The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-09-11


sion, had the spectator been cool enough
to note artistic effects.
Chivalric compassion restrained all
indication Of the triumph lover must
feel in such position.
Il will not detain you, il you must
go in,'' he said, in a voice that was
gentlest music to her ear. Forgive
me for keeping you so long. | know
how conscientious you are. and how
necessary yon are to Hester. We IN
derstand one another. l will be very
patient, DEAR and considcrate of those
whose claims are older than mine. But
there is one relation that outranks all
others in the sight OF God and man.
That relation you hold to me. Don't
interrupt mo, love! Nothing can alter
the fact. Give me those.'' as she
stopped blindly for shawl and cushion.
1T is my duty to relieve you of all
burdens which you will permit me to
carry for you. You would rather not
have me go to the house with you?" in
terpreting her gesture and look. ''Only
to the gate, then? You see how reason
able l can be when possibilities are de-
manded.'
lie made remark upon the agreeable
change in the weather within the last
twenty-four hours, and upon the sweet
repose Of the Sabbath after the tumult
of the National holiday, as they walked
on, side by side. At the gate he stayed
her with his frank. pleasant laugh.
Il have q confession / don't mind
making now. At half-past twelve
o'clock last night stood on this spot
watching you. Thor and l were camp
ing ont in the orchard. 1t was too hot
to go into the house. l heard queer
clicking, and saw a light in this di-
rection, and came to lo,k after IIomer's
Jack-'o-lantern. Instead, saw you at
the study window, busy! (oh. how
wichedly busyD with the typewriter.
lie stopped abruptly, for the face into
which he smiled was bloodless, the
eyes aghast. She made movement as
| If to grasp the shawl and pillow and
| rush away-thcn her forehead fell upon
| the hand that clutched at the pickets
| for steadiness.
Are you angry?' pleaded MSrch,
amazed and humble. IF / had not
loved you. should not have been here!
| Was it an impairment intrusion?"
NO. And | am not angry--only
startled" Her complexion was still
ashy, and her tongue formed the sylla.
bles carefully. Il can understand tina,
you must have thought strange of what
you saw. But am used to type-writing.
earned fifty dollars" with mingled
/ pride and defiance March thought en-
gaging-''last winter by copying law
papers. And / told you--everybody
must know how poor we are
Il know more than that, dearest
laying his hand over her cold fingers
Il surmised when saw Mrs. Wayt die
tating to you. what it meant
She was all herself again. In defenc.
of her sisters secret, as he imagined
when she began to speak, she rallied
her best forces. Her speech was grave
dignified ant direct.
Il do not know what yun surmised
The truth is that Mr.. Wayt was takeI
suddenly i'll last night. Ills sermon
must be ready by this morning. There
was not time to get a substitute. So
my sister found his notes. They were
very full. She read them aloud to me
Anybody else can make them out.
copied the sermon with the machine
| from her dictation. You will under
stand that we would not like to have
this spoken Of. Good evening"
She was beyond reach in moment
in another beyond call.
March went back to the sylvan retrca
that may be regarded as the stage Sc
for the principal scenes Of our story
Step and heart were light. and the same
might be said of brain that whirled like
feather in gale. While he had beer
loath to admit the gravity of the mis-
givingS that had cmbittered the SLOW
hours between 1880 a. m. and sever
o'clock p. m. of that eycntful Sunday
he was keenly alive to the rapture 0
their removal. What boorish bat h,
had been to suffera suspicion of the loft,
rectitude Of the noblest woman upol
earth to enter his mind! How alto
gether simple and convincing was he
explanation of what should have beer
no mystery to an honorable man! We
he could not be ashamed. in the fullnes
Of his happiness. lie called himself al
the hard names in this vocabulary will
cheerful yolubility, and gloried in tn.
lesson he had thus learned of implicit
trust in the girl he loved. No accumula
ton of circumstantial evidence or ever
the witness OF the eye should ever cal
up another shadow of shade of doubt
Among other occasions for thankfulnes
was the recollection that he had not 10
lisp of what he had seen last night
and suspected this morning, escape hin
in conversation with his mother and sis
ter. lie found himself tracing, with fin
sense OF the drolery of the conceit, tn
analogy between PROSTATE Lagoon. san
arms, legs and head, and the suspicion
which had menaced the destruction of hi
happiness. Mutllated, prone and harm
less, it lay on the threshold of the ten
pie of love and truth, ugly rubbish to b
thrust forever out of sight.
lie had hardly noticed, in the ecstac
OF relief, Hetty's haste to be gone ate
she had explained her nocturnal indu.
try. lie passed as lightly over the il
conference that had replied to his que.
ton when he could see her again.
give me time to think. Not for
day or two! Not until you hear fror
Ine!' she had said just before reachin
the gate.
lie was shrewd enough to see no
we'll taken was HIS underground. Sh
had not demurred at his stipulation. II
was positive, in the audacity or yout
and passion, that she would never utte
the words he had dictated. The tul
under the tree was flattened by her r,
clining form. He lay down upon it, hi
, arms doubled under his head for a pi
low, Thor taking his place beside hin
The golden-grcen changed into du
e ruddy light. this into purple-ash, ar
this into gray that was at first warn
Y then cold. The second vesper-bell hs
S set the air to quivering and sobbed m
9 sically into silence that embalmcd IL
$ memory of the music. Rapt in dream
l in simmer fragrance and in tend
e dusks, the lover lay until the sta
twinkled through riffs in the masss
!, leaves. Now and then, the far-of 70