The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-07-27

would come in sometimes to see him, but
he would always be sleepy or watching
for Helen and would not talk to her.
One day Mary saw her eyes filled with
tears, and she put her arm around her.
Don't cry, Rachel; he viii see the light
by and by" she said, and Rachel broke
down and sobbed, 81 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 q
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 a 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 made 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 all your
trouble. But you'll hurry up and get
well by Easter, won't your" And she
childishly laid her cheek 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 weddingl Go to her we'd
dingl" 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,
and I suppose 1 talked him to DEATH"
she said to Mary, who came in answer
to her alarmed calling.
Mary was quick witted and she knew
pretty nearly what had happened, and
she told ''Teddie" all about it that even
ing and said she loved Willie, of course,
but she thought be had treated Rachel
badly, and may be this would be les
| son to him.
For several days Willie was too weak
to sit up again in the easy chair. He
seemed helpless and unconcerned as to
| whether he got well or not. Helen had
not been to see him since the night he
tainted. She was busy with her we'd
ding preparations and just stopped at
| the gate one day to ask if he was better
and wondered if Mary thought he could
come to her wedding.
"No, 1 do not think he can Co." Mary
said, and she said it coldly, and Helen
did not come again.
| 1t was the day of Helen's wedding.
| Willie heard the carriages roll past on
| the pavement and he turned his face to
the wall and the etears came into his eyes,
4; that had been strangers to tears for
| years. Rachel had brought in a bouquet
of Easter flowers and placed them on his
table. There were violets among them;
everything to remind him of her. Just
| in the dusk of evening Rachel herself
came in. She paused moment at the
door to see if he was asleep, and as his
eyes were closed she concluded that lie
was. She sat down on the low stool
and as her face was partially turned
away from him Willie opened his eyes
and looked at her slyly.
He never thought Rachel pretty be-
fore. In fact, he had never thought
much about her, but now as she sat be-
tween him and the fading light he noted
the roundness of her cheek, her white
throat, and the pretty curls of brown
hair around her face and neck.
81 wonder if she would do Just as
Helen did had she been in her place." he
said to himself. "Would she have come
here and made me love her and then
have cruelty told me she was going to be
married? Yes, suppose she would wo
men are all alike, coquettes, every, one
of them"
Rachel was thinking over her life, and
by some strange, unexplainable mes
meric sympathy Willie's mind went bacl
over the past too What a friend She
had always been to him and Mary, ant
how bravely she had fought her owl
battle of life thus far. "She is a noble
little woman" he said to himself, "anC
wish l was worthy of her." Then the
clock struck, and Rachel started up. Sh,
drew half signing breath, paused 1
moment, then stopped over him anC
lightly touched his lips with hers. Be
fore he was aware what he was doing h,
had passed his arm around her neck anC
pressed her head TO his breast. "Do yol
then love me, little RACHEL"
They say love is eloquent by whomeve
spoken, and Willie was certainly elo
quent. The love that was shut up in hi
heart all turned and told itself seemingl,
without his aid to Rachel, and whel
Mary came in she found them sitting
hand in hand, new sweet light in thei
faces.
When the June roses blossom ther
will be double wedding in the little cot
tage and "Teddie" and Willie win boil
be happy. Willie has gone back TO hi
car. He says he likes the road and like
the work, and blesses the day that goo,
fortune came to him through misfortune
Katherine Hartman in Dansville Ad
vertiser.
A Coffin PeddIer.
A new occupation is followed by maj