Morris tribune., 1886-10-27
banded cap, that mes his eyes when

ever he entered the house and provet
his rival In possession OF the field.
Milly greeted Stephen kindly always
| but there was sense of interruption
he felt himself third party. Thel
he tried staying away, but that wa
worst OF all, for his love did not no
tice his absence beyond q careless
"What ages it is since we saw you
Stephen" This state of affairs, o
course, set people to talking, but Mil
ly was blushingly indignant. at wa
hard" she declared, eta girl couldn'
have pleasant friend without having
such things said" But her prett,
poutings and protestings made littl
difference, and it was understood tina
the affair, if not an absolute engage
ment, amounted to San understand
ing" whatever that may mean.
At last the long. lovely Summe
came to an end, as Summers will
Scarlet boughs famed in the forests
golden-rod burned along the brooksid
es, the birds flew, and with them Cap
tain Hallett prepared for flight. Hi
orders had come to report in Calves
ton, Tex, and his leave-takings wer
hurried. The last moment was Mil
lies, and though no one knew the ex
act sltuattjGrNof.a affairs, it was takel
for granted that another year worrri4
bring orange-blossoms and a wedding.
Milly' expectations were mot definite.
No definite promise had passed between
her and her lover, but she trusted him
and waited brightly and hopefully.
Letters came and went; the scarlet
boughs burned into ashes and fell to
the ground in pale heaps; then came
snow and the Winter, to he in turn
scourced away by the whip of the
fierce New England Spring. Still Milly
waited, but not so brightly now, for
the letters came less regularly than at
first. BY and by they ceased alto
gether. Weeks passed without word.
Milly, with visions of yellow fever and
Indians chasing each other across
her terrified brain, wrote and wrote
again, but had no idea of the real
danger which threatened her until one
day, opening the newspaper, this met
her eyes:
"At Galveston, Tex, by Rev. Pierre
st. Cloud, assisted by Rev. Thomas
Dix, Captain Edward Hallett, United
States army, and Blanche Emily, on
ly daughter of the late Pierre St.
Cloud, of Pllatki, Fla. No cards"
Mrs. Graves up stairs heard no
sound; but when she went down Milly
lay on the sofa white and rigid, the
newspaper still clasped in her cold fin
gers. 1t was long before her senses
came back. Her mother famed with
anger, but the girl hushed her with a
weary sob.
I'VE were never really engaged, you
know"
Not engaged! Oh, Milly!!"
But Milly turned her lace to the wall
and said no more.
plymouth was stirred to its depths
next day by the news that Captain Hal
lett was married to Southern lady,
and Millv Graves was down with ty-
phoid fever. Every one wanted to
help to nurse, above all, to know the
particulars. Such masses of blanc
mango and Jelly were sent in that
poor Mrs. Graves was at her wits end
to know how to dispose of them.
But no one could really aid, not even
poor Stephen, who scarcely left the
house day or night, or ate or slept
till the crisis passed and NIilly was
pronounced out of danger.
Out of danger, but it was weeks before
she could sit up, and weeks longer ere
she came down stairs, thin, white,
shrunken-a mere shadow, and a wreck
ofthe bloomlnglit little beauty who walk
ed so gaily up Love Lane at Ned
Hallett's side not quite a year ago.
She was patient always, and
accompanying, but she did not often
smile. Perhaps Stephen won those
infrequent smiles oftener than any one
else, and he counted them as precious
payment for all time and trouble
spent in her service.
Only once did see her shed tears.
This was when, hoping to give her
pleasure, he brought in the first wild
roses of the season and held them be-
fore her. Suddenly q spasm passed
over her face, she gave a gasp, turned
aside and struggled for composure.
Stephen dropped the flowers as if they
burned his fingers and hurried out of
the room. A hot anger shot through
him. HE has ruined everything for
her." he thought. Even a rose re-
minds her OF him. Coward that he is.
They hang man for poisoning the
water springs-why not hang him,
though hanging is too good ior such
villain as he"
Natures processes Of cure are Sc
cret; it is in their depths that wounds
begin to heal. Gradually, as months
went by, the renovating principle
worked on Milly. She resumed her
place at home, the little duties and
pleasures, and took up again the bur.
den of life. She was pale, still, but the
paleness infolded sweet serenity
which was no less lovely than her girl
ish bloom. chilly Graves was really
improved since her disappointment"
certain severe old ladies asserted, and
they were not far from right. Ste
phen adored her more than ever. Two
years later he told her so.
To his surprise, she was neither as
tonished nor shocked, but looked in
his eyes with smile which was sad,
tender and sweet, all at once.
"Dear Stephen" she said, "this lie
just like you. Do you recollect the
day in Love Lane, and the rose you
picked up out of the dust? You are
doing the same thing now, but 1 am
not worth it, dear, not worth picking
up"
"Milly," said Stephen, trembling
with eagerness, "there never was q
day since 1 first saw you, and that
was twenty-one years ago, when I
didn't love you beyond any living
thing. Pick you up, indeed! You, my
rose of all the world Can you not
love me bit in return2"
"Oh, Stephen, l do" and the fair
little fingers closed over his. There's
in the world like you. I al
ways knew that. It's only-the 9th
ers are so much fresher, you know
fresher and brighter and they can
make you happier than l can.
You're quite sure you really want me2
Then I'll do my best. Why, Stephen,
how happy you look"
"Happy! l should think SO, when
I've got everything ever wanted in
my life," cried Stephen.