Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-03-27

/ 10 eoo piouu anu disooiaeiS W marry IN
this little place. He will bring noble
titled wife home with him Oh, tell
you those Eversons are proud Dread
| fully high-tcmpered folks too. A nice
! life you would lead with theml You
may be thankful YOU are rid Of them.
He would not quarrel with you, lust as
he is going away, if he loved YOU.
Mark my words, he will bring home a
wife. Iwouldn't cry away all my beauty
for him.
| Mrs. Elton glanced contemptuously
at Mays pale face andred eyelids. But
May would hear no more.
| Aunt Harriet, | would thank YOU to
let my affairs alone You are always
interfering, she said, chokingly; and fed
from the room.
Such temperr remarked Aunt Har-
riet, severely. Lucy, | wonder at your
allowing such behavior to pass unre-
buked.
You tried her to far, Harriet. Re
member how nervous she is, said gentle
Mrs. Brooks, mildly.
oh, what did | say? sobbed May. as
she locked herself into her room and
laid her throbbing head on the pillows.
i am always impertinent to Aunt Har-
riet, and it grieves mamma. But she is
so disagreeable, and is constantly medd-
ling. | hate meddlers!'
But her aunt talked and the gossips
talked; and May, being woman, was
forced to stay quietly at home in the
very midst of the gossip, and entertain
curious guests, conscious OF their close
scrutiny, to see if she took it much to
heart. All, how hard it wasl Where
as Paul was far from all annovine
questions, so busily engaged with his
troublesome estate as to have scarcely a
thought beside.
Memories of May would float through
his mind occasionally, but would soon
vanish in the press Of business. He
had not forgotten. He felt the separa-
ton as bitterly as May; but man can
not spare the time for sentinel or vain
regrets. The busy world come in be-
tween.
A year passed. Paul was still in
Paris. A long trial, involving the es-
tate was stretching its weary way through
the courts Until that was ended he must
stay
Another year rolled by, and Tom was
married to favorite friend of MAYS,
sweet Nellie Wingate. May was their
bridesmaid, with face as white as the
dress she wore She was fragile as a
lily now The old bloom was gone. In its
place was new sweetness, rays of Gods
sunlight illumining her face as only those
are illumined who win the crown of light
through suffering.
And May had borne much sorrow since
the happy days of Pauls love. Her
mother had faded almost imperceptibly,
until the Death Angel came and bore
her away. She had smiled loving
goodnight upon them at bedtime one
evening, and sent them from her as usual.
and the next morning they found her
with the same sweet smile upon her lips
but the dear lips would never speak
again. She was asleep in Jesus.
Before May fully realized her loss her
father was stricken with a low fever, and
he to passed away May was left entirely
alone, with just enough money to sup
port her She lived quietly at the old
home, her first appearance in society
after the death of her father being at
Toms wedding. She had laid aside her
mourning for that evening, appearing in
white without ornaments. Her dark
brown hair, coiled low on her neck,
waved loosely over the forehead the
large blue eyes were dark with excite
ment, and now and then a smile lighted
up the grave face with marvellous beauty
Tom and Nellie were going to Europe
on their wedding trip, and urged May to
accompany them in the hope of restoring
some of her lost brightness May at last
consented, a wild hope of seeing Paul
urging her to it. She had heard nothing
from him since their bitter parting two
years and half ago. Not word of
sympathy Or coincidence with her great
sorrow, and his silence hurt her cruelty.
The first few weeks of their foreign
tour were spent in London The time
passed slowly to May. She cared moth
ing for the sightseeing, for their new
English friends, or for anything in Great
Britain. Her thoughts were in Paris.
To the lovers the days flew by on swiftest
wings. There is really nothing half so
sweet in life as loves young dream.
Sometimes it proves to be nightmare,
however. May felt as if her love-dream
had had very bitter awakening. Try
as she would she could not forget Paul,
and the memory was very sad, recalling
those old days, as it did, with father and
mother to love and shield her. Should
she see Paul, and how would he look
What would he have to say Did he
love her still? Over and over she asked
these questions.
Would Tom and Nellie never be ready
for Paris? 1t seemed not From Lon
don to Glasgow, thence to Edinburgh
and Melrose Abbey then through Ire
land, they went, spending week in each
place. They visited the homes of
Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott, ex-
plored the Tower of London and West
Minister Abbey, and even attended the
queens drawing-room through the infu-
ence of Lady Somebody.
At last, when they had been away
from home for three months, Tom an
nounced that they would next do Paris.
May was in a fever of excitement during
the packing up, though she appeared
very cool The channel was rough that
day, and before they reached their des-
tination May was seriously i'll. The
best doctors were summoned, and Tom
and Nellie watched over her faithfully
without thought of self. Day after
day she lay in a heavy stupor, uncon-
scious of the loving care bestowed upon
hei, but the tenth day change came,
and she talked wildly of Paul.
% Paul, Paul I she moaned. Come
to me
This was her constant cry, with fire.
quent illusions to Tom, which her watch
ers could not understand.
She means Paul Everson, whispered
Nellie. Find him, Tom, if he is any
where on the face of the earth She