The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-01-07

yond.
'IIe wants To think 1t all out" NUT
tered Gideon. lie can't believe his
waiting Is over"
1t was nearly midnight when Joe
came In. and then he lay down In his
rude bunk without word 10 his COM
rade. who was silent. too.
With the dawn Of day Joe was up.
busy with hammer and nails about his
house and fences.
IL want Ia make things look nice.'
he said to Gideon. IL don't want
Alice 10 see the place untidy She's
sure to want 10 look aSound. and TO
see how We been liyin'."
lie rehung tho gate, mended the
fence. trained up the rose-bushes. and
swept the yard at the back Of the
house. He went from one piece Of
work 10 another with nervous anxiety
that betrayed how greatly the news of
his old loves homecoming had moved
him.
II believe I'd go mad if stopped
work for oven half an hour" he said,
with n nervous laugh. when Gideon
called him 10 dinner at noon; land |
couldn't eat morsel. comrade; don't
ask me to try"
Just at nighlfall hc gathered n big
bunch Of syringa and roses, and. dress
ing himself in his best, started in the
direction Of the Harlan farm house.
You'd better wait till tomorrow"
said Gideon, hurrying after him. You
can't 500 her tonight"
"rvc waited twenty years" was
the answer. Il can't wait no longer
not another hour. A nd I'll see her
they won't refuse me-"
He went on. bright smile on his
face. and old Gideon went back into
the little house again, strange and
uncountable dread knocking at his
heart.
Whom Joe reached the Harlan farm
house. he fingered few moments in
the moonlight. half afraid, now. TO
meet his old love again.
'Tm old aud grizzled" he NUT
tered. as he leaned on tho gate and
lot his Dyes rest on the house which
held his all. II wonder IL She know
me?n
He sighed. pushed open the gate,
and went up the box bordered path.
The door was not opened IN answer
10 his knock; but n woman-some one
he had never seen beforo-came
around the side OF the house.
"I-want to scc-her," ho said,
hesitatingly. u choking sound in his
voice
The woman glanced at the flowers
ho carried, and seemed to understand
him.
"You can go in." she said. go in
to the parlor-she's there"
Then she went back To the rear Of
tho house again. and Joe entered the
ball and pushed open the parlor door.
He wondered little that Alice should
be there, for, rs in most country
houses, the parlor was kept shut up
and used only on rare occasions Joe
had never been admit ed TO it in the
DAYS of his courting He had told his
love to Alice in the family living.room,
or out under the great locust trees that
stood before the gate,
The paror would have boon in dark
ness now. had it not been for tho
moonlight that flooded 1t. Joe looked
about him wonderingly, then his eyes
fell upon some thing in the center of
the room, and he staggered towards
il with n hoarse cry, throwing out his
arms like one drunk with despair,
Yes, Alico was there! But she was
deaf to his cry of agony, blind to the
hot bitter tears which gathered in his
eyes.
She had died on her journey home.
and lay now in her coffin, the glory of
tho moonlight on her white, cold face,
her thin hands, on the third finger of
one Of which her wedding-ring hung
loosly, crossed over her silent heart
She looked old and worn; there were
lines OF care on her once smooth brow,
and the hair which Joe had likcned to
sunshine in days past wac thickly-
sprnkled with gray
But the man who had loved her so
long and faithfully did not notice the
changes which the years had wrought.
As he stood above her coffin. his one
thought was that he saw her again.
that his long waiting was over, and
that it had been in vain. III had said
that he would see her before he died,
but he had not dreamed that it would
be cold, pulselcss form that would
return to his yearning arms, n face
pallid with the hue of death that would
meet his tender gaze He had FIRE.
quently contemplated Eil own disease,
but 1t had never occurred to him that
she could die.
VIXEN the woman who had met him
outside tho house opened the parr3r
door, an hour later, she found him
sitting 10y tho collin, ono arm thrown
over It, His eyes were bent on tho
worn, white face before him. his hand
still graspcd the bunch of syringa and
roses; but his great. loving heart had
ceased to beat. III, had joined his
Alice in the shadow land. Florence
y. Ho'ioWsH, iH BdYou'S M1phiV
Visitor at Sunday-school (making
few remarks)-"Of course. children.
Iii 4