The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-04-03

back the shadows from the wet grass
and ribbon-like graveled paths winding
away into rho shrubbery; enjoying the
scentfreiRhted air throbbing and cool.
ing before t river bseezs, and talking,
talking, talking. a. only two girls who
have been bosom friends from infancy
can talk after nearly six months, sep.
aration. Augusta bore her part gallant
lys and quite forgot the passing cloud
that had dimmed her eyes and shaken
her voice,
When we were ready for bed the
cloud returned and broke. ! saw her
kneefing form trembling from head 70
foot y filc she was saying her prayers Is.
and heard stified sob. Arising, with
averted face. she went TO bureau on
the far side Of the room. took minia-
turc from drawer, kissed Il twice, and
furtfyEfy slipped it under her pillow.
When we had lain down. and the light
ras out ] knew, gentle and gradual
as was the movement, that she Dire "
the picture from its hiding-place, and
pressed IT to her bosom. Passing my
hand caress{ngIy over her cheek, I felt
that it was wet
Augusta" said, softly, s'can not
comfort you? What is 1t. my poor dear2
Surely you are not grieying over sor-
row that will be cn.ed so soon as will
MIR. Deane's absence?'s
She chung to me in a wild storm of
tears. She was but twenty and had
not had secret from me in ten years;
SO l. got this one. -
Law btlsin s., imperative and not to
be deferred, he said. had called Frank
to Richmond. With all her sweetness
OF temper, his wife had been spoiled
child in her fathers house, and her
husband ad=nexer-efossedr sheFs--She
especially desired that he should be at
home while | was there, and could not
be convinced that the matter in hand
could not be transacted as we'll by cor
respondence as in person. From plead
ing she passed to rem onstrance, then to
indignant protest. The result was that
reef OF horrors to the newly-wedded,
the first quarrel. Frank told her that
she was unreasonable and childish, and
asked her how she expected him to
make living for herself and him IL
she kept him tied to her apron-string.
'.And | called him unfeeling and
cruel and-6fatalfn confessed0 the peni-
tent, between her sobs. 81 have cried
myself to sleep for two nights over it
If could but see him for one minute
long enough to beg his pardon--I could
let him go again for six months, II nee
essary. If you had seen his face when
had said that last picked wordi He
turned as white as death, and bit his
lips hard to keep back the bitter answer
deserved. How, could / do it? How
could do it?"
1t did seem inexcusable to me-a
slightly priggish damsel with we'll
formulated creed Of wifely duty and de-
portment-but lectured her mildly in
consideration of her genuine distress.
"Iie has a generous heart con-
cluded. lie will not bear grudge,
you may be sure, and his very soul is
bound up in you. z-==7----.=7.-=
The neatly-cut plaster did not draw
the lips Of the wound together. Indeed,
1T b1ed afrgsh.-=-=
- He =Hevef-said an unkind word to me
in his life, my Suffering, patient, ILL
used angel And l wouldn't walk down
to the boat with him, although l knew
he was longing to ask me to do it.
didn't even go=with him to the dogf,
and when he kissed me goodbye 4j just
let him do it, and stood like a dumb
block while he walked out of the
house-oh, Nancy! so slowly and un-
willingly 1t wasn't bit like his stepl
| didn't stir to go to the window, where
] had always stood every morning, to
kiss my hand to him when he went
down to the Office. But ] watched him
from away back in the room where he
couldn't see me, and saw him go down
the path and stop under the honey
suckle at the gate to look up at the win
dow. When he didn't see me his face
turned absolutely dark-the most awful
thing! and he rushedoff down the street
with never glance behind him. That
was our first parting. We parted under
thunder-cloud, Nancy. l have. lived
in The heart of it ever since. II you
had not come think / must have gone
crazy thinking and living it all over. ;"
My sympathy quieted her somewhat,
hope, but | am afraid the battered
platitudes OF which, as is the case with
most younglings of inexperience, | had
great store, wrought more specifically.
Pausing for breath and reply, at
length, l discovered that she was
asleep.
Chilled and chagrined, / laid her from
my afms-upon her own pillow. Some-
thing slid from her lax hand. 1t was
her husbands miniature, glass and set
ting, warmed by her passionate hold
ing. ! thrust it impatiently under her
pillow. The cut was not dangerous,
reflected, with judicial fatuousness,
when the patient could slumber under
the surgeons hands
l. was aroused in the morning by o
shower of kisses upon my lips and eye
lids. In the slow awakening from the
slumbers of health and youth / dreamed
that ! was walking through a vista of
honeysuckles that bobbed dewily against
my face, and opened laughing eyes upon
Augustus countenance. She wore a
white gown, bound at the waist with a
blue sash-Frank's favorite color; the
honeysuckles were in her belt; the
breath and fragrance and refreshment
of the May morning were about and in
her. had oversight myself by a mat
ter of two hours, and breakfast was
ready. Augusta sat at the open window
and chatted while dressed. II
II am quite another creature to-day"
she said, ebhthely.. You have wrought
wonderful cure upon me, DIR. Nancy!
am going to follow your prescriptions;
put useless regrets behind me, and be-
have like a rational Christian in future.
] have been thinking, too, over the pos
sibilities,of Frank getting back on Fri
day, instead of Saturday. ! feel almost
sure that he will be here tomorrow.
This is Thursday, you know. can
imagine how he will thank you when
he hears what good advice you gave
M"