San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-08-01

once to 10 where he was needed. "H,
lives just below here. Wc will carr,
him to tho house." They picked him VI
and carried him gently into tho little
cottage. Mary was overcome witt
fright and would have tainted had moi
'Teddie' been there to assure her that
Willie was all right, "only hurt Bit"
The next day tho young lady whom
Willie had saved came down in her car.
riage to see how he was. She swept in
through Mary's ittla Li.ohsn iiLv a
queen, and Rachel, who was sitting on
the step of tho back door. looked at her
in amazement; at tho long sealskin cloak
and the diamonds in her ears. "My.
amt she grandT she said to herself. 81
wonder il Willie knew her before?
wonder II he would have jumped right
in front Of two great big horses and a
car if had been in her placer" Jealous
little Rachell or course he would have
done it just tho same had the person been
tho lowest of the lowly.
Day after day Helen Carpenter came
to inquire after "the brave fellow" us
she called him, and when ho began to
get better she brought him flowers and
hot house fruit and all sorts OF things
that he could not eat, and would not
have dared to had he wanted them. She
brought him books, too, and read to him
fby the hour stuff that he did not hear.
He did not care for books, but he liked
10 look at her as she sat by his side read
ing. He liked to hear the tone Of her
voice and smell the perfume Of the vio-
lets she always wore, and after while
her daily visit was what he lived for and
looked forward to. When it grew
warmer he began to sit up by the win
dow in an easy chair she had sent from
her own home, and she would como and
sit on a stool at his feet and talk with
him about herself and her daily life until
she made him her abject slave and he
loved her with love that only such
people have who have never loved before.
She was the light of his life and he
forgot that he was poor and homely, a
thing that he had never forgotten before,
that she was as high above him rs the
heavens are above the earth. When he
held her little jeweled hand in his, as
she sometimes allowed him to do, he
would have been willing to have died
for her thousand times over.
Rachel was entirely forgotten. She
would come in sometimes to sec him, but
he would always be sleepy or watching
for Helen and would not talk to her.
Ono day Mary saw her eyes filled with
tears, and she put her arm around her.
Don't cry, Rachel; he will see the light
by and by" she said, and Rachel broke
down and sobbed, ~ used to think he
cared for me, but he don't now."
One day Mary said to him, "Willie,
don't think you treat Rachel just right"
but he never heard her. Willie was a
long time getting well. Another man
had taken his car, but the superintendent
said he was at liberty to go back any
time when he was able The policeman,
too, was in a hurry for Willie to get
well. Mary had promised him that the
friendship begun last year over the onion
beds should terminate in q happy we'd
ding, and he had been scanning intently
the house hunters directory for suit
able place to put his bride just as soon
as she would consent to become his.
One day Willie mado up his mind to
tell Helen when she came again just
how much he loved her, and when she
came in and sat down at his feet and
looked at him with her great liquid dark
eyes, full of tender solicitude, and asked
him how he was, he took her hand and
attempted to speak, but could not.
"You are weak yet, aren't you, Mr..
Lee? How angry you ought to be with
me for having been the cause Of oil your
trouble. But you'll hurry up and get
well by Easter, won't your And she
laid her check against the
hand she held. "Do you know, am
going to be married on Easter Monday,
and want you to come to my Wedding
go to her wedding! Go to her wed.
dingw He said it over to himself, then
the room grew dark and everything
seemed uncertain, and he tainted.
"It is warm and he is still so weak,
md l suppose | talked him TO DEATH"
she said to Mary, who came in answer
10 her alarmed calling.
Mary was quick witted and she knew
pretty nearly what had happened, and
,he told "Teddie" all about it that even
ng and said she loved Willie, of course,
out she thought he had treated Rachel
BADLY, and may be this would be les
ION to him.
For several days Willie was too weak
o sit up again in the easy chair. He j
,eemed helpless and unconcerned as TO [
whether lie got well or not. Helen had I
rot been to sec him since the night he g
ainted. She was busy with her we'd 1
ling preparations and just stopped at r
he gate one day 10 ask II he was better .
nd wondered IL Mary thought he could
ONE to her wedding.
"No, do not think he can CO." Mary
aid. and she said it coldly, and Helen
id not come again.
Il was tho day Of Helen's wedding. .
Willie heard the carriages roll past on J
he pavement and he turned his face TO
he wall and the tears came into hiscyes, J
hat had been strangers 20 tears for I,
ears. Rachel had brought in bouquet n
2 Easter flowers and placed them on his :
able. There were violets among them. \
veTything 10 remind him of her. Jus1
! the dusk q evening Rachel herscf :
ame in She paused q moment al tie q
cor 10 see II be vas aslecp. and a. lie 4
vos we're cIosei she coDcluded flIat Le j
a. She sat down On the low stool Al
ID e. her face vas partially TUNED d
say from him Willie oPened his eyes o.
1d looled - her siyly. ii
He never thought Escbel pretty b. q,
ne. In facf. hs hzd HcusT tloaglf =
.urh st.out ber. t,1f nov 81 sbe 81 b. \,