The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-09-06

hair IN the blue walled bedroom on the
second floor, with white fringed coun-
terpanes and curtains, and two black
sllhouettes over the mantelpiece on
either side OF the china vases of roses.
There were only four of us at the
table-the deacon, his wife "a stout
lady who never said more than she could
help, Mary and myself Mary had
spent the last winter at Glasgow, and we
talked about all she had seen. She was
self possessed without being forward,
and oh, so pretty Now, Angelina was
splendid and queenly; so this was mild
praise that she could not have objected
to, only said it very often. l preached
on the next Sunday. 1t was settled
that should spend the summer there.
wrote this to Angelina:
Since you cannot be with me, it
does not matter where l am-this stu
pld place as well as any other. Address
to the care of Deacon Stevenson. I
shall remain with him while 1 preach
here"
1t was a pleasant summer, despite
the dizziness of the place. How good
the quaint old deacon was, when one
really knew him How motherly was
Mrs. Stevenson! AS for Mary, she
grew sweeter every day. l often won
dered what Angelina would have said
could she have seen me helping her to
pick blackberries, to find the runaway
COW, to carry home the milk pail. driy-
ing her over to the country grocery and
returning with freight of groceries
Angelina, who knew nothing of domes-
TIC details, and whose monogramed and
perfumed letters were often brought
over from the office in company with
the paratfine can. l wrote nv sermons
at one end of the round table. while
Mary sat at the other sewing. Between
us was lamp with green paper shade.
Now and then big bug would fly into
the window and go humming about our
heads, or moth would try to SINCE it's
wings over the chimney, and 1 would
drive it out. The old people would go
to bed after while, and then Mary and
l would find ourselves hungry, and she
would go into the kitchen to find some
thing good. L always held the light
for her; and when something good was
found we ate it in the back porch. sit
ting side by side on the step, like two
children. She was so like child
that little Mary-that it seemed no
harm to ask her to kiss me good might,
or to hold her hand In mine as it rested
on my arm in our long walks home
from church on Sunday evening.
The summer passed; October came !;
Angelina returned to the city and wrote
to me. 1t was while we were eating
peaches and cream in the back porch
that evening that [ said to Mary: a
lstell you secret if you will keep it
for awhile, Mary"
oh, of course l viii, Mr.. Mactaggart."
Il am going to be married this
autumn, Mary" I said. Those pretty
letters you always thought came from
my sister are from the lady who is to
marry me. She is very beautiful, very
rich, very stylish, but very kind. You
must come and see us, Mary, when you
are married. 1 shall tell Angelina how
good you have been to me-what
sweet little sister [ have found out here
in the Vale of Cruix. Why, Mary"
For, as [ spoke, I felt the little hand
l held grow cold and heavy in mine.
saw her sink backward. The big china
bowl of peaches and cream slipped with
d crash to the ground and was shattered
to pieces.
| caught the poor child in my arms.
In moment she came to herself and
said she had overtired herself, she
thought. They had been baking all
~ Il,
babe me good night. But l did not see
her next day, nor the next. She kept
her room, and was not well enough to
bid me goodbye.
Poor little Mary! I felt very misera-
bic. However, Angelina met me at
Glasgow. She was more beautiful than
ever more elegant in contrast to nv
simple country friend-and very soon I
laughed at myself for the thought that
had been IN my heart. OF course,FI
said, it was the baking that had over
come Mary-lt was not my news. / had
only been to her as a triend-as a
brother. l had not made love to her;
above all, [ had not firted with her.
But thought of Mary great deal, and
| missed her every hour, exactly-oh,
yes, SAdCbly It's uIlBub u SlStSr.
/ wrote to Mrs. Stevenson, and her
answer was very brief.
Il haven't much time to write" she
said in her postscript. Mary is sick,
and besides being driven, am anx-
ious.'
This letter was in my pocket on that
day when Angelina and went together
to the bazaar for the benefit of the
Church of ST. Matthew.
After we had roamed about the bazaar
and bought all sorts of knick- nacks, /
escorted Angelina to seat, and there
set down to wait while one of the ladies
who, on this occasion only" was doing
good, onerous, hard work, brought us a
tray of refreshments.
As we sat there slipping our coffee two
women sat down at the next table with
their backs to us.
Il am very tired, are you not, Mrs.
Russell?" And the other answered:
"Yes, | am tired. / don't think that
it is worth the while to come all the
way from Vale of Cruix to Glasgow
sight seeing"
This was the voice of Stevenson's
nearest neighbor, and l liked and re-
Specta6 har vat did not fool o,,i+a e,,ro