Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-03-07

apple bonghs Of the old orchar . 81 life
aasis bitter il has taken al from me- i
can hayeYno more to give. Only my
dear desaT mot her and sra E Of
their sakes 4 must b strong and Try to
hear IL IL d !,
| On the verge OF the orchard, where
the high bank slopsd abruptly 70 the
meadow, she came to q mass Of tangled
/ hOneysuckle fashioned into rustic mr.
Dor. Walter had made it for her, and
here, in fact, it was That they had last
parted. az.
Down in the meadow ran little path
by Q short cut to Walters home q
couple Of miles away. How often she
had sat here of an evening and watched
for him! She could scarcely look back
upon any time of her ife,, or upon any
object now before her eyes, which was
not connected with some association 81
Walter. There was the walnut tree
which he and Jack used to climb, and
there the clear, laughing brook in
which he had taught her to steer the
little boat which he had made for her,
laden with grain, down to Jacks famous
water mill, at, the roots Of that old will
low. Further up was the real .'grist
and saw mill which Jack had always
been SO DESTROYS Of owning, and which
everybody said would be such good
Investment for one who could manage
it properly. ~ .:fs|. sS3...
I And then Marion,seated on the bench
in the rustic arbor, turned and looked
long and yearningly, at the old farm
house peeping from the great beeches
across the orchard, No other place on
earth could ever be home to her. And
her mother! Oh, it would be harder
still for her, whose whole life of SO
years had been spent under that roof.
A sudden sound aroused Marion-a
sharp whistle as of some one calling a
dog-and saw through tear dimmed
eyes the figure Of man hurrying along
the pathway in the meadow. She drew
back behind the screen of honeysuckle.
The path led past the arbor, but at
the foot of the steep bank, and she
would not be discovered in her retreat.
So she thought, but moment or two
after there WAS q sound of footsteps
ascending the bank, rustic Of the hon
eysuckle branches, and Marion saw
standing in the entrance Of the arbor
The figure of tall young man, who
| looked almost as much startled as her.
self.
Fer an instant they gazed at each 9TH
er-Marion pale, and the stranger with
a flush rising to his handsome face.
Then he said as he held out his hand:
| "Marion, don't you know me:"
She gave him her hand in silence. It
was Walter. And suddenly with the
sight OF him came the full bitterness of
her sorrow, i'll the consciousness that he
was lost to her forever. She was moth
! ing to him now, and he must be moth
ing to her.
81 am glad TO have so unexpectedly
found you here in this dear old spot, :"
! he said. II arrived at home only an
hourago, and could not rest until Ihad
! seen you"
She met his eyes bent upon her with
strange earnestness, and her pale
cheek family flushed; but she could not
have spoken word.
Marion, he said suddenly, shave
you no welcome for me? Is it possible
that you cannot forgive me?"
Forgive you?"
Eyes, for all my absurd jealousy and
pride. I have never had. happy mo-
ment since I parted from you, Marion,
and l have come back ut last to ask your
forgiveness, and to beg, too, for the
love which I forfeited, but which I can
not live without" .
II do not understand you. Walter. I
do not know why you should speak thus
to me, when-when you are going to be
married"
t'Who told you that of me, Marion ?"
1T came from Agnes, your sister,"
He smiled.
sSAggie knows my wishes. It was she
who encouraged me to come back. She
thought you would forgive ME. Will
you Marion, darling?"
She had ayerted her face to hide her
fearful eyes, but he now took both hands,
and as he drew her towards him a great
tide of JOY rushed over her, and she
could only family murn,ur-
ooh, Walter!"
When they were both calmer she told
of the heavy grief that had fallen upon
them. They must leave their dear old
home which had passed into the hands
Of strangers.
- "Of strangers, Marion? Do you call
me a stranger"
'tYou, Walter?''
he looked surprised in his turn. =.
did you not know that it is I who
have purchased the dear old farm?
Did you not receive Jacks letter ?"
snh "o1tnY - - :.
true!'
He took from pocketbook a paper
which he opened and placed before her.
1t was the mortgage which the father
had given Mr.. Harris.
And the place is really yours now?os
she ssid, looking up radiantly through
sudden tears. s E !. ~
Not mine, but ours, darling"
She was too happy to speak word
in answer. l.5 %..s,a 8
. on see DEAR" Walter said, s'Jack
and, I talked it over the other day, and
we agreed, as he was SO anxious to pur-
chase the mill and had not means suf-
fcient for both, that I should take the
farm, and leave him at liberty to invest
in the mill property. # It is the very
best thing for Jack and for his mother,
as I explained to her, if only she had
received his letter. Jack is not fitted
for d farmer, and could never have
mad much Of the farm as he will GER
tainly do with the mill. He came up
with me IN order to attend the matter.
!. Forgive me that I neglected to inform
syon, but Il left him behind in the maple.
field, talking with Aggie. 5s=
Marion started up with glad cry.
Coming down the opposite decliyity Of
the maadnW zs as SnmehndY inynusIY