The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-10-26

from all of them.
Suddenly looking up she saw Ned
coming slowly down the path from the
cottage. He reeled from side to side,
as if intoxicated, while his faltering
step, his bowed head and dropping
figure terrified his sister greatly. He
must be i'll Very i'll indeed he looked
as he passed the gate she had hastened
to open for him. He made no answer
to her piteous inquiries as he passed
her to enter the kitchen, where he sank
down upon the floor, resting his head
on his clasped hands, and sobbed the
hard dry gasps of a strong man in
agony.
"0h, Ned dear Ned what is it f?
You frighten me So Ned, Ned, dear
Is Susy sick?"
He looked up at the name, his face
ashy pale, his eyes burning and dry.
Don't speak of Susy, Katie Don't;
it kills mel"
" But, Ned"
"Tll try to tell you, Katie. We never
have had any secrets"
She had seated herself on low stool,
and drawn his head to rest upon her
breast, and her gentle touch, her face of
tendor love seemed to soothe him, for
! his harsh, choked voice softened as he
spoke to her.
"Jim Willis has come home, Katie.
He's made heap of money specializing,
aud bought house in Cincinnati, and
is going to take Susy and her mother
there to live; and he says can't have
Susy-she's going to be rich, and city
girl-and I'm only poor country clod-
hopper"
"Nedl"
"He said so. She's to go to Gin
cinnati and make great match, and
can never see her again."
"But Susy-what does Susy herself
say%
"He wouldn't let me see her, except
when he lifted her into the coach to go
away-all white and dead like-where
she tainted"
$50 away?"
"They're gone. He came home this
morning, in coach he hired in town.
and he made them pack up and get
ready to go right off-wouldn't let
either of them come here-tried to get
away before came, and drove mo away
as if had been loafer. Oh, Katie,
1 how can live p
The loyal heart was nearly breaking.
Every word came in gasp, and the
pallid face and quivering lips were
faithful witnesses of the terrible agony
of this unexpected blow. From q boy
to man he had cherished one dream
of future happiness, and it was pain
that no language can adequately de-
scribe to see it brs ruthlessly dashed
from him.
Katie was powerless to console him.
The shock was to her only second to
his own, for Susy had been to her in
the place of sister from their child
hood, and she loved her brother with a
passionate devotion that made every
tone Of his voice, every quiver of his
pale lips blow on her tender heart.
Far as Cincinnati really was from the
quiet New England village, its actual
distance was nothing compared to the
vast space their simple imagininge
threw between Susy was to be carried
away, far from her home, far from them,
and if the dd tination had been Egypt
or CONSTANT bple the shock would
have gained no force. Neds heart
dwelt on the pale, senseless face, as he
had seen it carried by him, till his poor
brain fairly numbed under the burden
of its grief, and he lay silent, only
sometimes moaning as the sorrow be-
came more poignant in a new light.
Night fell, the long hours drew out
their slow length, and still the two re-
manned mute and motionless, trying to
realize and bear this strange misfortune.
Daybreak stealing in, and the sound of
the farmers heavy wagon in the yard,
reused them at last, and poor Ned, un
able to meet the CHEEKY voice and face
of his father, stole away to his room,
leaving Katie to tell the news.
1t is impossible to describe the
farmers wrath. Hot words of burning
indignation poured from his lips, and, for
the first time, Katie heard an oath from
her fathers lips, as he cursed jim Viii
lis for his Ehiserly, cruel heart. Then
came gentler thoughts. Susy, his little
pet, second only to Ned and Katie in
his heart, lost, carried away from them
torn from her home and lover-and here
the thought of Ned's grief conquered
every other, and the old man strobe up
the narrow staircase to his sons door.
1t needed just such fatherly tenderness
as he brought to win Ned from hiscare-
less agony to the relief of tears and
speech, and far into the morning the
two sat talking of this hard turn in for.
tune.
The morning duties called them
down, and if Katie's heart ached over
her brothers untouched breakfast, it
was comforted by seeing how deep was
his fathers sympathy.
Days passed and weeks and Ned tried
to bear his sorrow like a man. There
was no want of sympathy at home,
where the loving eyes watched his pale
cheeks with a tender interest that was
almost painful, and the brave heart that
would have given Susy its full wealth
of love was generous to the home circle,
cnl for lla anL-a tl..al 70 liz. H.. IL.