Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-06-25
slowly. 1t was early morning when !

slowly. 1t was early morning when I
+, started on my journey, and the dark
ness of night was setting over the
world when / reached my destination.
No one was at the station to meet me,
and without losing time to hire We
hicle, | started out to walk to the Mer-
lin mansion across the fields as | used
to do of yore. 1t was no great dis
lance, and the walk would do me good.
My way would take me by the old
trysting tree where Amy had met me
so often in the happy days of long ago.
the old familiar pathway. / thought
of the girl. now probably lying within
the pale of death. who had wandered
over these very fields. clinging trust
ingly to my arm aud uttering vows of
eternal love for me. thought, too,
of the man who had come between us
with his accursed gold and parted us
forever, well-nigh wrecking my life.
and breaking the heart of poor little
Amy. All this and much more surged
through my brain as | hurried rapidly
onward.
was now near the old trysting tree,
and in the fast gathering twilight ]
saw sight that sent the blood rush.
ing through my veins like current of
fire. Leaning against the trunk of the
tree, clad in a dress OF spotless white,
/ saw the outline of a fragile female
form. 1t was Anywhere could be no
doubt OF that; | knew the graceful fig
ure too well; and the attitude was Just
the same as she used to assume when
she waited for me in that spot long
ago. Yes, it was Amy; she was not so
i'll. then, as they had thought her; she
had recovered, and had come out to
meet and surprise me. These were
my thoughts as | rushed on to greet
her. There never was such Joy as
mine. 1t was SO great that | often
wonder 1t did not kill me then and
there.
was now close to her. but she never
moved. Uttering many cndearing
words, / seized her hands, which were
clasped before her. and attempted to
draw her to me. The hands were SO
cold-oh, so stony cold-and the great
brown eyes had such strange ex-
preston, and the face was so worn and
white, that / released her hastily and
recoiled several feet. ''My Godr' was
my inward ejaculation. "can my dar-
ling have gone mad? Has her illness
dethroned her reasonP"
Suddenly she turned, and fixing her
great, starlight eyes upon me, slowly
said:
Paul, your Amy is dead; you came
too late. died for love of you. Forgive
me never, oh, my darling. Farewell.
FAREWELL" And, noiselessly approach
ing me, she pressed her icy lips to
mine and disappeared. Overcome with
horror fell fainting to the ground.
When L recovered | found myself Mt
the residence of the old village doctor,
under whom l had first studied. He
told me that had been found under
the old maple tree in deathlike swoon;
that three weeks had elapsed since
then, and had been suffering from a
severe brain fever, and in all that time
had talked of nothing but Amy, spirits
and human cruelty. When l grew
stronger, he said:
''Old fellow, you have had a tough
pull. They came very near killing
you as they did Amy, poor girl She
died just one hour before we found you,
She was calling for you all the time
during her illness, and died with your
name on her lips"
Many years have passed and gone
since then. All the actors in this story,
except myself, have been called before
the judgment bar of God, and / am
waiting by the waysidc, with bowed
head and anxious heart, for the sum-
mons to come to me to join my angel
Amy on that bright, eternal shore,
where sorrow, trouble and separation
are unknown.