The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-03-29


when alone.
l cried and sobbed, and 1onged for
any fate that would free me from this
thraldom. Finally must have fallen
into an uneasy slumber. The sense that
tells us some one is near awoke me.
Standing motionless, looking downupon
me in silent pity, was Mr.. Shields.
1hurriedly started up, muttering some
kind of apology, and very much asham-
ed of my tear-stained face and rumpled
hair. requested him to be seated, and
he sat down, not on the chair near him,
but beside me on the sofa. / was con-
fused, and knew not what to do or say.
l suppose he had perception enough to
notice my agitation. He was all calm
ness and ease. / wondered if it were
possible he could hear my foolish heart
beat, and see the tremor of my lips,
when I tried to answer his questions.
'' You are in trouble tonight, Mona?"
1 shall remember to my dying day the
inexpressible sweetness of those sympa-
thizing tones. [ thought, as | always
have since, that it was the most musical
voice | had heard in all my troubled,
dreary life
''You were sobbing in your sleep
when I came in; what was it? Are you
lonely? Aunt and cousins are gone,
aren't they? Well, cheer up; l will stay
here until they return. They are not
unkind to you, are they?''
/ could not tell an untruth now, with
the tear stains still on my cheeks; so I
answered.
''Miss Geraldine scolded me because
/ dropped her fan and broke the mirror,
and Aunt Hustler, too"
Here | completely broke down. and
cried as if I was never going to stop.
He sat awhile in silence, and let me sob
undisturbed; then he said, laying his
| hand upon my head,-
Don't give way to your grief; come,
| cheer up; you are hurt by cross words
and reproaches, but there is sunshine
after rain. Mona, tonight you and |
are drawing very near to each other; /,
| too, have been stung by ingratitude. I
have sounded the depths of bitter waters,
and by the perfidy of one person l was
sunk to the depths of despair. But |
am out of this slough of despond, and
am now far happier than I would have
been had affairs gone differently. I am
now in a position which perhaps l should
not have attained if / had gained what
I coveted above all else at one time l
outgrew my bitter disappointment, and
in my work found panacea. Now l
am in very tranquil state of mind, and
Mona, little friend, have observed you
and am aware you are not happy. We
will sympathize with each other, and in
our mutual friendship dispel part of the
gloom
His kind words, so mildly spoken, the
nct 10 hot
fortune to hear since 1 was an inmate of
my aunt's house, went to my lonely
heart like soothing balm. I rallied,
flew by rapidly.
know each other, Mona" said my new
found friend at last ''We are going to
be capital friends, and"
No more was said, for aunt and cous-
ins came in, and our evening together
was cut short.
They were profuse in playful re-
proac6es, and MIR. Shields was scolded
in pretty way for not attending the
party He said,-
"Well, you see l was detained by i'm
portant business until 1 feared it was
too late; then l dropped in here, think
ing perhaps some of you were at home.
found Miss Mona, and as she was all
alone, I thought should be doing my
duty to stay with her. So stayed, and
we have had quite a jolly time
Aunt Hester made some sort of reply,
and Geraldine shot a glance in my di-
rection calculated to annihilate me-
They all seemed to want to box my
ears. So I just ''folded my tent like
the Arab, and as silently stole away"
The next morning l had my orders.
I was given my walking papers" I
was soundly reprimanded for my for
wardness, and my aunt and cousins
took turns in taunting me. Then [ was
spirited away in the night time to my
aunt S farm far out in the country, ex-
lied, abandoned, driven away.
One evening I went to neighbor's to
get the mail, which he often brought for
US. The short winter day was closing
in on my return. A sleigh passed me.
Its occupant, a man, was muffied up in
furs and robes; he looked at me as he
passed.; then the ejaculation, 90 Mona!"
came out in a very emphatic manner.
l looked up; it was Kenneth Shields.
The robes were thrown hurriedly back
and he jumped out.
s' Mona, where are you goingp Is
this where you have been all this time?
1 made bold to inquire your where
abouts, but your aunt gave me very I'M
satisfactory answers. You did steal
away in a dreadfully mysterious man.
ner. From standing at my elbow you
fed into the vast unknown"
could hardly speak for joy; for the
light in Kenneth's eyes was clearly that
of love. l no longer accused myself of
vanity when | confessed that he really
did love me.
We'll, it is the old, old story. The
next day | babe adieu to the dreary
farm, and with my promised husband
started for the city, on reaching which
we were quietly married. Then we
drove to my aunt's, and Kenneth intro
duced me as 60 Mrs. Shields" to aunt
and cousins. They were astounded and
ashamed, and confess that the sudden
transformation from plain Mona Norton
to Mrs. Kenneth Shields Quite startled
me. They welcomed us in a tolerable
hospitable manner, and for FORMS sake
we stayed to dinner; still latent spark
of resentment fingered underneath the
show of good will.
Mona, dear,'' said my husband,
when we were alone, ''were you resign
ed to your fate, and would you have
made no effort to let me know your
abiding place? You did not intend to
forget me?'
"Indeed I did not; and if you had not
come to rescue me, l don't think [
could have gone on living. But 1 am
happy now, so let US forget the past"
Why He Didn't Mop Him.
The other day small-sized colored
man was roundly abusing brother of