Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-06-20

so Rentlo WIN noft tndt even was pu11lou
sometimes TO know which il was he loved as
sister, and which with stronger, deeper
love.
Love is cruel sometimes, and mem are
fcke creaturesl" / remarked one day, care
fiessly enough, but Watching her face as I
spoke.
Her face paIed instantly, and into the love-
ly eyes came q look OF terror.
"0h, Helen, do not speak sol" she cried.
"If love was cruel to me, should dep
"It will not be. my own!' said, soothing
ly. "Row could anyone be cruel to my darl-
ing?"
She had crept into my arms and had her
warm cheek against my own, and as held
her thus said in my heart, ''shs shall be
happy, mother" and my resolution was
taken then and there.
But when DR.. Holt said "Helen!" in that
tone, my courage faltered for mement.
"Helen, why need you go away? know
you are far from being well, still, can you
bear to go among strangers? Is crowded
place for invalids the best place for you?
And will not home matters and thinking of
Mabel retard yourirecovery?"
"Aunt Loren will spend the summer here,
Mabel will be safe," answered; land must
go" He looked at me a little curiously,
wondering at my tone, then said quietly:
"Of course you know best, Helen, and
dare say you are right; but am such a sell
fish fellow; I do not like to think of you so
far away; but we shall soon have you back
rosy and we'll, hope"
"Mabel will be here" answered, foolish
ly, "she can fill my place."
"Not with me, Helen," he answered quiet
ly. "You know no one could do that"
My heart gave one wild throb, but I
answered lightly: "Thank you! Then I
shall be sure of one friend when am folorn
old spinister."
"You will never be that" he began,
''if-," but broke in abruptly:
"Oh, but have quite set my heart on it;
not the folorn part, do not mean, but the
old maid; would not marry for untold mil
lions." .t-
spoke hurriedly, with horrible sense of
nightmare upon me, as of something terrible,
yet unreal.
He turned and looked at me.
"Do you mean it, Helen, or are you iok-
ingP"
IT mean it," said, returning his look, ''do
you think would joke on such subject2"
"No, am sure you would not" he ans
wered, "but it seems queer resolution for
you to make.'
"Does it? Well, think so now, at any
rate; possibly. if l should fall in love, might
change my mind"
"But you think there is no danger of that?'
trife sarcastically.
"No." said with solemn truth, "I do not
think there is any danger of that"
Probably not!" rather dryly, "but to re-
turn to our original subject. You go, and
when?"
"0n Monday, think"
81 shall sse you then. again.
"And you will not forget to watch little
over Mabel, Doctor?'
"No, I shall not forgetr'
He shook hands as usual, but his face was
as that of q corpse. I smiled and said
"Good-day," the door closed and he was
gone, and for the first time in my life I faint
ed dead away.
Well, I went on Monday and nothing
eventful happened before my departure. on
ly Mabel hung around me with loving So
licitude, and insisted on packing everything
with her own hands,.
OF my life after this will not speak, until
the day on which came this letter from
Mabel
OLDEN, June 1st.
"MY DARLING HELEN:-T am SO happy that
I can scarcely write, or sit still even, and if
I could only see you and give you hug and
kiss, it might relieve my feelings. Some
thing wonderful has happened, and you can
not guess what? DR.. Holt loves me and has
told me SO! And I, you know that love him,
oh. SO dearly, Helen!
HE has been SO kind since you went away,
but did not think he cared for me in that
way, but only as your sister, for. do you know
dear. I had fancied it was you he loved.
"But it is all right now, and am SO happy.
Dear Helen-I think God has been very good
to me''.
Then came more about myself and my
probably hom e-coming, and that must live
with them when they were married, which
event Herbert was impatient should take
place soon. But I did not pay much heed to
that, only to the fact that Mable was to mar
ry Herbert Holt, and was glad! I ruly and
really, though suffered cruelty, but God is
good and IHe led me and kept me "for His
names sake"
So they were married, and Mable left the
old home-where with restored health, now
lived alone, for did not go to live with them
though Mable urged it with many tears.
If there was ever perfectly happy wife
think it was Mabel, and when her little child
lay in her arms her JOY knew no bounds then
suddenly one day, quite suddenly when the
babe was three weeks old, our Mabel left us.
lie left her calmly sleeping, the child upon
her breast, and when the child cried and I |
went to take it from her; she lay upon her bed,
a smile upon her lips, quite dead. 'Heart
disease" the doctors said, and SO the doom
had overtaken her, in the midst of her hap
piness. .a
But as looked upon my darling's face, so
calm in death, | thanked God that her short
life had been a happy one, and that the
bitter tears shed hasi7a nv darl;u..,s Nil