is. new; new
gloves toor'
81 wish you to dress yourself hand
,omely. Dorothy" her brother said
quietly, .'to attend my wedding." 80.
"You can't be married till We get to
Miss Martha surely new
er came here with YOU"
II told you some time ago, Dorothy,
tHaC nau no 1nCenLlOu Oh uuTryIuk
Miss Gaines"
..Then who are you going to marrye"
''Susie Dent"
Miss Dorothy simply stared, with q
horror that her brother was
going mad.
''She is Philip Dents daughter. my
Susie's niece"
'What are you talking aboutp Philip
Dent hasn't been married but"
Twenty years. Susie is eighteen.
just the age of my dear, dead dar-
ling!"
Miss Dorothy had soft place in her
heart, hard as she seemed, and she had
loved her brothers betrothed in that
long ago when they were all young.
Her voice was very gentle as she asked:
'.Are you sure she loves you. Roberte
She is very young!
'.But she loves me, Dorothyl Do not
fear for my happiness, sister,"
And Miss Dorothy meekly selected
the richest costume from her trousseau
to attend the wedding.
1t was not until the party returned to
that Miss Martha Gaines
realized how vain a castle in the air she
had built.
WTYr "a II 4