Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-05-04
ARIADNE'S PROPHECY.

me !"
These words were uttered in sweet,
earnest tone; the speaker was fair
young girl, standing in the moonlight
beside her lover. A mansion with
princely walls cleaned white from
among the distant shrubbery and
forth from that mansion her girlhood
home, had Ariadne Homer stolen to
meet her lover for the last time. For
the arrogance of the purse proud rich
man had done its work the boy-artist,
the dreamer, he who is richer far in his
dowried soul than the great manufac-
turer, Amos Homer had been forbidden
those walls and the favoring glances of
that rich mans daughter.
ST wish my faith were as strong as
yours. Adne p he said. doubtingly.
"It should be, Paul." replied the
girl. "My heart Is true prophet l
can always trust its teachings. You
will come back some day, and then"
She stopped suddenly, and then
added, "And Paul I will be true and
patient, and await the day of your COM
ing" And small white hand stole into
his.
'It is enough, Adne. 1t in more than
1 deserve--more than I hoped. Now /
can go forth from the humble home OF
my boyhood and wrestle manfully with
life, bearing with me the words you
have this night spoken. Adne, you
have saved me. You shall be my good
angel, my prophet, my guiding star.
Now good by, darling, and God keep
you when I am over seas and bring me
again to your side -
And there, under the tender moon
light and the linden shade, they parted.
Bridging over five long years Of toll
and endcavor, and study, we come to
time in Paul Billiards life when that
life seemed fairest and best. because,
his dreams fulfilled, his feet fairly SET
upon the highway Of fame and fortune,
he began to turn his gaze homeward to
the land where his heart lay-over the
ocean.
But few letters had found their way
to the toiler, and those were all penned
in the brown weather stained farm
house at Spring Meadow-none from
Ariadns Homer. But these he did not
expect relying implicitly on her faith,
he had asked no token.
| And how is 1t with her? Ah, hearts
will change, and gold is strong lure
it has won many before now, and this
girl, bred in afluence, the pet of an
idolizing father, is no wiser nor better.
And then Paul billiard at best was but
a boy and dreamer. He could never
bring her to home Like that tc
which she had been accustomed, or like
the one old John Etheridge offered her.
Thus it happened the twilight of the
same eve that joined the lives if not the
hearts of Ariadne and John Etheridge
brought back Paul billiard to hif
boyhood's home. Honors and laure
wreaths had all faded before the beacon
light of love guiding him homeward
The falntest rays of lingering COLDER
twilight shot upwards through the dus
XIV bars that latticed the west in tht
dim gray twilight, when the oid-fash
ioned stagecoach set down a weary
travel-stalned, bearded. foreign-look
ing man at bend in the dusty countr.
highway and few minutes brisk wall
brought him into the green grassy Lane
leading to Jonas billiards. farmhouse.
He will pass over his welcome in tina
home where he was SO loved, but whel
he retired that night there were tear
in the proud mothers eyes as she pres
ed her quivering lips to his cheek; ant
Jonas billiards. own were not dry.
"Paul's turned out the right sort o
stuff, after ali. He'll do something for u
our old age yet. 'Twant bad move
his going off to furrin parts, was il
motherP"
When the old farmhouse was still
and the night shadows had leDgthene
on Tower ELL, Paul billiard softly lifte
the doorlatch of the large "spar cham
bar" and stole down the winding stail