Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-08-27
MT, Wayt'S Wife'SSiSter
 #%# BY MARION KIRKLAND.
BY MARION KIRKLAND.

. weight of mortality Hettys :.cart
 slackened It's beat while she gazcd upon
 the motionless features Her "child"
 was, for the time. rapt beyond her
 reach. Yet 1t was only ''make-believe''
 after all. that snarcd her into temporary
 blissl
 Before the pang of the thought got
 firm hold of her, she met March Gil.
 christ's eyes, full, and fixed upon hers. . He lay along the grass, supporting
 himself on his left elbow, his check
 upon his hand, the other hand, still
 holding the big brush, had fallen across
 Thor's back His eyes were startled, as
 by an unexpected revelation, and as her
 glance touched them, sudden, glad
 light leapcd from depth to surface. He
 would not release her regard-not even
 when the glow that succeeded the numb
 ness of the thrill stole from limb to
 limb, and sufTuscd her face, and all
 the forceful maiden nature battled with
 the magnetic compulsion. The sough
 of the spring breeze in the flower-laden
 branches, likened by Hester to the
 whispering surf upon island sands; the
 humming bees and twittering birds; the
 sun-warmed scent of apple-blooms and I
 ing just without the canopy of the king
 apple-treo; the faint flush of light
 strained through locked masses of blos-
 soms, for those supreme moments
 all the world-eXcept that this man
 Gods most glorious creation-spoke to
 her, although his lips were moveless,
 and that the stir of new and divine
 life within her heart replied. hI am SOrn tha timn n1uSt hn i'd
 May. yawningly. Poor Hester is fast asleep, and my tongue aches with hold ing it so long"
 Hester unclosed her eyes slowly, smiled dreamily, and essayed no denial. March was on his knees, collecting brushes and tubes into his color-bpx Hetty was folding rug so much too heavy for her wrists that May sprang to seize the other end.
 'Why-are you chilly? Your fingers arc like feel" she exclaimed, as their hands met And how you shiver! am afraid we have been selfish in keeping you out-of-doors so long"
 The ague shook the mirth out of the nervous laugh with which IIctty answered.
 'Now that the strain of tho weeks suspense and sittings Is oyer, and the result of our joint labors is a pronounced success, l am little tired. Tho spring Is tritie crude as yet. too," she sub joined. speaking more glibly than usual. By the time the sun reaches the tops of the trees. we begin to feel ! the dew-fall Hester, we must go i'm"
 March took the handle of tho wheeled | chair from her That is too heavy for | you on the thick grass. May. will you | abide by the stuff until come back?
 On every other afternoon, Homer had ] come down It five o'clock to roll the carriage up tho ascent Hester lay among the pillows, her cyos again shut. and the reflection of the hapry secret upon her faco IIetty walked mutcly besilc her. March liked the fine TO- serve that kept her client and forbade her to risk another encounter of glunccs She was all-womanly: refined in every instinct. Crushing the young grasses with foot and wheel and lowing under the stooplng branches. they made their way to the gate in the parsonage-fcnce Homer shambled hurriCdly down the walk to meet them
 "Now-" ho stammcred, laying hold of the propeller of the chair-"I'd a bin yere sooner, but ! he'd to go down town on an arrant-"
 That's all right" said March, good naturedly al was happy to bring Miss Wayt up tho hill. Goodbye. Queen Mabl May l have the honor of taking you to my home-studio to see the picture when 1t is vanished and framed?"
 She replied by a gentle inclination of the head. and the same joyous ghost of 9 smile. She was like one lost in dream, so deep and delicious that he will not move or speak for fear of awakening
 March raised his hat and stood aside to let the carriage pass. As Hetty would have followed, his offered hand barred the way.
 "One moment, please!" he said, in grave simplicity. ''I have to thank you for some very happy hours May I, also, thank you for the hope of many more? l should be sorry if our acquaintance ship were to fall to the level of social We have always been intimate with our pastors family, and mean, unless forbidden, to remain true to time-honored precedent" 1T he had alarmed her just now, he would prove that he was no love-smitten boy, but purposeful man who under 'tood himself and was obedient to law md order. Hetty gathered herself to- gether to emulate his tranquility.
 II especially want to thank you, out } 'f her hearing, for the great kindness | you and your sister have showed to mv lear little invalid. She will never for s get 1t, nor shall l. It has been the hap oiest week of her life. 1 think, but for [ Tour offer to lend her books, and Miss | iilchrist's promise to keep on with her lessons, that the end of our t fittings would be serious afliction to Ter. Please say this from me to Miss T also; good eveningr Ne ran lightly back to May and 'the O tuff. He had not obtained permission O call, but neither was it refused. He a fixed dignity in woman As he c 'hrased it, ''it furred the peach and Iusted the plum" He was entirely will D ng to do all the wooing May innocently applied the last touch f O his unruf1ad Snirit ip +ho;. FO.:,- 1 v