Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-16
the yellow leaves and closed her

Thank God, l have not betrayed
myself in spite of the surprise,
she thought. Poor child, sht
wonld be wretched if she knew all
And have been idiotic enough
to hope that be might remember
how l loved him-that he nigh,
come and ask me to share lis
last years. l, who am thirty-five,
and sere and faded in his eyes, nc
doubt, as these leaves are in mine.
But what am / to do: Where
an | to go: Live here and see
her happy as his wife, and in that
home, can not. Oh, Herman, my
love for you has been the curse Of
my whole life
Miss Hanson l bog your par
dom said a voice near her-a
voice she had not heard for fifteen
years, and yet her heart recog-
nized and responded to it at once.
She sprang to her feet, blush.
ing crimson. and trembling from
head to foot.
A tall, portly, fine looking man,
with q touch of silver in his dark
locks, but with all the fire of youth
in bis large dark eyes, stood in
the garden path looking at her.
Pray, pardon this intrusion = he
said, In a tone that was agitated.
in spite of hisapparent composure.
Your charming niece, Patricia,
told me that l would find you
here. l suppose you guess my
GRAND. l have come to ask your
permission
you have it said poor Miss
Mable, wildly, feeling that she
she must fly instantly if dignity
and dscorum must be preserved.
And l am sure l hope you will
be very happy in your home, both
Of you.'
All three of US, you mean
questioned Mr.. Stacy, with tho
old, well remembered smile. Yes,
l suppose We shall be. She seems
a very nice girl.
is that all thrt you can say at
such q timer exclaimed Miss Han
son, wonderingly.
'And she will make good wife,
l dare say Mr. Stacy continued,
with the same quiet Indifference.
'As for Herman, he is a good fell
low, though 1 say it. Steady,
too-in good business and tremen-
dously fond of her.
Herman gasped Miss Han
son.
MY nephew. Yes, my favorits
nephew, l may say since he is my
only one. But how pale you are,
Ma--Miss Hanson! Shall I call
Patricia
your nephew !" repeated Miss
Mable. is it be whom Patriots
has just told me about? IL
thought it was your
'Me:'
'Yes!'
There never was but one wo-
man in the world that l thought
Of marrying, or ever wished to
marry said Mr. Stacy angrily.
And she Tilted me, fifteen years
ago.
1T was for the child-for Patri-
cia!' stammered Miss Mabel,
blushing like a rose. You were
poor then, Herman, and I could
not burden you with the care of
her.
Did you love me at all, then?'
he asked drawing nearer.
with all my heart! But l
promised my brother on his death
bed, to devote the rest Of my life
to her. l dared not break my
promise. Indeed 1 meant it for
the best. God knows how hard
it was for me to lose you! she
added as her blue eyes seemed to
look sadly back into the lonely
past.
If that il so, here l am again,
Mabel, and you need never lose
me again, unless you WISH" said
Mr.. Stacy taking her hand. Say
the word my dearest. I've been
miserable for fifteen years without
you. why shouldn't We marry
next month, and he happy IS we'll
as those two young fools!'
Those two young fools hap
pensd to be coming down the gar
den path just then. They saw
the practical answer which the
Governor Gas Herman, Jr., called
him. asked and received to his
proposal. And then they fed
back to the house, bursting with
laughter over the courtship Of
their elders.
But Aunt Mabel made almost
as fair . bride az her own niece,
after all, the next month. And
it 10 hard to say which of the two
homes is the happisst now,
though each wife upholds my
Herman a. the one perfect being
in this imperfect world.
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