The Red Cloud chief., 1883-07-13

letters. and confronted him with It's n
miiiar address Mia Carw- Thought
she had secured herself for all time by
burning Prne's letter. but she had
tossed the wrong envelope into the
crate. Austin Miller had lived his sor-
row over again AIR this discovery; he
had walked with IL smi wresteg4 with il
without getting nearer happsnes-. and
bad long ago made up his mind 10 do
without II. But he had thought it due
to Prudence Hildrefh to send her word
that hy IN sccidenf her iet&ef hsd come
90 hand five yesr 100 late he said MOTH.
ing Of Lcffy's share 10 The psasses. bot
Prudence understood silr These memo
ncs hadtcep revived by RrvG hasty
Dote asking him % forgive the ehiAesn.
for breaking up the pea-hen.s nest.
Her children, TOO. lie was af fhe point
Of carrying ~ npegrso his lips. when
hts eve ia ups ~ Sermon. and he
threw it iAeo tn waste basket. He
looked Mt the clock: he had been idle
two whole hours. .Of what was he
thinking?" he ashad him setf; where
was he drifting? an nnoinard priest. TING
example ami connselor Of sinpsrs?"
Al least he gould 20 sod thank. Proc
with n clear conscience: a. for the chill
dren. they were aircady in bed. ieehD-
cally speaking. and having such a capi-
tai pillow light fhatthsy axrecd 20 get
into mischief every day of their Hycs.
and be punished.
After that Mr.. Miller often found
himself dropping in, On one pretext or
another, at The Elms; 10 ask Miss Prue
TO play over the air II some new
psalmody. that be might Join in IT,.
congregations! singing; 90 tcnd her tbs
latest volume Of sreligious ihouxht, 70
keg advice abvpizsbe children. Some
times ne cams frAging those unruly
ipiantss witA ihe;r Gown hands full Of
'pcacork frathersand their little hearts
full Of impfnitencc. They and the
peacock we're nov the best o( fr.ends:
he ale from their hand. and endured
their pctiing, which was much like
punishment, with heroism; il he stayed
awsy they hunted him out and brought
him home IN triumph.
s.1-hose children might as well livs.
herc.'' aid Jane.
And their father, too" added
John.
Not a bite Of swect-bread can I
keep In the harder; and when they tears
their fsocts they goes straight e Miss
Prue, and she inends thcnf hssfOre
Bridget scolds 'cm. just rs il they'd be
her gerry own"
IA fine s;epmother she'd be max
ing observed John. - They do be
saying m tht village that its her cap
she Is setting for the parson-n
= That's just the way u the gossips!
II q nan takes to n woman it's always
she that is a-scffing Of her cap for him.
The parson ought 10 ask 'em t. pick
ont a wife for him and suit their
selves" y 500
And then there's others who says
its her money" persisted John, who,
like a fair historian, was bound 10 state
both sides; IAN that he come here
a-purpose to marry her"
"A great deal they knows about it,"
cried Jane. IL heerd him tell her. with
my own blessed ears, that when he Wa
called to this ere parish he never
dreamed that she lived here. They must
hev knowed each other. you see. when
they was young. afore Miss Pruc cam,
into her great-uncle's property. and
came tn live at Thc Fins; for | hear
'em talking now and again Of folks that
don't belong hcreabouts. And he says:
do YOU remember the day VT went
hither and the day we went yon?.' And
he says: II remember, / remember.
and looks away from her face. | thinks,
myself. he must be- an old beau Of hers.
I ices them together a heap. you know,
bringing in the tea-things, and the
lamps, and pottering round"
AT the key-hole," laughed John.
"And I've never found 'em love-
making onct, though I steps qnict-like.
John. rs YOU know. and it isn't like
opening n door TO push the porticre
aside"
Il is true the Miller children were n
great deal at The Fins. end gave their
father frequent cNcuse to follow them;
and il is true there were few congcnial
souls in the parish or village. and what
30 natural that he should see more or
less of his pleasant neighbor. with whom
he could Journey back TO the past. In
deed. they never talked Of to-day or to-
morrow; it was Away yesterday whose
praises they sang. whose skies they ex-
tolled. whose pleasures they coveted.
He was nothing like q lover. TO be sure,
except in preferring her society, and
yet it was a happiness 10 Prue TO see
him there, to know that he would come
tomorrow. Ii was toward night, one
summer day. that Miss Prue, looking
out on the lawn, where the shadows of
the leaves were dancing. saw MIR. Miller
no unusual sight coming toward her
door. He had been out of town q week
on business; Bridget had couiided to
Jane that he had s.gone away suddin',
after a telegraph in ayaller wrapper
come to him. but he had been nj home
several days without darkening, or to
express her feelings better. Illuminating
Miss Prue's door,. Naturally. she Won
dered what his errand had been: if he
had had a call to leave the parish; and
al that thought her heart stood still.
'.You have been away she said,
after the first greetings.
.'Yes. l hope you did not suffer from
an invasion of young Millers during my
ABSENCE
I'VE met, but we missed you," she
admitted. Il hope your vacation was
a rest and recreation o YOU"
My journey was not . pleasure
trip. Prue." he said. my wife died
suddenly at the asylum on the 9Th Of
the month"
Your wife!' gasped Miss Prue.
''Your wife-died-o the 9Th Of the
month! lthought-Austin = Mr.. Mil
ler-I thought she had been dead years
and years.
Il thought YOU kne be returned.
Il supposed everybody hSd heard Of il;
il was too sad a story too rehearse often
or needlessly. 1t was in all the daiies
at the time. You must have been
abroad then. Amy was in her cradle
when Lefty left me-eloped With her
music-teacher. Two years ago she
went TO the asylum, mad as Hamlet.
Prue. Prue.s ne cried, .'do You think I
have hidden anything from you? 10
not the loss Of fifteen years Of happiness
enough? Shall her ghost divide a
still?''
And I have been loving another
woman's husband all this time" she
said. moving away from him. Heaven