The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-03-31

corner, and unSuSpectIng Joe tleetwoo1
stepped to the window to see.
1t happened just as Eunice hoped 1t
might
"He's at her window" said Tom,
with little gasp; ''she's entertaining
Fleetwood and there's no room for mel"
and he walked away.
They were trimming the little church
of the sailors for the Easter services on
the morrow, and thither Tom went to
forget if he could.
''We sent Fleetwood to the Gray cot
tage to see if Miss Eunice would let US
have her begOnias for tomorrow" fussy
Mrs. Fenton was saying as Tom en-
tered, ''but it seems as if he'd never get
back. o, here he comes!" and the nerv-
Gus little lady laughed an apology.
"You can have them and welcome, 9"
Joe announced, then he edged around
to Tom Ashley and said in an under
tone: go up TO the cottage; she won't
speak friendly word to me-"
Young Fleetwood felt somehow that
he had been in the way, and wanted TO
put himself right. But Tom did not go.
Joe might be telling him the truth and
he might not.
Late that evening, however, Eunice
received a note from disconsolate Tom:
| ''Come TO church tomorrow, dearest"
he said, land let US rejoice together. o,
Eunice, let us be one in heart at the
holy Eastertide! l plead with you!
Gomez
On the glad morrow the flowers filed
the chapel OF the sailors with their
beauty and fragrance, the organ pealed
forth and the people joined in the glad
anthem of the Resurrection, but Eunice
Gray was not with them.
Tom Ashley sat in his place and fol-
lowed the chant with white lips; his
fine face wore such a panied expression
that his friends pitied him. He did not
notice the glances Of sympathy, though,
for he was thinking. ''She must be very
angry" he concluded, ''to refuse good
will at Eastertidei"
Some way the chapel with all its
flowers was cold and cherries. Tom
had never known such a far-off, IN
sociable Easter before.
And so it happened that the good ship
Belle Isle sailed with Tom Ashley ON
board, and Eunice Gray had made no
sign. And Tom was so white and quiet,
too, that the captain had half mind to
leave him ashore, but the poor fellow
begged so hard that he let him ship
with them. /.
Then the spring slipped into summer,
and the little village by the sea grew
lonely and slow-paced; and the pretty
cottage at the end of the white street
seemed loneliest of all.
Months went by, and the steamship
Aspinwal came into the quiet port
with the mail on board.
The friends of the brave crew of the
Belle Isle crowded eagerly around for
their accustomed letters, but they all
alike were doomed to disappointment.
THE Belle Isle! the Belle IsleI' said
the captain of the Aspinwall, shaking
his head gravely; but that was all he
said.
Then the papers were distributed.
'Gone down with all on board in ter
rife storm off Borneor' was what the
dispatches stated of the fated vessel
Dail of deepest anguish went up from
the village by the sea for the loved and
lost Eunice Gray kept her room for
dcys. Would she be obliged to live to
endure this awful sorrow?
Poor Tom had gone down without a
kind word even. Oh, it was 'srriblei
Once again the glad Easter morning
dawned on the quiet village in its nook
on the shore. The little white chapel
was already open, though SO very early.
The dark memorial window with its in
scription: The sea shall give up her
dead" looked pensively down on the
empty pews and all was sweetly silent
in keeping with the memory. The flow
ers dropped from the railing and from
the fonts above awaiting the arrival of
the worshipers- But long before the
silvery tones Of the old bell had called
them together, a stranger entered the
place.
Evidently he had come for worship;
but he wandered here and there and |
finally paused before the memorial win |
NISM ~ NJ |