Wichita eagle., 1888-06-24

MS nne eyes ana teeth. ana she IN q r1cn
crimson hood that set of her dark beauty
10 perfection
"Or- route-for I was one Of the party
lay straight up the hill toward Deacon
| Avery's Just as we turned into 1t who
should we meet but the deacon and Mercy.
"They were late. for the meeting was
| a1us appointed for early candle lighting;
but Mercy had probably waited awhile for
Harmon, who, for year back. had taken
her to Thursday meeting as regular as the
day come round
'sShe sat up straight and queenly. be-
side her father, as they passed, and seemed
not to hear the malicious sally Virginia
called out to her
I'VE, In the back team, were near
| enough to catch the scornful glance she
| threw from those deep eyes, gray as steel
| that night.
"As for Harmon, he turned white to
| the lips, and for mile hardly answered
| the banter that Virginia kept up After
| that he seemed to grow perfectly reckless,
| laughed and joked louder than any Of the
rest, and was so careless that he drove on
q stone WALL and We following, were ell
upset in heap together. and had hard
work to get tied up so as to make our
way home toward morning. more dead
than alive.
at was sorry day for Harmon Page.
He was waited upon by church com
mittee headed by Deacon Avery, who de
nounced his whole conduct toward Mercy
as unchristian and highly inconsistent IN
church member.
He didn't have much to say for him
solf. and they churched him on the spot.
He was pretty down in the mouth, but
kept up some hope till he saw Mercy
Avery
He had refused to see Virginia Wake.
and that night he went up the familiar
bill to Deacon Avery's stone house.
MERCY herself came to the door, calm
and self possessed, as if nothing had hap
pened. and showed him into the sitting
room. There was q steady light in her
grey eyes though. that made Harmon
trelnble, and, without beating about the
bush bit, he came right to the point,
and asked if all might be forgiven and
forgotten and they become as good friends
ss before He worked himself into pas
sion. cried and took on Ike 3 child, they
said
But lawl it didn't move her an atom.
She had the genuine old Avery grit, If
she was mild hammered, and she told him
that, as long as the church had put him
out, she, of course, couldn't take him
back
lie pleaded and entreated until 10
o'clock at night late hour in them days.
but It didn't make a mite of difference.
She wouldn't overlook what the church
had considered a gross breach of faith.
lie went out crushed man. and from
that time bis spirit seemed to leave him
utterly"
And what about Virginia Walker l
interrupted, unconsciously cutting my
finger in my eager interest.
"Oh. after the girl had done all the
mischief possible, public opinion toward
her changed main quick, and she left
town In few days, and was never heard
from In these parts again.
And Harmon Page, what became Of
him2'
He never got over the shock He be-
came silent and melancholy. and finally
had to be taken to the retreat. He grew
worse. and the sight of handsome woman
with red cheeks and black curls would
always throw him into his most violent
tantrums He died in the asylum at last"
Now. think that was real mean. said
l, wrathfully winding cotton around my
bleeding thumb IF Mercy Avery hadn't
turned him of his life might not havs
ended so sadly think she ought to have
taken him back"
''Ah, hap said Grandpa West, quizzi-
cally; do you mean thatY"
Certainly. said |. with dignity. why
shouldn't II"
"Oh, nothing" ne replied; "only if she
had. Harmon Page would have been your
grandfather instead of me-"
My grandfather-why. then" said in
some confusion. Marcy Avery must
Mercy West, your grandmother. said
grandpa, chucking me- under the chin.
"Confess now that 'all's well that ends
well
Il suppose So said I reluctantly
New England Magazine