The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-26


chel do you remember Old Grey, as used TO
about six years agol
Yes, she answered.
swell, I met him in town to-day. He is one
of the lawyers in the Sanders case, and he knew
me right off. He's coming out this evening" so
look your prettiest for / tell you he's smart
one. heard some of the lawyers talking about
him"
Rachel" said Susy. as they arrayed them
selves for the evening, you are so hard to please
this evening What ais you? You look so ex-
cited"
Rachel smiled. ST was thinking of old days
she said; that is all"
And she enters the little parlor where Mr..
Stlllman and the guest are seated in perfectly
selfpossessed manner, saying as she extends her
hand:
with Apollyon"
And the young lawyer springs to his feet. ex-
claiming: Rachel Is it possibeT And he
holds her hand and looks into her eyes so long
that Susie and Mrs. Stillman declare he fell in
love then and there
However that may be, it is certain Mr. Grey
shows wonderful interest in the Stillman dis.
trict during his stay at haywood. The trial
is tedious, but his patience never gives out,
and when some of the lawyers propose night
sessions OF court 20 hasten matters ne opposes
it earnestly. ''Too hard on the old judge" he
says.
But all things must end, and the case was
at last decided in favor of Mr.. Grey's client.
AS Rachel congratulated him on his victory
he said with look that brought the color to
her face:
''How long must I stay In Doubling Castle,
Rachel"
Dear me-" she answered, II did not think a
promising young lawyer, father calls you,
ever got into that dismal place"
Then Susy came in and the young man bade
them hut "a 0nDOrtuQltV
to whisper in Rachaefs ear a promise OF speedy
return, and as he travelled homeward those Won
derful eyes seemed to haunt him persistently.
who would have thought he said to himself,
Z "she could have become such woman! NO won
der l never could find girl to suit me when she
has been my ideal"
You see he was trying to persuade himself
that he had thought of her ever since that win
ter term of school: perhaps it %as true. May De
all unknown to him those eyes had held him. AT
any rate he says they did; and when time after
time they drew him back to Stillman's he at last
succeeded in making Rachel believe it, and then
with the little key of promise" she delivered
him from Doubling Castle"
Let us take one more look, two years later, at
the Stillman homestead.
There is family gathering and all the girls
are present-Martha and her two little ones,
Margaret with her two boys, and Rachel with
her baby Susy. proud young aunt, nlts TO
and fro, now teasing one and now another or the
children Elizabeth, with unwonted brightness
in her eyes, looks on and even laughs sweet
low laugh at some of the merry mischief
well" says Margaret, lit does seem odd to
think of Lizzie's lover coming back after all
these years."
yes" answered Rachel in the same low tone.
land how happy she seems. l suppose the wed
ding will be soon; they have been separated SO
long"
The husbands are all present in the evening.
and the OLD house is full of light and gayety.
hal +atr To hoh To had
she sits in the room where in her childhood she
had spent so many unhappy hours, her tears fall
thinking of them and the dear mother who had
suffered and died, and the old bitterness rises in
her heart Baby drops asleep, and, laying him
gently in the cradle in which she herself had
been rocked, she kisses two dainty lips and goes
down stairs. Some impulse prompts her TO en-
ter the sitting room instead OF going into the
parlor, where she thinks all the family are gath
cred. AS she opens the door she sees her father
sitting by the table, where the lamp stands of
old, and half turns to go out again; but some
thing In his attitude touches her. He is not
reading his newspaper; he is looking at some
thing he holds in his hand. She notices how
gray he is getting, and how age is tracing lines
in his stern face. Drawing near, she says: Are
you sick, fatner2"
20, no" he answers, 81 was thinking Of your
mother, Rachel" and he handed her faded
daguerreotype of the fair young girl who had
been his bride in the days of his youth.
''How like Susy, father she said, with tears
dropping on the lovely face.
Eyes, only she was prettier," he answered.
Il have been thinking of her so much lately,
Rachel" he went on. Il am going to do some
thing 1 think will please her if she sees.
bou yht that pretty little farm of Perry's the
other day. and / am going to put Martha and
her husband on it. Dicks an industrious fellow,
but it's hard gettin on on a rented place, and
Martha is worried too much. You don't think
any of the rest would object?' and he looked
anxously in her face.
"Object! Why father, they will all be glad,
and dropping her head on his shoulder she puts
her arm around him for the first time in her life,
and as she slips the little daguerreotype in his
hand sweet peace fills her heart as she thinks
''the bitterness is gone and love takes its place.
After awhile she joins the group in the parlor.
They are singing, while Susy plays accompani-
ments on the organ. ''Sing Coronation Susy,
she says as she sits down beside her husband.
What is it9' he asks. "You lock unusually
happy"
''Ah!" she answers 81 have had vision of
the land of Beulah. and Love is its king"
AS the voices joined in singing the old famil-
lar hymn Mr.. Stillman came quietly in and sat
down to listen. So let us leave Rachel and her
sisters, hoping that whatever may befan them
in the journey of life, ''love, for them. may al
ways be king"
THE END.