Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-08-29
The train! Goodbye!

uo GEIlus IOOQ-Dy0! AOS0QVe
minded no longer, but with senses fear
fully abort she reached out her hand to
him in farewell. A touch of her
finger-tips thrilled him through and
through. What W arm little hand it
was that he held within his own for q
seconds space! Still, she had disap-
pointed him; he had felt sure of an
outspoken word of sorrow at his alb
sence; but she was silent. He dropped
her hand, turned about and left the
house.
ooh, Philip! Philip" she cried,
spurred on to desperation. And the
cry came to him as he passed the open
window and stopped him short. He
turned on his heel and came back.
The gray cleaning was almost swal-
lowed up by the night. Away into a
corner, where there was the least
light, the little brown woman had
dragged herself and crouched down,
her heart numb with its silent agony;
but hearing his returning footsteps
she arose and stood quietly awaiting
him. -.. -.
"You called me-Rose?" her chris
tened name coming as small thought
OF relief to his pent-up emotions.
YES" said the truthful little
woman, ut bay. II called you. Philip
Lee, you have been a good friend to
me, and if you never come back again,
remember there is one who names you
in her every prayer. and who thanks
you with her every breath for your
considerate kindness. I have been
alone so long," she went ON, quickly,
that a friend, such as you have been
to me, seems Heaven sent. Let me
thank you again." She was standing
before him now looking with great,
sorrowful eyes through the dusk that
almost vailed his features from her
sight.
mo more than friend to you -
may not be nearer than that?"
At this her eyes quite filled with
tears, and, folding two small hands
before them, she stood there crying,
quietly.
Il must go-Rose-little one! Only
say that l may some time be nearer
than friend?'
when you are sure that you wish
it-yes, Philip"
He had lett here after kissing, in
knightly fashion, her hand thereby
clarifying in her sight t!rat small
member for evermore-and had been
just in time to catch the up-coming
train, which whirled him away to the
metropolis. Here he stayed two
weeks, up to his ears in business, but
never so much engageil that he for one
moment lost from befor his mental Wis
ion the exact color and shape of a
pair of We y haunting brown eyes. But
he would not write to her. .'Perhaps
the little spark have kindled," he
said to himself, ''may I've coaxed into a
flame if I do not be too rash;'' and he
let nothing venture, nothing have, "
alone with all his might.
On the day succeeding his departure
came Terese Van Tassel, who, to the
infinite surprise and dismay of Miss
Rose, proved herself to be-instead OF
the child she was expecting-a woman
grown; in fact, one year older than the
would-be adopter herself.
''HOw strange it is, Terese," she
said, in her own blunt, home-truthy
way, '''that you should have looked
for protector in me! And
your respected guardian wrote to
me that I could take care of you, he
supposed, as was, he heard, making
money in the little school. How alb
surd all this talk! I take care of a
mature, full-grown woman as fully
able to work as I? Had he never seen
you, Terese, this guardian?''
Terese had listened with eyes as full
of amazement at this speech as we'll
bred eyes could consent to be; and at
this last question she turned her fair,
naughty face languidly away from the
little brown bundle of candor, and
SAID, with the least possible hint of con-
tempt in her voice: "Why, yes, Rose;
of course he has,"
land he thought you would come
to me for succor and would not try to
fight the worlds battle for yourself
now that your minority is ended?'''
laughing, but somewhat anxious,
nevertheless"
II couldn't fight that battle, Rose;
I am not fit to volunteer
'FSt?" her voice demanding an ex-
PLANTATION.
lob, what could 1 do?" and she held
out two aristocratic, white, little hands
as a piteous reason for her ''misfit-
ness" ':You would have taken me
had been the child you were expect
ing-take me, now, Rose, dear, and
will amply repay you; be your COM
panion, read to you, help you about
the house-but pray don't turn mo out
upon the charity of the world!'
And so Rose kept the helpless wom-