The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-11

be the belief was right, Tor there were
assuredly weak drops in the blood, and
weakness means stubborness all over
the world. But living prodigal may
always submit at last, and Dick could
never submit now. And the poor old
father could only feel as if his own
harshness had done it all.
That was the phase of his grief when
a short note was brought to Patience
from Mr.. Marrish, which ran thus:
DEAR Miss BLACKTHORS - Hoping il
might please your good father, I've made
trip to London to see if l could get any
more news of poor Dick, and maybe get
some of his things. 1 also send you paper
about the battle. But I'm sorry to say
there's nothing more to hear. Only heard
something at the proper place that It's right
10 let you know. Among the list of killed
there was the name of Stephen Harlow. SO
he must have listed, too, for | made all in
quirieS, and he was the same we used to know,
no doubt about il at all
I've seen the mortgagee's lawyers-that
was another thing / went for. I'm sorry to
say they'll take no more delay, as I'd al
ready got it put of four times, and they
mean to foreclose very soon. if capital and
interest aren't paid by a certain day. As
your poor father mustn't be troubled now,
I've asked them TO communicate with him
through me. / will call in a few days to
talk things over. and am, dear Miss Black
thorn, yoIr humble servant,
And somehow this letter made her
feel, not that q new book of troubles,
but that the whole book of her life, Joy
and trouble, and all things. save thought
for her father, was closed Stephen
killed in battlei She had not a spark
of reason to mistrust the onl Y friend left
them, and, indeed, if she had. mistrust
would have been misplaced, since Enoch
Marrish himself believed his own story.
He had hidden nothing except how the
knowledge of it had come to him.
Moreover, it was as if the whole story
had now been told; at least so far as
any story can. What had driven her
promised husband to become 3 soldier
she would never know, but it could not
have been because he loved another
better than he loved her. Miserable
weakness it must have meant-weak-
ness even to despair, in the face of
troubles that forced even strong man
to fly in secret and hide from weak
woman under the smoke of war. And
now it was all over, love, despair, life,
dead, herself, in the old saw-shed, when
he first asked her to be his, how well
that would have been-or, better still,
after that walk when he had wiled her
away to see the new cows. He did love
her then: that she could swear, Oh, if
he had only come to her in his troubles,
whatever they were, how she would
have understood them, and helped him
to do his duty, whatever it might have
been.
But what was she hcsself thinking of?
Better to have died, and left her father
to the coming storm? Thinking of
preaching duty when she was forget
ting her own? No-the book of her life
was indeed closed. Nothing was left
but to seal it and hide it away.
Neither love nor hope nor life left for
herself, but only duty; a helpless father.
whom loss of his old home would kill;
an old man, who had lost his only son.
and had but his daughter to care fol-
him and to lean upon; vows buried in
the grave-what thing but one was
there for Patience Blackthorn to do?
Il can't swear to love you. Encch
Marrish, but with my lips" said she,
very quietly, when, just after harvest,
he asked her again. Il don't know
why you want me, but if you want no
more than a wife who will do her best
for you-then-forp poor fathers sake
Don't say another word, lass, said
he. ''That'll all come square. know
what want, and I'll make you know it
too, before long"
You have been very kind"
'I've tried to be. I'll be kinder be-
fore I've done. I'm never in hurry
about anything, not I-big or small. 1t
don'tpay. You've made me the hap
pest man in England there, When's
the affair to be? The sooner the better,
and then things Will be settled for poor
old Tom. Lies an uncertain thing,
ana then where you be again?"
You will be quite content with what
can give you? With no more?"
Bless the girl, yes. l know what
I'm about. We aren' just boy and girl.
My place wants mistress, and want
yOH. When's it to be?"
She longed for delay. But then in
another day she would only long for it
all the more. Il have no choice" said
she. and that was true.
Then say this day three week.
That'll see all the harvest work finished
up, and give just time for the banns.
And say, Patience; We'll have no
nonsense and trash, it wouldn't do so
soon after poor Dicks death, ard
moneys money, these hard times. How
il does 90, to be sure. Wen just walk
into church, you and me and old Tom,
and then walk out again. aud the very
day we're married Wen begin as we
mean to 90 on. Eh?"
He attempted kiss. but he got no
farther than her cheek, and found it
cold. But he went away in triumph,
and left her TO think, or rather, to fight
everything like thought and feeling
away. She had decided on duty, which
ought to have given her comfort, but it
gave her none.
Father. Enoch Marrish has asked
me to marry him. said she. at bedtime.
If he had only given her look of
surprise she must have given way. But
he gave her nothing of the sort-only
such an anxious look that it went to
her heart For she knew what it meant
"a dread lest she might have said No"
And it is to be this day three weeks.
That's all. Say I've done right father"
Right? Why It's the best news I've
heard since-since Dick died like lion,
Patience; know. Enoch Marrish Ell?
Then you've just saved me, and Leys
Croft. My boy would have been proud
Thus it came to pas that, on GER
tain Tuesday Enoch Marrish set out on
the same errand. and the same path, on