New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13

He brought golden rod and asters by the busnei'
having discovered that Perss liked these flowers.
He made daily pilgrimages to the places where
the fringed gentian would soon bloom.
He went about his farm with far-away look on
his face.
One evening he found Persis alone Her sister
had gone out upon an errand. When he entered
the room and saw only that figure in the large
chair he stopped suddenly, his heart giving
great, suffocating beat
He walked quickly to her side, stumbling over
footstool as he went.
She smiled at him and held out her hand. She
had a peculiar smile. He was not the first who
had found that out How old was she? Not
young. But not old by any means. woman
with smile like that could never be old.
Matthew felt that he had no time to lose. He
might as well go down in the food of despair as
in the food of uncertainty.
He chung to her hand.
81 want YOU to marry me. You must marry
| me !" he exclaimed in a half voice.
Her felt her little fingers grip round his
But l can't make butter. You'll have to have
| o housekeeper."
She kept smiling up in his face and her lips
quivered.
| "Oh will you ?" he asked brokeny.
| II was at that moment that Esther came in.
| The two did not loosen their hands.
Matthew hardly knew whether he had been &C
oepted or not His three former experiences in
asking for wife had not prepared him to form
anv Judgment in this case. But he could not help
hoping.
Persis turned to her sister.
81 hope you will like your brother Matthew,
Esther" she said.
Miss Orion was silent for On embarrassing space
of time Then she walked up to Matthew and
shook hands with him cordially
u trust you are aware of all the drawbacks in
this arrangement" she said to him gravely.
"Oh. I've told him couldn't make butter" re-
turned Persis. Il don't think he needed to be in
formed, however, Esther. 1 couldn't do without
you, you know"
Matthew quickly repeated
Yes. indeed you'll have to live with us. We
will consider that settled.
"Persisl Oh, say, Persisl here burst out the
parrot, and then fell into uncomfortable laugh.
Make Dick stopl" augrily exclaimed Persis to
her sister.
| Matthew managed TO compel himself to leave at
nine O'Clock, his usual time. He went up to his
betrothed and shook hands with her. lie stood
Then with perfectly visible effort he walked
| out of the room without bidding Esther good-Dy.
Esther moved about putting chairs 5rio ana papers
| to rights. She seemed to wish TO delay the Tune
when she should reach her sisters side. But sne
reached it at last.
Won't hear word !" she exclaimed. Don't
| you speak to me about that man | tell You l.
| have a right to some things In TINS HE, even
| though ! have horrid spine
| Esther walked away in silence She helped her
sister to bed in silence As she stood at the door
Il wanted to ask if you thought you loved
him."
| i'm w
! kiss he again. Now good night you dear old
| thing"
gagged the painters TO come and paint and paper
! every room in his house. He wanted gilt paper,
and wide borders at the top Of the rooms In
| twenty-fOuT hours the whole village knew about
| the gilt aud the wide borders.
| That evening at supper Mrs. Bell remarked to
her nephew that she supposed his going to the
| replied that he supposed it had.
I've nothing at all against Miss Esther Orion,
| said Mrs Bell She seems like very respectable
woman, and Suitable. too. But do hope you can
make seine arrangement soft that lame sister can
be taken care of somewhere else. ! don't doubt
she has other relatives. If Esther Orion marries,
her first duty will he to her husband"
Matthew pushed back from the table.
you can stop that kind OF talk soon's you're
mind to, he said, in deep voice. " | amt going
to marry Esther IL God Almighty let's me, Pm
going TO marry the lame one"
Mrs. Bell clasped her hands almost dramatically.
She had never been so surprised in her life.
Matthew Bell, you can't mean it," she said,
solemnly.
The man stood up. For an instant he did not
look commonplace nor ordinary.
Il love that woman" he said 81 amt ever
loved anybody before in my life. was fool to
have married them other women. wish |
hadn't hadn't no right to. But I'd marry
Persis if she'd have me- if she was deaf, and dumb,
and blind, besides being lame.
Having spoken thus, Mr.. Bell walked out Of the
room.
After the first moment of petrifed surprise was
over, Mrs Bell hurriedy washed the dishes and
then fastened out to tell Mrs Parri ige, who stared
{" It's no use, she said, "you can't tell anything
about what will take mans fancy. But | tell
you that Perss Orton amt just like the rest of
If man liked her shouldn't wonder bit if he
more interesting as elys not, as long as she amt
deformed. ! wouldn't say anything against II to
Matthew if | was you"
And not another expression of surprise was ut
tered in Mr.. BELLS hearing by any one.
lie was most aSsiduous in his attentions. Every
pleasant day the colt and the carryall stopped at
the house where the sisters lived and the two
women taken out to drive.
=" You needn't ask me TO go without Esther, for
! l shan't," Persis had said.
But Matthew did not find EStheT's presence any
great drawback. She systematically ehaced her
| self from the first
The three visited Matthew's house: he carried
Perss into every room and begged her TO tell what
| she wanted changed But she protested that moth
! ing should be done. She even seemed sorry about
hOme-like old place with lilacs and syrngas about
When Matthew urged that the marriage should
take place Thanksgiving, Perss always laughingly
put him of Still Thanksgiving came TO be under
stood as the time.
As the hot early fall days sped on, Perss be
came feveriSh. She said il was malaria. and Esther
said il was malaria and that her sister subject
! TO such attacks in the autumn Although she
could not 90 out to drive, she sat out the
piazza in the middle of the day sometimes, with
the parrot over her head. She was very kind to
Matthew, who so happy as hardly to he
of common, mundane concerns.
Persis became more feverish instead of getting
better. IL was said to be rather sickly round
The doctors carriage began to be seen driving here
and there the town and at last il used TO stop
every day at the Riddle house
Matthew could not work. He could only stay
about the place where PeTsis was. The doc
tor assured him continually that he reason
why his patient should regain her usual health.
But one day when he found Matthew waiting,
leaning the fence, he shook his head abruptly.
In half