Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-03-05


derest faneies of soul or brain: oh ~
And Marian grew paler and more alb
sorbed day by day; and her mother
watched her with wistful, silent care
and old Hiram fretted on with the in.
coherent plants of old age, and the
summer ripencd into golden fulness.
under beamy moonlight nights, and the
glow of tropic days.
ats getting warm weather, groaned
old HIRAM, land this Croton water isn't
fit for dog to drink, let alone a Chris
tian. Oh, if | could only have a drink
of water out of the old well under the
garden wall! 1t used TO be as cold as
ice when the sun was at its hottest
dreamed last night of standing beside
that well with the old bucket trimming
over, and the wild roses hanging over
the curb, all in a tangle as they used to
grow"
Father" said Marian, who had just
come in, with cheeks unwonted ROSY
and n light sparkling deep down in her
eyes, 'shall We all 90, you and mother
and /, for a nice long drive in the coun-
try, this afternoon2''
1.-The old mans face lighted up for
an instant, but it fell again.
ave can't afford it, :" he said. testify.
We are poor. Carriage drives cost
money.
but have earned IA little money
from my book, began Marian eagerly.
Book, indeed!'' laughed old Hiram.
"A pretty book you d write. But, wen
90, if you can afford to sqnander the
money on your old father. You've
been very close with your money of
late"
Marian's cheeks glowed at the unde-
served taunt, but she did not reply
Fathers not well, she said to her
self, ''and he's old and irri able, and
this hot weather frets him. He viii be
better when" And there Marian's
reverie stopped
The air was full of the sweet breath
of new-mown hay, when the open car
riage rolled along the green country
roads, under the rustling boughs III
beach and elm, and waving willow
Hiram Lacy's eyes Frightened, the
blood seemed TO leap with new inn
pulses through his veins.
"Ahp' he cried drawing a deep
breath, ''now ! am beginning to live
again! Why, this is the old road, with
the gnarled oak hanging over the gate.
There are the fields that used to be
ours. Daughter, why did you take
this road?"
81 thought you would like to see the
old place again, father.
lit isn't ours any longer" he groan-
ed. "Sce those clover felds-I always
SAID it was the best ground in the
country-and the tall corn, growing so
royalty! And The house looks just rs it
used to look. | believe it's Just the
same robin singing on the poplar
tree by the porch
His eyes were trimming over with
tears, his voice faltered strangely as he
spoke.
WHO lives here now?" he asked af-
ter pause. you said Burke had sold
it.
Nobody Just at present Shall we
90 in walk throug the rooms?'
Hiram Lacy assented with silent
inclination of the head.
1t was all the same--the old furniture
undisturbed in its hooks and corners,
the worn, familiar carpets, the same
tinting of wall and woodwork. Hiram
Lacy could almost believe that it was
but yesterday he quilted the threshold.
He sat down in the old-fashoned arm
chair,which had once been his special
chair.
81 shall die more contentedly for
having seen the old farmhouse once
morev' he said, in broken voice.
Father cried Marian, unable to
restrain herself any longer, 'you shall
never leave it. 1t is home to your'
"IIome, repeated old Hiram in
puzzled voice. ut was home once |
know, but
and it is home now!" cried Marian,
throwing her arms around his neck
and bursting into tears. "Tell him,
mother, l cannot"
Marian is the one who has bought
it, father" said the old lady, with fond
maternal pride Her book has been
published and it was a great success,
and she took the money to buy the old
farm back for her poor old father and
mother to end their days in.
Old Hiram was silent for an instant;
then he laid his hands on Marian's
bowed head.
My daughter, he said, ''you have
kept the fourth commandment and
God will bless you for it, in His own
good time! ] never dreamed of this
when-when l was so cross and unrea-
sonale with you But who is this?"
as n shadow crossed the threshold, and
a tall noble looking man entered from
another door, Zone of our new
ncighbors, perhaps there have been
many changes since lived here"
mo, father, said Marian growing
as rosy as the elm pinks in the garden
outside; tits Mr.. Arden, one of the
publishers of the new book"
I'm glad to see you, sir, said Hi
ram Lacy, with old-fashioned courtesy,
land I'm glad you like my girls writ
ings."
Il do, sir, very much" said Mr. Ar
den, frankly; and, moreover, | like the
girl-so well that I'm here this after
noon to ask you to give her to me for
my wife
"What does Marian say?" asked the