The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-12-19

Shirley, oil unconscious OF his trembling list
ener sank into her heart like letters Of fire but
az she heard what voluntarily he would never
| have told her, she felt thankful for the course
she had adopted Shirley slowly left the spot,
| and, as hhs form was lost in the gloom and
| his faltering footstep was heard no more
Marie struggled to her feet, and, wildly
stretching out her arms, cried, shirley !
Shirley"
| No sound broke the intense stiffness of the
| winter night and az all the horrors Of n great
darkness and great despair seemed TO over
| whelm her, she sank unconscious To the
ground. IL must have been an hour after
wards that Marie nwoke, and rising, stag
gered a few steps onward. With bodily move
ment came some measure Of mental activity
| and she had dim feeling that she must make
! for the station. her plan being to take refuge
with an old servant of her family, who lived
! in Wales, and of whom Shirley knew nothing
and there bury her broken life.
She was unconscious of her wet and drip
ping garments, all unheeding the hurricane
that ragged around or that every now and
then she sank knee deep into the drifted
snow-hours of ceaseless searching seemed to
| bring her no nearer to the desired end, for she
was simply going round and round, as peo-
pie 80 often do in n severe snow-storm. On,
on she went, blinded by the snow every limb
raked with pain. She gasped for breath,
everything swan before her dizzy gaze. Oh !
heaven was this death =? She struggled on
for "A few PAGES yet, and then with n shrek
and wildly throwing up her arms as if for aid
she fell senseless on the snow.
For long after Shirley Quilted his parents
presence neither spoke; the silence, save for
Mrs. Grey's sobs, was unbroken. At last he
rose, and laying her hand on her husband s
shoulder, she said: "John. think, perhaps
we have been hard and too hasty. Just think
of poor Shirley travelling i'm such dreadful
storm. This has been too much for me; |
feel very i'll, y and with these words the old
lady quilted the room.
When his wife had left him Mr.. Grey moved
restlessly 10 the window and drawing aside
the thick curtains looked out 1t was indeed
n fearful night, Ever and anon the moon
emerged from the clouds, only TO show the
snow, in blind sheets, eddyng round the
house. He shvered as he drew the curtains
close once more, and placing an armchair be-
fore the fire threw himself into il and thought
! long and bitterly. He took no notice of the
hours as they dragged on. till suddenly he
started from his seat, for above the bowling
| of the wind rose a womans shrek, wild and
! piercing. Without a seconds hesitation he
rushed down stairs, reused the butler, and
! taking n lantern they sailed forth. A few
steps from the door the lantern threw it's
! light upon the figure of a woman lying hud-
died up on the snow. They bore her carefully
! to the house, where the half-froZen girl was
| tenderly cared for.
How came she to be out on such a
nightP" said Mr.. Grey TO his wife. $50
young and beautiful, and lady one can east
! ly see"
After long while Marie opened her eyes
! with n long-drawn, shudderng sigh and
| 1eebly asked: Where am I?'
You are safe enough my child; you're at
| Stonebury Hall, and here you'll stay till
you've got over this night work, answered
the kindly housekceper, in whose charge
Marie had been placed
! Her first impulse was to spring from her
! bed and leave the house in which all her hap
/ piness had been so ruthlessly shattered, but
! her exhaustion after all the cold and expos
IRE, Joined To the commands of Mrs. Smith,
kept her still, and for few days she was n
! prisoner to her own room where for the first
few days she was visited by Mrs. Grey, who
/ in kindly way tried TO elicit some portion
of her history, but Marie's lips OH everything
! personal were closed.
II am an orphan-homeless and friendless. -
she would sob, but beyond this she would
not go.
But the old ladys visits ceased, and on
inquiring the reason, Marie was informed by
Mrs. Smith that her mistress was not very
we'll
"She just sits brooding over her trouble
with Master Shrlcy-that' 5 her only child, -
she explained
That night, ms Marie lay awake. thinking
of the strange fate which had brought her to
D
footsteps passing TO and fro.
Wrapping a cloak around her, she went
into the corridor, and there met Mr.. Grey.
What is il ~ she asked.
"Mrs. Grey has had a stroke" groaned the
poor old man
II have been nurse; | will go TO her" re-
piled Marie very quietly; and taking up her
post by the sick bed, for ten days she hardly
for n moment quilted the invalid's side.
At first the doctor dcmurred, but after n
few questions he was perfectly satisfied that
Mrs. Grey could not be i'm better hands And
Marie was thankful that in some measure she
could repay the shelter which had been so
generously given TO her, and longed for the
time when she might sue for Shireys par
don.
On the tenth day the doctor warned them
that n crisis was at hand and advised that
Captain Grey should be sent for. He added
that if Mrs. Grey did recover il would be
mainly through the devotion of her nurse.
During those days of trouble Marie had UNI
known to herself crept into the affections of
her unacknowledged fathcr-in-law, and,
trembling, she heard the verdict of the doc
tor.
MY dear" said Mr. Grey 70 her when the
latter had gone, Z" | must tell you what trouble
] am in. My son has already refused TO come.
He married a woman to whom we objected.
Since know we were too hard on him. but we
parted a fortnight ago with bitter words on
v
child. Now. what shall / do? For if his
mother does not-not recover, ! know i shall
never forgive myself if he does not see her"
Would he not come if you promised to for
give both his wife and him. asked Marie,
timidly. flush rising on her pale check
% He says till | find his wife, who has left
him, he will never come home again. Ali
| child, if he had married some one like you,
how gladly would have forgiven him"
Mr. Grey. forgive us; i am his wife ~
Marie sobbed, falling on her knees and pour
ing forth the whole story Co her bcwildered
! listener, who raised her with many kind
word and fond embrace.
On Christmas morning Shirley and his wife
stood looking out of the window at the sun,
which had been hidden for many days but
had now burst ont as If to salute not only the
birthday of the Prince of Peace. but the birth
of their own newborn hopes The crisis was
passed. Mrs. Grey was gradually tending to-
wards recovery and many were the hours
passed by Mr.. Grey NJ his wiies bedside. where
they could never extol enough the virtues OF
Shirley's wife.
shirley how happy | ann Marie muir
INJURED fondly. Just TO think that you
might have been spending your Christmas
Day on your way to Egyptian, far from me
and homel'
"Ah my darling" said Shirley, as he drew
the golden head nearer TO his own, the shad-
ows have passed and the sunshine is indeed
falling on our PATH
A.