The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1890-04-03

east as IL marking the invisible footsteps of a
god; Peter passed whistling on his way to the
barn; but still he for whom she waited did
not come. s @' asz
At last she could bear it no longer and hur
ried out to the barn.
"Peter, goand see IL he's up" she said, try
ing to speak carelessly and with an emphasis
on the pronoun.
The thought that he might be very i'll made
her heart beat rapidly, but that was nothing
to the remorseful pain which shot through
her as Peter returned. swinging his hoe ADD
calling out lustily:, s .sgsss : = 4 81
"Hes gone, Aunt Liz"
'Gone9 No, it can't be" she stammered
"Dead sure" said Peter.
Miss Elizabeth went to the barn door and
sent her eager gaze over the level pasture
lands sweeping to right and left. What was
that dark object three fields away moving
slowly by the low stone wall?
THAT'S him" said Miss Elizabeth, catching
up sun bonnet hanging on a rusty nail near
by. 81 must speak to him once, Peter, for
for the sake of old times"
She ran down the pebbly stable path,
jumped as lightly as girl of 16 over the bars
at the end of it, and ran across the fields until
waited to get her breath she noticed how
weak he was, and how deathlike his face in
its ivory whiteness He did not see her until
she stood beside him.
"You might have waited for your break.
FAST" she said rather awkwardly.
"Why annoy you furthera" he asked quiet
ly. "You were far kinder than had dared
to hope. Few homeless wanderers fare a
,on fh,,,l fo,. <I,o ol,o
me before you knew who was thank you
very much" -.s
After an effort she spoke again.
II followed you just to say that I-I-bear
no grudge for what's past. The sermon yes
terday was about forgiveness, and forgive
you. This is all thought to say to you.
But there's one thing now I'd like to ask. "
She looked away from him, a piteous tremolo
in her proud tones "Why did you do what
you did, Dick Aspelli Or why did you do it
the way you did, Twan't by no means neo.
essary to throw me over without word and
sneak offs if I'd have kept you when you
wanted to 20. If you'd told me you cared
more for that other girl than you did for me
and told me in the right way, I'd have seen
you couldn't help your feelin's, and 'twouldn't
have been Elizabeth barrow who'd have
made you stay, not if the givin' you up had
broken her heart, and that's why"-~
She stopped losing the thread of her long
speech in growing inclination to burst into
tears.
what are you saying?" asked the man be.
fore her in a slow, amazed tone; II didn't
think you could be SO unfair. You ask me
whyI went away when you sent me off your
self, and in a spirit of pique married the
woman had been only flirting with"
II sent you away!" exclaimed Miss Eliza.
beth, scarcely believing her ears "a likely
story. You. mustn't say that to me, Dick
Aspell l remember everything as if 'twers
yesterday"
"And SO dol. remember the letter you
sent me; the bitter letter, where you told me
in pretty plain terms what you thought Of
me. But perhaps that existed only in my
fancy, tooT
II sent you no letter." said Miss Elizabeth
breathlessly, and she stood with her eyes
looking past him as if peering into the van.
ished years for some explanation of this ap-
palling fact. "Oh, waitl" she cried; II see
it all. How everything becomes clear. Oh,
Dick, Dick, listen," aud she held his arm in O
tight clasp; "Many-you remember my elder
sister, Marya-she never wanted me to marry
YOU One IHouSuC you would come 10 LOOK
down on Inc because your father had given you
such good education, and she thought you
too wild When people began to gossip about
you and that actress she grew very bitter
She sent the letter, and this is why know:
When she was dying she said she had done
me wrong and wanted to confess. She
struggled hard to tell me. thought it pply
the rayipg of tho fever when she kept NUT
tering about a letter. and before | could
make out anything at all plain she died Oh,
Dick-oh, the dreadful years that lave
passed-and never knewl'
There is little more to be said. Miss Eliza
beth was content to gather up the tattered
threads of her old romance, and there was a
double wedding on the June day set by Peter
and Lucy.
"And to think" ruminated Miss Elizabeth,
as she walked up the aisle dressed in rust
ling gray poplin and leaning on her lovers
arm, "that might not have followed him
if my heart bad not been made tender by
thinking Of that other Easter morning."
EVELYN MALCOLM