The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-11-21

and voices. A great lump came into her
throat 1T couldn't be Ashley?n
sBess, this is my wife, Muriel," ox-
claimed John moment later, his face
shining with Joy Is he pushed the
blushing Muriel into her sister-in-law's
arms.
1t was all so sudden and unexpected
for poor, lonely-hearted Bessie. She
had been thinking of other and sailder
things, and the turning Of the tide as 1t
set toward SUMMER shores made her
heart dumb.
1t was not Ashley; not the wanderer
from over the sea, but then it was an
other lost love and John was happy!
A strange feeling crept over Bessie
Anderson. She put one arm around the
fair bride and held the other out i'm
ploringly toward her brother.
''John," she gasped, with white, quiz
ering lips, ''Im glad for you and Muricl;
but It's all SO sudden-so sudden. If You
will excuse mo will 60 to my room foz
awhile" ,.--
She turned away and went upstairs,
leaving the astonished two standing in
the middle of the room.
In moment John tiptoed after her:
he could not bear this, ''Forgive my
want of thought, Bessie" he pleaded;
Il didn't think you cared so much"
II am glad for you,' she said, in a
voice that seemed any thing but glad;
''real glad, John, but"
"Here are letters" interrupted her
brother, thinking she intended to refer
to- Muriel's seeming neglect of him:
'some thank-0ferings, Bessie"
She took the mail from his hand with
trembling fingers and passed up the
staircase with face as pale as death.
20, dearH' murmured John, as he
Joined his wife below. II didn't think
she'd feel that way about it,"
'Brother is happy and why not I?'
questioned Bessie, as she lighted taper
and turned the key in the door. Tears
FLASHED down on the letter she opened.
0, it was such glad yet such miser-
able Thanksgiving Eve. She hoped
there might be good news in the we'll
filled sheet.
''Why! whose handwrite-why, who
-?' Then, for quiet Bessie Anderson,
she acted little strangely. She rose,
walked across the room q time or two
before she read the missivc. After that
she gathered up the other letters un-
opened and put them away in an abb
stracted manner. With far-away,
happy light coming across the tear
stained face the overjoyed girl knelt
down by the window in the moonlight
and whispered: II thank Thee, Father.
Tomorrow will indeed be Thanksgiv-
ing"
Going over to a bureau presently she
opened a drawer and took up a long,
filmy white vail, shaking out it's folds
and sending cloud of quaint perfume
through the apartment. Then with a
smile she lifted from it's resting-place a
beautiful silken gown, smothered in a
marvel of starry lace, and laid it over
the chair nearest her.
AS if by programme, Bessie went from
one loving care to another until she
slipped the cleaning circlet on her fin
Muriel.
With such a happy light in her eyes
that John felt his heart bound in re-
Spouse, she repeated: II am so glad for
you, both of you," nodding to them.
81 hope you will forgive me for being
so strangely overcome. You did sur
prise me So
''Of course" said John.
'Certainly," said Muriel, little mys-
tilted.
In the morning Bessie put her hand
on her brothers arm, saying: "We will
have wedding to-day, too, if you don't
mind"
"Why-who?"
John looked down into the blushing
face and received a revelation from tho
teil-tale eyes before the whispered con-
fession.
bessie and Ashley" she said; and
then he remembered the handsome Ash
Icy Wingate who sailed in search of a
fortune so long ago that he had almost
forgotten.
"Why, Bess, didn't know"
II didn't either until last night"
smiled she; hes coming to-day"
'And you never let on" said John, re-
proachfully.
zone happiness at time," answered
Bessie.
And so it happened that when John
Anderson went to tho village to tele-
graph Muriel's marriage to her guardian,
he met the handsome, sun-bronzed trav-
eler, Ashley Wingate.
"Hello! old fellow" cried he, ''rose
from the dead?''
20, no; only wrecked and picked up
after awhile" answered the other. "Is
Bessie -?''
waiting? Well, of course she is.
She's true or she would not he an An
derson," and John confided the telegram
to Ashley.
Romance upon romance!' exclaimed
Wingate. And so it was, to the delight
of the Folly Mill gossips as we'll as the
happy quartette.
So, after all, the day which was ex.
pected to be the anniversary of sorrow
and heartache turned out to be the hap
piest, most thankful Thanksgiving i'm
aginable.
And Ashley Wingate purchased the
lovely Dixon place in the valley, and
Bessie presides over home as beautiful
as wealth and love can make it, while
John and Muriel remain at Folly Mill