Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-09-20
behind the curtains when what heard
oh Of

l y
deep, intense love for you entered my
heart. Is there any hope that / can
ever win your love in return?'
The girl hesitated; then natural truth
fulness gained the day. Raising her
soft eyes to his face, she said:
II will not deny that my own heart
responds to all that you say-that al
ready my love is yours; but, Launt,
still | can never be your wife. Please
let me go--do not try to break my
resolution. / am poor, but proud as
well, and am too proud to ruin the fu-
ture of him l love, or to enter family
that does not want me-
With an unexpected movement she
freed her hands from his grasp, and
fled past him.
Launt did not pursue her, and the ex-
preston with which his eyes followed
1.-The spirited darling! love her all
the better for her independence, and
mine will indeed be ruined future il
do not succeed in winning her for the
angel of my freside."
He did not see Elma again until the
following day, and then under circum-
stances which effectually prevented him
from returning to the subject upper
most in his thoughts.
For several days past Mrs. Earring
ton had been complaining of not feel
ing as we'll as usual, and that morning
had found her unable to leave her bed.
As the family physician, who had been
hastily sent for, emerged from her
&C. -. I
inquiries was very emphatic:
1.-The sooner you and the rest leave
the house the better, Mr.. harrington.
Your aunt has every symptoms OF
smallpox. / will send a competent
muse to care for her. 1t will be a
foolhardiness for those who have not
had the disease to remain an instant
longer than they can help"
AS the old man paused Elma came
from the open door of the library. She
had overheard his words.
doctor Phillips" she said, "you
need not send a nurse. am going to
take care of Mrs. Harrington"
The doctor gazed with amazement at
the speaker, while Launt, regardless of
a lOoker-on, grasped Elma's arm.
This is madnessr' he exclaimed,
passionately. ITO think of perilling
your precious lifer'
81 am not alarmed" the girl an
swered II can take every precaution
that nurse would to ward off conta-
gion; but if I were afraid / would do
the same. Mrs. Harrington had been
very kind to me, and l will not desert
her in her need. 1t is your duty to 90,
and take with you the little boys. They
have no one besides you, and it will
relieve their mothers mind to know
they are well cared for
There was nothing for Launt to do
but to obey, and to convey himself and
his nephews to the village hotel, there
to await with intensest anxiety the de-
nouement of events.
AS DIR. Philips watched the delft help
fulness of the young girl as she moved
about his patient, he was glad that he
had not said '.no'' to her entreaty.
The weeks passed, and at length Mrs.
Harrington came out of the shadow of
death a changed woman. She had al
ways liked her boys governess, and
treated her with the patronizing kind
ness habitual to her, but since She had
been on her bed of pain she had grown
to understand and appreciate to the full
rare loneliness and womanliness of FL
mas character.
AT length the patient was pronounced
entirely better, the house fumigated,
and the servants recalled. Then Launt
brought his young nephews to their
mothers arms, full of gratitude that she
had recovered, and that the girl who
had perilled her life for her sake had
come unscathed through the ordeal.
Mrs. Harrington was one to act as well
as think and ia a very short while Launt
was made aware of the change in his
aunt's feelings.
"Go to her, Launt," she said, land
tell her what | have just told you.
Surely it will atone for the cruel words
you say she overheard"
And Launt needed no second bidding.
But neither in house nor garden was
she this time. Disappointed, he went
back to the house. His aunt met him
at the door with an open letter in her
hand.
''Hastenr' she said. "You may over
take her. Then, in answer to his
look of astonishment: China has gone
See; this will explain. found it in
her room inst now. went in, think
ing to find her there"
Launt read it rapidly through.
81 see," he said, "the dear, proud
girl knows how grateful you feel to her
and fears that will renew my suit,
and that you will withdraw your opposi-
ton to our marrying solely because of
a sense of obligation"
Hurry, Launt," his aunt exclaimed.
"She has not been gone long-you
can easily overtake her by driving fast.
for she can be but half way to the sta
ton. While you are getting ready /
will write few lines for you to give to
her."
Poor, proud, yet sorrowful Elma,
little did she guess as she walked along,
the tears running down her white
cheeks beneath her thick vail, whose
were the horses hoofs she could hear
family in the distance. She knew that
she was fleeing from happiness and love;
but better thus than to. enter family
to be regarded as an interloper!
The approaching wheels drew nearer
and suddenly a carriage stopped in the
road beside her.
''Stay, little runaway many voices
cried-a voice in which gladness ran
riot; did you think to escape me so
easily"
Lifting her vail, Elma's startled eyes
met Launts triumphant gaze. Too
much surprised by the suddenness of
his appearance and the assurance of his
manner to offer any resistance, almost
ere she realized what was happening,
Elma found herself in the carriage by
her lovers side
''Elma," he said, as they drove rap
idly homeward, "read this that my
aunt has sent you-penned in haste,
es you see, but with tears of love and
anxiety in her eyes, and them have
q word to say for myself"
my darling Elma, Mrs. Harrington
wrote, "these last few weeks have
taught me that there are treasures in
this world far more valuable than riches,
and | feel that should Fortune be so
kind as to bestow such wife as YOU
upon my dear nephew he will need
nothing beside to make him one of the
happiest of men, That you will come
back to us, my darling, and let me
clasp you in my fond embrace and call
you my niece is the prayer of your
loving friend,
MARTHA HARRINGTON.
Launt watched her until she had fin
ished then, no one being in sight. with
out waiting to ask permission he mt