Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-02-09
FOR LOVE OF HER.

&@S "tAS bCOu Hp was UdD-
tised, a fair-haired awkward boy; and
Arville Linford. his peighbor over the
way was sixteen.
A youthful godmother, you Think
Well. yes; but being excessively BASH
ful. Dale had positively refused to be
baptized unless Arvilie, who had won
his boyish confidence, would go for
ward with him as his sponsor.
With her; he thought it barely posi-
bic to stand up before the congregation
while DR.. Wylie went through the bap-
tismal service in his imposing manner,
and the choir-boys, many of whom were
Dale's playmates, laughed at him over
the tops of their music-books, or made
faces, after the irreverent fashion of
boyhood.
Dale's parents were devout Epsco-
palians, and the boy would have been
christened in infancy had they not been
living in the very centre of the far
West, wl'iIher they had moved before
Dale's birth. There was no church
within twenty miles.
Dale was ten years old when they
took possession of Pine Hall, big, an
cient looking house. directly opposite
DIR. Linford's, and Arville, sweet
hearted. pure little maiden of thirteen,
had just been confirmed by the bishop
of the diocese.
Never was there truer little church.
woman than Arville, and the rector of
the little brown church in the village
gave his hearty approval when it was
suggested, three years later, that she
should be sponsor for Dale.
OF course this arrangement only
strengthened the bond between the two
families. The young people were much
together.
Dale had an exquisite ear for music,
and was always running over to DR..
Linford's with his flute, that Arville
might play the piano accompaniment
to new song. or listen to bit of his
own composition.
The earliest May blossoms were gath
cred BY Dale for his ''little godmother,"
as he delighted to call her.
In his estimation it was impossible
for Arville Linford to commit wrong
act.
This constant association with pure
and womanly girl developed all that
was noble, unsellish and manly in his
nature.
So the years went by until Arville
was twenty-five and Dale nineteen.
Then-the girl had lover.
The old rector, DR.. Wylie hal died
suddenly of :eart-disease, and his sue
cessor was a young bachelor of thirty.
Seth Raymond was attracted to Ar
Vile from the very first.
There was something. strange, aul
sweet. and mysterious about the power
which this l0w-voiced, fair-browed
maiden had over him.
Arville was no less drawn to the
young rector, yet with womanly delics.-
cy she endeavored to disguise her feel
ings. But one noted and read despair
ingly every fitting blush, and every
tremulous smile. and every shy drooo
of the eyelids. at mention of Seth Ray
mond's name. That one was Dale
W,man.
81 completely had the boy entwined
his life with hers that the first thought
of yielding her TO another struck him
like cruel blow. He grew sick under
it. He spent long hours sobbing pas
sionately out under the stately trees Of
Pine Hall. No one had guessed at the
nature of his feelings for his young god
mother. He had not known himself
until the presence of rival had scat
tered the mists and revealed the truth
to his heart.
So strong, passionate and intense
was this first great sorrow that he drank
to its very dregs tho cup of bitter woe
and despair.
His mother noticed with much anxi-
ETY. that her boy. the pride and glory of
her life, was not we'll. His blue eyes
burned with a feverish light; his brown
cheek lost its fulness, and slight hack
ing cough grew upon him.
Arville, too. became anxious about
her "big loy," and was forever run
ming over with some tempting dish
which she with her own fair hands had
prepared.
After while every village resilient
knew that Dale Wyman was going into
q decline.
II had been his custom to walk each
day to the beach, half mile from the
Hall, until his illness, when Arville
volunteered to drive him in her pony.
carriage.
On bright days the beach would fire.
quently present a jolly scene, for many,
including the guests at the big hotel.
came here to bathe. and row of tiny
sheds had been erected for their accom-
mediation.
One morning, bowling smoothly along
over the white sand, Dale and Arville
saw among the bathers the rector, Seth
RAYMOND.
He wore bhle flannel suit, and was
splashing about with the enjoyment of
q fonrteen-year-old boy.
As Dale's eyes fingered wistfully on
his rivals manly figure. RAYMOND