Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-12-02
BERTHA's wEDDING-DAY.
Thanksgiving Day story.
BY ALICE DALE.

btIlIhs ddltAAlBt AbNtA
Thanksgiving Day, remember"
Remember what. Philip
That shy, swiftly averted glance, the
conscious bushes, that stained cheek and
forehead. beied the innocent coquetry OF
these words.
"Renemher what? Why, that | am
coming back then. TO claim you for my
own; never, never to part with you again.
It is hard to leave you, darling. | never
thought it was half as hard as it is. But
il is for your sake that go; that ] may
make the happy home that we two are
going to share, worthy of you. You Will
be true to me, Berthar
81 will be true to you, Philip
And there under the whispering lindens,
beneath the cloudless moon of that beau
tiful June evening, the lovers part; the
passionate feryor Of the farewell kiss, the
lingering pressure of the last embrace,
bringing almost as much rapture as
pain.
Now that he wGs really gone and there
was nothing else TO think of and to do,
Bertha began TO count the slow weeks
that must intervene before her lover
would return to claim the fulhllment of the
pledge she had given him.
thanksgiving is generally some time
in November, } believe was her Inward
reflection as she thought of his parting
words. 81 hope it will be appointed early
this year
Philips place of destination was San
Francisco, whether he had gone on bust
ness that promised to be very re-
munerative but which has nothing to do
with our story.
He had promised TO write TO Bertha I'M
medately on his arrival, but she called
several times at the post-otiice before the
welcome missive came
Her cousin Benjamin Ripley, was post
master, as well as proprietor OF the village
store.
She had never had a letter from Philip
before, but she knew it was from him by
the postmark, and her face flushed be-
meath the keen glance that he gave her as
he handed it to her.
Her cousin Jane, a sister of Benjamin's
was standing besid3 her, as slipping the
letter into her pocket Bertha turned to-
ward the door
Hastouing after her, Jane linked her
arm into her cousins saying, with laugh
that sounded rather forced and unnat-
urai:
"Are you engaged TO Phil Irving?
Don't answer now if you don't want to-
Bertha had a half suspicion that Jane
had more than friendly feeling for
Philip, and her tone was a little sharp as
she said;
~ am engaged to Philip Irving, And
l don't know why | should be reluctant to
tell of it eitherm
"Wel hadn't the least idea he was
serious. | knew he was pretty attentive
before he went away, but thought it was
only a Irritation
"Philip never tIrts.n.
'Don't hey'
Bertha was not little irritated by that
toss Of the head ana tone of iucredulity;
but they had now reached the gate of her
fathers house.
Eager to learn the contents of her let
ter she snatched her arm from her com
panion's and ran in, going directly TO her
own room.
Blushing, and half ashamed of her i'm
patience, Bertha tore open the letter.
It did not take her long to read it, be
ing brief, containing little more than th,
announcement of his safe arrival
There were none of the protestatons
the tender assurances that she expecte,
and SO thirsted to hear aud she read i
with feeling of disappointment that wa
akin TO pain.
ut don't sound one bit like Philip
she said to herself after the third peru
sal.
Then her heart began to reproach he
for this momeutary doubt, and to max,
excuses Tor him. He was tired from hi,
long journey, too busy to tell her NOR,
than of his safe arrival his next Letter
would make up for all that this lacked.
In her reply Bertha poured out all tn,
tenderness of her young and loving heart
playfully abiding TO the hrevity and uu
satisfactory character of his letter, anc
for which She expected him TO make du,
nj. ends.
Two, three, four weeks passed, and nc
answer came; and az last unable 20 bear
any longer the torturiug suspense aut
cruel doubts that assaulted her. Bertha
wrote again, stating how long it was since
she had heard from him, and that she wa.
troubled, fearing that some misfortune
had befallen him.
There was no response tu this, ana I'M.
dignatOn and wounded pride began {,
mingle with the grief and disappoint
ment which robbed her cheek OF it, bloom
NM iA'h - ~ Ah' ~ rs gag tAtNN tla Iltt WEARY
weeks passed.
One day Bertha was sitting alone In hyI
room, when her cousin Jane came in. a.
she was very apt to do of late, more otter
than was agreeable, in fact ais She liked
best to be alone.
After a littl, talk, the former said
II had letter yesterday from SIT,
Carlton, who went out to San Francisco
and married there, and She mentioned
certain somebody
Bertha's face flushed and then paled
Let me see the letter, JanesH
Without q word Jane gave it to her
1t was mainly glowing description O
large party the writer had attended
and where, as was alleged, she had seer
phillip Irving, accom panied by dark