Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-10-19
MY SISTERS GUARDIAN.

/! Inc month was May, ana through my
! half open window came stealing soft
wind, filed with summer warmth and
fragrance. The trees in the garden were
in bloom, but of all this l saw nothing
My gaze was fixed upon two figures
slowly walking down the garden path
man and woman.
The man was tall and strong, and mas.
terful, yet tender as mother with hel
tirst-born, gentle as girl i'll all the little
acts and courtesies of life. The woman
was young and very beautiful, with q
figure slender and swaying like a reed
as she walked, and dark lustrous eyes,
which brought to many man his hearts
undoing.
l fancied the light in them now, as she
lifted them to Hart Sydney's face. He
was her guardian, and he loved her.
She was but my half sister, five years
my senior, and so was not entitled to
her confidence. She had never told me
of her love for Mr.. Sydney. Indeed
only little month ago 1 returned from
school, with my education completed,
in the fashionable sense of the term,
and since then l had been very ILL
Overwork, the doctor had said, but l
knew better. To my own soul could
whisper the humiliating truth, could
pour out the cruel confession, with a
sort of savage pleasure at the self-in-
f1icted torture.
sutfered-the heart that forever passed
int Ho vi boz
/ loved him-he was to be my sisters
husband. If had never suspected it
before, but should have known it by
the new hight in her eyes, the new radi-
ance of her beauty, as it burst upon me
on the day of my return.
And what could be more natural than
that things should be as they were? Did
not guardians always love their wards,
and wards their guardians?
had never read book which treated
of such relationship in which such was
not the sequel of the tale. And yet
and yet, did it make it easier for me to
bear?
turned my gaze away from that 9th
er picture, and lifted my self up from the
depths of the great chair in which 1 lay,
until could catch glimpse of my own
face in the mirror opposite.
What contrast! My eyes, the only
beauty possessed, looked many times
too large for the thin dark face; and my
hair, which had been the rival beauty
of my eyes, was close cropped to my
head.
They had cut it off as 1 lay delirious
with fever, and crying that its weight
hurt me.
l sank back with a groan. At that in
slant my sister returning entered the
room.
"A1ine," she "Aline, child, I
am so happy"
And rapidly crossing the floor she
sank down on her knees beside my
chair.
The contrast was too great. Never
had / seen her half so beautiful.
Don't tell me-don'tv' l hastily ex-
claimed, and lifted up my hands as if to
ward off a blow. 81 know" I contin-
ued. Il congratulate you; but don't say
any more"
you know, dear?" she answered, a
look of surprise sweeping over her face.
elbow is that possible?"
Don't ask me. Only, 1 know, L"
But could say no more. My weak
ness conquered my strength, and burst
into bitter weeping.
'Poor child! Dear little Aline!" she
whispered, tenderly. ''Do you love me
so we'll that you hate to lose me? But
you will not really lose me, dear. When
I am married."
'Hush!" 1 interrupted. 81 won't
hear any MORE" and sobbing bitterly,
buried my face in my hands.
Of course no heroine would have done
such a thing; but was no heroine. 1
moe op1v Foolish child ubo boJ 1;1oJ
but eighteen years, and who could only
look forward to long, long life of lonely
misery-for loved Hart Sydney.
He had not meant to make me love
him-I knew that; but when had come
home for my Christmas holidays Alice
had been away on visit, and so l saw
him every day. We had ridden, and
driven, and walked together, and
as 1 have said, his manner held
that unconcious and inherent tenderness
toward things weaker than himself
which had charmed my heart into reck-
lessly pouring forth its UNDECIDED treas
ures at his feet.
My excitement in depressing all this
and seeing the seal set upon my misery,
brought It's own punishment. For
week my life was again despaired of.
Then, because did not wish the boon,
strength came slowly back. Every day
he came; every day he sent me flowers,
or fruit, or some sweet message; but it
was all an added torture.
At last when grew better. the physi-
clan said must have change, and so
they sent me to the seashore to visit an
aunt who had cottage by the sea.
home should have gone mad. Alice
and Mr.. Sydney went with me to the
tain. l ha babe her good-by, and the
train was about to start, when he put his
head in rough the window.
"4ou will let me come and see you?"
he said; and had only time to answer:
No, no-you must not Gomez
Only time for this, and to note the
swift look, so like pain, which swept
over his face, ere we moved away, and
my last glimpse was of them both stand
ing side by side, as they should hence
forth stand through life.
Notwithstanding my Injunction to the
contrary, he came. had been in my
new home fortnight, and some of the
color was stealing back into my cheeks,
when one afternoon as sat alone upon
the piazza, dreaming, as I dreamed all
my Idle hours away, step sounded on
the walk, and looking up I saw the
face which moment before had foated
into my fancy.
For an instant was happy-supremely,
ecstatically happy-and, springing up,
| held out both hands with rapturous
cry OF welcome, then sank back cold
and stern again.
But that cry had brought him close
beside me, and my hands were so tightly
held in his strong clasp, while his great
brown eyes looked into the very depths
of mine, that l trembled and was STILL
Mercifui heaven! what was it that,
read there? Could it be that he loved
me, and that he had Wooed and won