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

Five O'Clock never found Miss Elizabeth or
Peter asleep. Here it was only O'Clock oe
Easter morning. and breakfast was over,
Miss Elizabeth was taking the last pan OF
crisp gingerbread out of tue oven, and Peter
in his best clothes and new blue tie was play
ing hymns and thinking OF Lucy Aliens BIOS
som like face and the soul thrilling prospect
of seeing her at church.
A trim, spry body was Miss Elizabeth.
The only remnant Of beauty left her after
the frosts of forty-ive years was pair OF
impid blue eyes that looked out on the world
SO frankly that you knew instinctively that
a woman with such eyes would have thrlved
upon caresses and tender words-and she had
none save what Peter gave her.
"Oh who would live alwayg" she con-
tinued, her voice rising with an eager, falter-
ing strength as the hymn drew to close, and
then she stood still for little while, her fin
ger laid pensively ON her lips
An Easter Sunday morning of years ago
ali, how many!-had come back to her sud-
denly Thousands of yesterdays faded away,
and that one, glad morning came back to her,
living thing.
She saw herself in her cool pink and white
frock, her face, with a cascade of curlS on
both Sides almost hidden under a shadowy
poke bonnet. She was standing with her
prayer book in her hand beside an open win
dow; somebody was on the grass outside, his
face raised to hers, his touch upon her hand.
Somebody else was singing the hymn which
Peter was just finishing with long drawn,
signing chord. She heard a voice:
'The man who wrote that hymn was never
in love, or he had just been Tilted; don't you
think So Besss Now, we would live always
if we could spend our eternal lives togetber!"
Then this somebody had opened her little
prayer book, and with an unspeakable ten
derness of look placed her finger on these
words in the marriage service:
.!Until death do us part"
"Never forget that, Bess,n he had said; 81
never will"
But he had, oh, he hadl Years of pain
had been her portion. She had suffered, and
through him.
The story was an old one. People had al
most forgotten it. Sometimes few of the
oldest gossips touched upon it at quilting
bees and sewing parties when chatting of old
times. They wondered what had become Of
that handsome fellow, Dick Aspell, who had
Tilted Elizabeth barrow for the actress from
New York. And was that the reason Miss
Elizabeth had never married? Or was it be-
cause, her sister dying, she had been left with
all those Marvin children to bring ups They
had all died, too-all except Peter.
Peters heavy tread upon the bare white
boards reused Miss Elizabeth. She looked
up at him. 4 quick sigh sent the dream back
to the shadows from which it had crept, and
she was herself again: practical, kind and
nervously energetic.
"Now, Peter, why don't you get your tie
straight just for once?" she exclaimed, stand
ing on tiptoe and giving the big fellows
shoulders twist to bring him into better
light. "There you are now. Land sakesl
your hair, too, is all awry. Whatever have
you been doin' to yourself"
II poked my fingers tn. uAs IL when was
thinkin'-t hinkin' p commenced Peter awk-
wardly, his face taking on deep blush.
"What's the matter with the boy?" ex-
claimed Miss Elizabeth, and then her quick
mental perception told her that Peter was on
the brink of confession of love. She whisked
around ana placed a chair before him.
"Sit down, Peter Marvin" she said, point
ing to it like a judge Then she took seat
opposite him and smoothed the creases out of
her apron.
:You don't need to tell me who it is It's
Lucy Allen, that's who it u.s. You don't sup
pose haven't seen you castin' sleeps eyes at
her this last three months, though I've kept
my knowledge to myself. Have you asked
here The idea! it's nearly killing to think of
you-dear, dear-but have you asked herr"
A lump in Peters throat threatened to
strangle him as he answered spasmodically:
"Last night-singin' school-as we were
a-walkin' home"-
'fYes, knowp interrupted Miss Elizabeth
sharply; ''moonlight-the gate-well, what
did she sayF'
"She said just Yes"
"Oh, she dida-and didn't lose time about
1t, I'll wager. Girls nowadays do MORN half