The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-05-05

farm must be sold. Many neighbors
offered her a home. but she declined
them all.
A sudden resolution came to her. She
would go to the city where he lived.
Her pride forbade her seeking him, but
maybe, if he were not dead, as she often
feared. she might one day meet him in
the street, or at least hear some news Of
him.
: The hope of meeting him-of hearing
him-vanished, when she found herself
in the great metropolis, and realized its
size and immensely.
She had secured a comfortable home
with a good, motherly woman, but her
purse was growing scanty, and she could
not tell how long it Eiight hold out, I'M
less she could find some means of sup
port, when one day, sauntering idly on
the street, glancing into a sh~op-wlndow,
she saw some fancy articles, painted by
hand.
Gathering up her courage, she went in
and asked If there was sale for that sort
of work, and if she might be allowed to
test her skill.
From that hour all dread of want van
ished, and. now that hands were busy.
she found less time to brood and think.
81 want q fan painted" the man said
to her, one day. "You may make an
original design, but it must be very
beautiful"
Lena's heart had been very sad all day,
as, at evening, she unfolded the satin.
and sat down, brush in hand, to fulfill
this latest order.
;S'It is a gift to an expectant bride"
the shopkeeper had said; and the words
had recalled all the long waiting, the
weary disappointment, those words
might bring.
And, as she thought, she sketched,
and the hours crept on and the evening
grew into night, and the night into
morning, and still she bent over her
work, silent, engrossed.
The next day, the gentleman who had
given the order for the fan sauntered into
the store. With an air Of ~pardonable
satisfaction, the man drew it from the
box.
s'The young artist has outdone herself,
sir" he said. 81 neyer saw a more
beautiful piece of work, and the design
is entirely her OWE. l."
But he checked his sentence.
The, gentleman had taken the fan in
his hands, and was examining it with
startled eyes, and face from which every
trace of color had fled.
il be that the word Nemesis
was painted upon the satin? No, this
was all he saw. On one side was a
woodland scene, while, seated on a log
beneath the leafy branches of an old
oak, were two figures, n a man, and
one q woman His arm was about her
waist. Her lips seemed to move. her
whole expression was full OF love and
trust, and his of promise. A little laugh
ing stream ripppled at their feet. A
bird sang overhead.
Where had he seen just such q scene
before? He turned the fan on the other
side. Summer had vanished. It was
winter here. Naught but the fast-falling
snow drifting in white heaps upon the
earth.
) "Who painted this?" he asked, in
hoarse, changed tones.
The man gave the name and address.
How wen he had known it! but how
came Lena here?s And what was this
which stirred through every fibre of his
being? Could it be that his manhood
might yetredeem him?
With swift steps he walked to the
house of his betrothed. Stately and
beautiful, she came into the drawing
room to greet him, and bent her head
that he might touch her forehead with
his, lips. E8szz
"Helen, do you love meY'+
She had known himfo long years, but
never had she heard such -earnestness,
such real passion, in>his tones.
It was as though his very soul hung on
dreampt his love for her was more than
friendship, such as she had felt for him.
A tinge of color crept into her cheek.
81 have promised to marry You, Earl.
You know that I am fond of you, and
I highly respect You. Will not this sat
isf'y .S your u.n+ ~ .,o TINT, T. VOW,
heart mine-al mine, so that, to tear me
from it,. would be to tear it asunder?"
mo, Earl If it were for your happi
ness or mine, Icould give up my Lover
and still hold my friend and cousin"
He seizedh her hand and carried it to his
lips more fervenfly than he had done
even in the moment of his courtship
Then, taking the fan from his pocket, he
unfolded it, and told her all the tale o.
his summer romance. = sac e
81 thought I could forget her." he
said, IN ending, sand that when the
snow fell and I did not return to her, she
would cease to remember me; but see
Helenl She still remembers, and I still
love. ] do notAknow what brings hel
here. I have heard nothing from hel
since last summer. But, tell me. cousin
mine, what must I do2 I leave it all t.
you"
II said that I would be your friend
Now, I will be hers as we'll. Go to her
Earl. Tell her all the truth. Then, i
she forgiyes you, make her your wife. L
she is alone in the world, as perhaps she
may be. bring her to me. She shall bt
married from my house, as my sister.
accept this fan, not as a lovers gift, bu
q pledge to the truer, more honest bono
which henceforth binds u.s."
Lena was exhausted after her sleep
less night. and. throwing herself on th,
lounge in the ~sitting-room of her KIND
hostess, she had fallen into a dreamlesi
Long Earl Lysle stood and watched
her, until the magnetism of his glance
O0oO A3OA. o1O OAOuSLU GI1itO StL wa
dreaming of the fan; but as he stopped
and took her in his arms, she knew that
it was reality.
She listened silently while he told he
all-even his struggle for forgetfulness
and his ignorance of his own heart IN,
its demands. She heard that she ha.
sent the paper with the news of he
fathers death to the wrong address, tina
he had known nothing of the long
lonely winter to which had succeede,
this wonderful, glorious summertime O
hope.
Poor child! She had no room TO
pride in the heart so filed by his image
She forgot that there was sore need 70
forgiveness.
He loved her nowl Of that she wa
assured; and after all, the snow had onl
lain upon the ground to warm the earth
and foster the rich, sweet ~violets, whic.
now bloomed and clustered at her feet
ready for her to stoop and pluck them
Perhaps some women, in their pride