The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-06

mother he begins, stepping across
the threshold; the light is in his face,
and he has not recognized her.
She closes the door without turning
around, trying to keep her face from
him, but as she has eaten nothing since
the day before, her step is rather I'M
certain, and she staggers forward as her
hand leaves the knob; he springs toward
her and catches her arm
"Rose lagrange! Is it possible?" he
eXclaims, in CONSERVATION.
cat your service" she returns, trying
to speak lightly, but sinking YEARLY in
a chair
''Has it come to this?" he asks, look.
ing around the room.
81 am not ashamed to work." she
says, proudly.
mo, no! not ashamed to! 0, but
that you should be obliged! VIII you
tell me about yourself and how you
came here?"
''Be seated, please. If you care to
hear, | will tell you," and she resumes
her mending involuntarily. There is
not much to tell" she begins; she has
been sewing a button on Harry's pants
something drops out of the pocket and
falls on the floor, and as she discovers
hole in the pocket she empties it in
order to mend it. She takes out some
Irvine, marbles, an old key, nails and
many other old traps, and at the very
bottom bit of crumpled, dirty paper;
she lays them on the table and resumes
her sewing and her story.
He picks it up mechanically and alb
sently smooths it out. 1t is q letter,
sealed and stamped. Suddenly he be-
comes aware that he is reading the
name of ''Miss Rose Lagrange, in his
own handwriting. He hastily tears it
open and reads his own letter to her
written over a year ago.
She is surprised at his behavior.
"Mr Lawrence, you forget yourself"
she saws.
will you be kind enough to read
that letter." he eXclaims, eXctedly, sit
is evident it never reached YOU"
She takes it wonderingly, reads it
slowly, then looks inquiringly into his
eager face
''Do you understand" he asks, i'm
ploringly.
Hardly" she returns; then reads it
over; light seems TO break upon her,
for the tell-tale color rushes into her
face and betrays her.
Had you received it when it was
due, what would you have said?"
Come" she whispers.
'My darling! my darling" he ex-
claims, folding her in his arms.
She falls limp upon his breast.
"What have | done! have l killed
her?" he cries in alarm.
NO" she answers family, 81 am
only faint and weak, it will pass pres
emily"
"What is it? what is the matter?"
Nothing, nothing [ have had
nothing to eat since yesterday, and
have been working all day, and | am
little dizzy; that is all.
''Great heavens! that is enough! You
shall go to my mother tonight. [ will
not leave you again alone. o, that
you should have come to this through
me. Fool that was not to have spoken
when | saw you, not to have trusted to
luck"
She smiled at his vehemence.
''Do you know, darling, it was all
ruse, my going away? [ just told you
that to see if you cared, and l thought
you didn't
"Did you think 1 would let you see,
if did care?"
"And you missed me?"
sit almost broke my heart"
go, what an idiot have been"
81 am strong now" she says, releas-
ing herself from his embrace.
"And you will go with me?" he ques-
tons.
YES" she answers, confdingly.
"But wait, L will wake Harry, we must
take him."
81 suppose So" he returns, laughing;
''the little heather, keeping that letter
hidden away in his pocket for over
year"
When they are going home they ques-
ton Harry about the letter, but he re-
members nothing of it. After much
thinking he does recall one morning
when the postman gave him letter to
take into the house, and he put it into
his pocket and forgot it.
''lf we had not been so poor" saws
Rose, laughingly," those old clothes
would have been thrown away long ago
and the letter with em.-ArkanSaw
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