The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-01-09
ETERNAL GRATITUDE.

ETERNAL GRATITUDE.
This affair has gone far enough,
Susan. Geoffrey Herriman is not the
proper person To be my daughters
constant escort, and I'll have no more
of it, said James Raymond TO his
pretty daughter. who stood gazing
after the receding form of Young
man who had just left the house.
Susie turned away without word;
but angry. resentful feelings filed her
heart rs She thoughts:
There's nobody like Phil Williams
in fathers estimation, and he cant see
any good in anyone else"
So far. she had been dutiful and
obedient daughter; but she was sew
enteen now, and she at once decided
that this was her ovn affair. and If
she loved Geofirey, il wasn't necessary
that he should be- ;ldurei by the whole
family. They would not be Obliged
To live with him if she Shou d marry
him
She managed To send n note to her
lover, Informing him nf her fathers
opposition. and counsrlling him TO
wait until "A better acquaintance should
give the impetuous old gentlemen
more exalted opinion of the lnan of
her choice.
But Mr.. Hcrriman had less faith in
the result of better acquaintance;
and besides. he reflected that even
Susie's maturcr Judgment might not
confirm her girlish opinion, and he
had worldly wisdom enough To know
that his only chance was in completing
I fik.. hnt- - NJ
And so there was a clandestine
meeting, and few evenings later
| carriage stopped short distance from
| Mr.. Raymond's dwelling; and toward
! midnight the notes of an owl, three
/ times repeated, fioated softly up from
among the trees in the orchard, while
/ with nervously-beating heart, Susie
| stood listening by the open window.
/ Yes. there il was again-repeated at
/ an interval of thirty seconds and for
single instant a light flashed from
/ the window. as signal that the coast
was clear; and then, dimly visible
through the doubtful starlight, she
/ deserted the form of her lover emerg-
ing from among the trees.
| She trembled with apprehension.
! Nearer came the approaching form,
and ladder was firmly placed against
| the windowsill. Trembling like leaf,
/ but undaunted and determined, she
descended TO her anxious lover.
MAKE haste, my darlingw urged
/ her lover, clasping her hand, and
starting toward the path leading out
| through the orchard; but as they
/ turned the corner of the house, a most
unexpected sight was presented to
their view.
| vrho,.a ,,-;tb;,, ,an faa+ ,F tha ,,,,
awavs, stood her father, with a huge
| feather-bed clasped in his arms; and
1 closely following came the mother car
rying couple of portly pillows, and
directly after her came Annie, with
her arms full of blankets and bed
quilts, while brother Tom brought up
the rear, supporting a washtub upon
his shoulder with one hand, and carry
ing an old tin tea-kettle in the other.
''Just wait a moment, daughter,
said the father, pleasantly. You
came near forgetting yO+Ir bridal out
fit, and no child of mine shall ever go
destitute from the parental roof.
Here, Young man, Just lend hand,
will you2 This feather-bed seems
monstrous heavy. someway."
Just take the side o this, tub will YOU,
Luke, and help me to carry it out to your
vehicle?" said Tom, elbowing his way
past the feather bed and setting the
tub down in the path at the feet of the
astonished pair.
''And here's the identical pillow that
I've been saving for YOU for the last
five years. If / had thousand daugh-
ters, I'd make pillows for them allr
said the mother. pressing forward and
reaching them toward her.
/ Poor. GuSiaf FThn Very rrrnun1 Soan1atl
sinking beneath her feet, and the shock
of an earthquake could scarcely have
carried the consternat.on to her heart
that she felt at that moment.
Tears of shame and vexItion came
yelling up TO her eyes for brief in
terval; but the ease was desperate. and
it was second edition of her fathers
own will that asserted itself moment
after.
Summoning all her courage, she de.
termined to stand by her lover at all
hazards and so to proclaim, if she
must suffer insult, humiliation, and
abuse for his sake, they could just pile
it up; but she would marry him, and
him only, if it was for twenty years to
come. and she would just tell them SO,
then and there.
She turned to him for support and
encouragement in this defiant declara-
ton; but he had fled, and left her to
meet the storm alone.
Poor girl She was willing to brave
whiriwmd and tempest, to walk through
fire. if need be, for his sake; but COW.
ardly dcsertion in the hour of scverest
trial was too much. All the brave
defiant spirit died out, a feeling of ut
ter helplesshess came over her, anC
the sudden revulsion caused II dizzy
faintness to creep through her heart
and brain, and she sank insensiblt
upon the ground.
The father dropped the feather bed
and carried her into the house, wher,
she was restored to consciousness.
Tears of shame and modification
rolled down her pale cheeks. and she
turned her face away to hide them.
MY daughter, said the father kind
ly 81 had intended, to invite him into
the house and agree to your marriage
if you still persisted in your determin
alton To marry him, Shall bring hin
back?"
Not till I'm able to wiring his neckl'
she answered. with all the fierce indig
nation OF her outraged feelings ant
wounded pride surging up from tn,
depths of her heart and flashing from
the dark eyes so recently beaming witt
! tenderness for her recreant lover.
He sent her a letter; but she prompt
ly returned it unopened.
She was taking a stroll in the or
chard one day, when she very unex