The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-01-15
She did not speak.

Won KNOW UQaU CQerelu Is WTlUUeu UudU u |
wife stall cleave unto her husband"
sab, Nathan, You are Lot now my hus-
band"
"You will break your word to me?"
"You terrify me, Nathan. Do not be SO
fierce. Yet l will say, Nathan, let US for
the time leave matters as they were."
''That would be cowardly. You have
promised me-"
eyes, but under misrepresentation"
"Of my Affection"
"No, no. You are too cruel. I lie not
dream that you were not a patriot"
.Keziah, would you let my duty come
between our love?"
Nathan, would you have my duty I'M
the King"
81 will not"
'Then 1 must withhold my promise TO
you"
She said it bravely, though every word
cut her like a knife.
"You love mel" he asked.
$50 much 1 would gladly die for you"
'If SO much you will wed me-"
mot so long as you are an enemy to our
country and my people,"
81 was a fool to believe in the constancy |
of a maid. What is the affection that can
be snapped at the whim of a fatherS l bid
you farewell, mistress. If it be consolation
for you, rest assured that you have my
heart"
He turned to go.
''Stop, Nathan. Let us wait patiently
| until the outcome of the war is determined"
mo, we can not bide the future; our
test is now. If l go, Keziah, l shall not
come to you again until you bid me-"
The girl trembled, and then, looking with
the determination of pride upon him, said:
"That, Nathan, l shall never do"
He said no more, but went. In a few
days he received a commission in the Kings
army.
Eight years later Captain Nathan Foster
returned to his farm, where his sister had
dwelt during his absence. He had given it
to her as he went to the war, both to save
it from confiscation and to provide her
with a home.
"You will not deed it back to me-" he
said to his sister when he returned. "We
will live here together, and the farm shall
be ours in
The sister wondered if he would bring
home a bride, as years before he had said
he should, but he made no mention of such
a purpose.
Exposure in the field had bronzed his
face, and his figure was erect and his walk
martial. ga splendid man he is" thought
the sister. "He will marry SOON" But
she said nothing.
Nathan resumed his place in the old pew
at the brick meeting house. The aged pas
tor had passed away, and some of the
farmers had grown gray, while vacant
places told of others killed in battle. The
matrons, too, were stouter, and those whom
he had known as children were strapping
lads and handsome maids.
They greeted the Captain as he entered
the porch so generously that he was touched
and glad that he had determined to remain
and spend his days among them.
The old friends thought him changed for
the better, and they were proud of their
townsman, though he had fought against
them in the Kings army.
As Captain Foster took his seat in his
pew he glanced about, and encountered the
eyes of Mistress Keziah. She sat in her
old place. He nodded with such slight in
dication of recognition as is permissible in
church., and she returned his courtesy after
his manner. Not again during the service
did he look that way.
After the benediction, as he stood, after
the custom of the place, On the church
steps chatting with the farmers, Keziah
passed by.
He extended his hand, and as he did so
Keziah could not fail to note that his expe-
riences, whatever they were, had taught
him grace and elegance of manner.
sit seems scarcely eight years since 1
was here" he said, and she was quick to
think that he did not say it was so long
since he saw her.
sHe has forgotten she thought, but she
said: 1.-The time must have flown more
quick for you than for us. You have led
a life of such great excitement"
"Happily that is over. l grew very tired
of it, and am glad to be again in nv old
home"
"Then you will remain here?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"We have heard that you might remain
below, in New York"
"No. have no such intention. Where
is your sister Martha? 1 did not see her
to-day"
Martha lives below with her husband"
"What! Martha welded? l thought of
her only as a child"
Eight years is long enough to make a
child a woman, SIR"
TI~- L. ~,- 81 h. --~ 81
and yet when she told him of others of
whom he asked, who were married, he did
not bear in mind that she almost alone of
all of them was still u~nwedded. 1t seemed
to him that she was more beautiful than
when she had given him her promise, and
the years had seemingly passed over her
without needing her at all.
"She will give me some hint" he thought,
as he walked home, 'if so be she still cares
for me,' while the young woman medi-
still proud, but he is so handsome, and will
he remember!"
But the days passed swiftly by, one like
the other, and three years had gone when
Farmer Hustled died.
"What will you do!" Captain Foster
asked Keziah after the funeral. During
these years they had met as friends and
%neighbors meet, and SO kindly circumspect
was each to the other that such became
their confirmed habit. In the disguise OF
kind friendship and ~neighborly offices the
love that was burning within them was
concealed. So he had, as her next neigh.
Dor, asked her what she would do now that
her father was dead. Even then he found
himself hoping that she would say one
word, express one desire, whereby he
might find opportunity to say what had
, been in his heart to say all these years.
But she answered him with another ques.
: ton: ID you not think the farm too large
5 for me?"
"Wil you live here!"
, Eyes. l shall employ my neighbor Moses
and his wife. They will live with me ant
take care of the farm. They are good peo'
: pie"
Eyes. 1 know them. l will gladly buy
3 such of your land as you do not need" anC
2 he spoke of certain meadows that ad'
, joined his. mentioning u price and deeds O.
, sale and the like.
1 "Ah, but if she had said one word, o.
3 looked with one such glance as she used t,
bestow upon me, | would nave risked an
other modification, and told her how
yearned for her, was Nathan's despairin:
thought as he went away. And the woman
when he had gone she wept for her los
e love.
t Nine years went by. Nathan's hair wa
. whitening little, but his form was cree
and his step vigorous. 1t had come to b
: that KeZiah consulted him on such bust
. ness as her little farm required of her, ant
she entrusted to him the investment ant
care of some money she had inner
e tied. Them, too, in the long winter tim
g she would for the sake of company spend
: week or more with Nathan and his sister a
e their farm.
e Sister Nancy had never asked a question
For many years she had fondly hoped tina
Nathan would bring Keziah home, but a
Il the months passed and he did not do sc
: she at last knew that it would never be
i Yet Nancy Foster saw that the happies
moments of these two were when they wer
+ near each other, and she at last surmiset
: that, having passed the ardor of youth
g they had by force of habit drifted into sue
relationship as brought them pleasure, an,
that both were unconscious that it was SC
Time flies so gently over uneventful live
{ as to leave nothing for memory to gras
!: whereby his passing may be brought t
mind. So it happened that year after yea
passed away, yet Captain Foster heede
=. not that KcziaL VIZ mr0x,.inr faaLla l.