The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-04-08

as the months slipped into years, he
learned to know that there was but
one woman for him, the woman he had
saved from death While Mary, when
it first dawned upon her how dear
she had become to this simple, God
fearing man, was seized with an inn
pulse to flee from the shelter of the
happy home that for three years had
been hers, but her strength failed her.
She could not so easily uproot such
tightly riven ties. For Jack had be-
come as part OF her very being.
1t was only for his sake that she
thought of going away, because OF the
sacrifice she deemed it would be put
ting upon him if he should wed her.
Something of this she tried to tell him
when he asked her to be his wife, but
he would not listen; he was satisfied,
he said Then almost desperately she
begged that he would hear her, and
shielding her face with her hands she
related to him with pitiful pathos the
story of her life before his path cross
ed hers, holding back nothing from the
bitter degradation of the past. With
tears streaming down her cheeks she
implored him not to judge her too
harshly. She who had never known
a mothers care; never had home
until he came into her life.
Pityingy as he might have soothed
a little child, Jack gathered the strick-
Ell woman to his arms, saying:
"Mary that old life is dead an gone,
buried away this five year back; let
it rest. Together we will start afresh.
If We love me ha' ma fear TO the fu-
ture, lass"
What woman could have resisted
such faith? And so there was a quiet
little wedding, and Mary became Jack $
wife, and went to dwell with him IN
in the pretty log cabin he had built
"agin that day."
For two years not a cloud had come
to dim their happiness. Yet some
times Mary became possessed with a
wild fear that it could not last. One
day in her husbands absence she saw
man approaching the house. There
was something strangely familiar
about the sauey, devil-may-care air
with which the stranger sauntered
along, but not until he stood within
few feet of her did it flash upon her
who this man was. A smothered cry
escaped her, and convulsiyeiy clasping
her babe she fastened to enter the
house. But the man called out.
"Here, l say, carn't We give me a
bite of sumat? I've had a eoodish
walk and I'm about dead beat.
White as death, she turned and faced
him, when, with an oath, he exclaimed,
as if thunderstruck:
''Moll! by all that's blue" Then,
insolently laying his hand upon her
arm, he added: "Tm blamed if Ididn' t
think ye'd kicked the bucket. It's
rather overpowerin' to have We turn
up here in this unexpected fashion.
You might offer me chair, Pm think
in, after our long separation" Me:
chanically Mary stepped aside and let
the man pass into the house; there,
finging himself upon seat and
chuckling amusedly. he continued:
Eyer seem to be pretty well fixed
but yer always was lucky devil. ]
suppose you've got suthin' to eat in
the house,"
Placing some eatables before the
man, Mary at last spoke, the words
seeming to come with an effort, as she
said.
SEAT what you will, then go. My
husband will be home shortly and he
must not find you here"
"Ho, no! is that the way the vino
lays?" CALCULATED the man, with q
wink.
"The day has gone by for me to fea,
your words, Jim. l have taken ul
with different life. With you and
the past l have done"
"Not so fast, my fine beauty. Ye,
didn't live with me for seven years fol
nothin'. an d-n me if / don't claim
yer as my wife and then what 'ull be
come of yer-different life, | like te
know? If l could just have tall
with that husband OF yourn I'd liz
yer different life fur yer"
A vail OF despair issued from Mary's
white lips as q stalwart figure dark
ened the doorway, whilst her hus
bands voice said quietly;
aye would speak with Jack Sturdy
stranger, but first let me say, tina be
tween me an my wife lie no secrets
an the man tha' says aught agin be-
has to answer TO it to me. Out her
the men are not given to many words
an I've learned the way of the coun
try. With us it is a word an, a blow
but l ha' known the blow to conn
fust." Then pointing sternly to TIN
door he added: SIT is three miles tx
the next settlement. Ii we would
reach theer before dark We ha' best b.
goin'''
Perhaps it was Jacks calm ever
tones, or an undefnable sense ofpowe
that superior minds oftentimes exer
else over inferior ones, that stage,
the clustering answer upon the man
lips and made him stink out of tn
house like cur, turning, however, q
the gate TO shake his fist defiantly.
"Theer, theer, lass" soothed Jacl
as his wife clung sobbing about hi
neck, eye ha' ma call to fret. He'll nj
trouble We agin, Pm a-thinkin'!"
"But, oh, Jack, you'll not love M
the less?" came desparingly from Ma
Fy.
glove We the less, lass. Why,
couldn't do it if would, an wherefo
we are good, true woman an m
wife"
A few days afterward the dead bod.
of man was found in a gully. TIL
theory was that, having drank t.
freely ian empty leather flask wa
found in his pocket), he had made
misstep and percipitated himself to hi
death. The body was identified a
that of stranger who had stoppe
at wayside house the night befor
the accident. There was nothing up
on his person to tell from whence h
came or who he was. They burie'
him, marking his grave by q rud
wooden cross. And when Jack toll
Mary concerning Jim's death, for b
had recognized the man, he adde'
gently:
"Let the past die with him, Mary
lass. Please God the future shall ha
o'ny good TO- We on the little 'un,
and honest-hearted Jack lovingl
clasped his two treasures within hi