The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-01-06

One year ago she had parted from her
accepted lover, Walter Hinton, n anger
on both sides. Walter had become jeal-
GUS and had spoken sharply to her, and
in a manner which she considered her
self justified in r~esenting. Walter was
| too proud to apologize, and Marion too
| proud as well as too delicate to make adj
yances to a reconciliation; and so they
had drifted apart, both miserable, until
Walter had broken the last link by 60
ing out west.
She heard of him from time to time
through his family, but no word or mes
sage to herself ever anne. In all this
while she had looked forward, with a
faint, yearning hope, to the possibility
of his some time returning, and OF all
being made up between them. butnOw
this last hope was rudely stricken to
the ground. Walter was going to be
married. He had forgotten her and was
lost to her forever.
ooh, it is hard-so hard to bear!'
thought Marion, as with hands tightly
clasped, she passed slowly under the
apple boughs of the old orchard. Life
is bitter. 1t has taken all from me; !
can have no more to give. Only my
dear, dear mother and Myra! For
their sakes l must be strong and try to
bear it all"
On the verge of the orchard, where
the high bank sloped abruptly to the
meadow, she came to a mass of tangled
h~oneysuckle fashioned into a rustic ar
Dor. Walter had made it for her, and
here, in fact, it was that they had last
parted.
Down in the meadow ran a little path
by a short cut to Walters home q
couple of miles away. How often she
had sat here of an evening and watched
for himl She could scarcely look back
upon any time of her life, or upon any
object now before her eyes, which was
not connected with some association of
Walter. There was the walnut tree
which he and Jack used to climb, and
there the clear, laughing brook in
which he had taught her to steer the
little boat which he bad made for her,
laden with grain, down to Jacks famous
water mill, at the roots of that old will
low. Further up was the real "grist
ana saw inill" which Jack had always
been so DESTROYS of owning, and which
everybody said would be such q good
investment for one who could manage
it properly.
And then Marion, seated on the bench
in the rustic arbor, turned and looked
long and yearningly, at the old farm
house peeping from the great beeches
49, AZ ..al.-J NJ o4lo.. w1,no M
earth could ever be home to her. And
her motherl Oh, it would be harder
still for her, whose whole life Of 80
years had been spent under that roof
a sudden sound aroused 1iarion--a
sharp whistle as of some orc calling a
dog-and saw through ear-dimmed
eyesthe figure of a man hurrying along
the pathway in the meadow. She drew
back behind Che screen of h~oneYsuckle.
The path led past the arbor, but at
the foot Of the steep bank, and she
wouldno be discovered in her retreat.
So she thought, but a moment or two
after there was q sound of footsteps
ascending the bank, o rustic Of the hon
eysuckle branches, and Marion saw
standing in the entrance of the arbor
The figure Of a tall young man, who
looked almost as much startled as her
self.
For an instant they gazed at each 9TH
er-Marion pale, and the stranger with
. flush rising to his handsome face.
Then he said as he held cut his hand
Marion, don't you know me?"
She gave him her hand In silence. 1t
was Walter. And suddea1y with the
sight Of him came the full bitterness of
her sorrow, In the consciousness thathe
was lost to her forever. She was moth
ing to hira row, and BIO must be moth
ing to her.
II am glad to have so unexpectedly
found you here in this dear old spot
he said. II arrived at home only an
hour ago, and could not rest until I had
seen you
She met his eyes bent upon her with
O strange earnestness, and her pale
cheek family flushed; but she couldnot
have spoken a word.
Marion" he said suddenly, shave
you no welcome for me? Is it possible
that you cannot forgive me?"
GOASkgt yOus
Eyes, for all my absurd jealousy and
pride. 1 have never had q happy mo-
ment since I parted from You, Marion,
and I have come back st last to ask your
forgiveness, and to beg, too, for the
love which I forfeited, but which I can
not live without
81 do not understand you, Walter. 7.
do not know why you should speak thus
to me, when-when you are going to be
married.
who told you that Of me, Marion "
1T came from Agnes, your sister"
He smiled.
"Aggie knows my wishes. 1t was she
who encouraged me to come back. She
thoiieht you would forgive me. VIII
you Marion, darlings"
She had averted her face to hide her
fearful eyes, buthe now took both hands.
and IS he drew her towards him d great
tide az 1ov fushnd ovnr hnr ana i