The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1891-12-25
CHAPTER III.

9zl....llg II y
@s@--esz1
III
fooR MARJORIE WAS DOING pENANcs.
Months came and went and made year.
Again the church was decked with ever.
greens, again the yroccrs and confectioners
made their windows guy, ,rt,ain fond moth
ers played the pretty Santa Claus farce
and stockings hung in the ingleside, and
Christmas trees were dressed with sugar
doves and glistening colored balls aud
golden stars and tapers. The old herb
seller went about, and the man with spice
berries. but neither of them went neat
Annah Wayne's door. 1t was known that
she would buy nothing For a twelve
month after the death of relative all Gro
ton people tied their shutters with black
ribbon. Annah Wayne did it every year.
'This is the way keep my Christmas,' u
she once said bitterly to 4 neighbor who
saw her ut her task, and who only shook
her head in answer.
On that day she kept fast and vigil in
her darsencd kitchen, swinging to and fro
In the big rocking chair. She had never
beea given to tears Now hef eyes seemed
utterly dry, but her heart was weeping.
Another woman in Groton cried for two
during the holidays. This was Marjorie
Chadwick. Marjorie had become teacher
in the district school and seemed to have
renounced all idea Of matrimony. II was
known fact that she refused to receive
gentlemen callers" She had put on
SORT Of modified widow mourning for Her.
ford, which she still wore. She never went
to parties. She gave presents only to poor
people who needed them, and though she
regularly went to the church to assist in
decorating II with evetgfeeiis, she would
never allow n wreath to bc hung in het
own window. In fast, poor Marjorie was
doing pcnnnce, being firmly convinced Of
the fact that she had brought Judgment
upon herself Oy het own wicked discon.
tent, and especially by saying things she
should not have said during that last walk
with her betrothed husband, when aha
should have l,een 80 thankful and happy.
She had resolved to take life sadly forever.
more, to do her humble duty aud not dis
trcss people or talk OF her own trials. To
wear her cross beneath her cloak il need
he, but still to wear 1t all her life.
Now and then she called on Mrs. Wayne
They never talked of their mutual troible
but she always took with her q small jal
Of jelly as Ehs did to those who were ILL.,
She did not, however, pay these calls at
Christmastide.
On the fifth anniversary Of the dey Of
her walk with Herford, Marjorie was alone
In the church dressing 1t. Evching was
closing in ard most of tho ladies had felt
obliged to go to their homes, but she had
lingerea. The occupation pleased her.
And when it was too dark to go up the
ladder and hang the evergreens she could
still tie the small bits together, making
long fepes fdY wte.,.hs and festocns. Tho
heater hal lce:l lit and the church was
warm. One of ,he doors stood open. Be-
yond III: the sn,an.!i st.:ne path tll;it led to
the street. There had been talk of ren,ov-
ing TIL. graveyard, bnt it had not been
done. Few new s,ca,!stoncs had bech added
of late yrmr.: however. Til. last funeral
that hmi passed between the stone urns ut
the gateway ":t. that which sh. should
never :o::.t Will. memory remained to
her.
From where she s;.s D.. could see Mira
Wnyn"'s iia::c !.ot. Three tone,. stood to-
Srthsr there lac ;,.,t, Oh which Her
tors i:i.. .s;,a :sr:;r=i:. was distinguished
FROM the others lit lis *iiiten4ss iii tho
n;y';.ne. No.v, from the church the whole
scc:ie VS. li!s;, a .i,,!:c:,tu picture in gray.
Ftoli Without Tie o:;syrvt: cOt.i! only see.
against !, mysterious back. .;rounl; the yell
low globe of ii .lt That flung It's radiance
over Marjorie's bright tresses and fair
face, and her white Lands defined clearly
BY l.cr ',l;:t< dress as she bound the bits OF
evergreen together.
She Mas unconscious Of an observer, and
worked OH, .!ream,;,s the while of tho
pleasant i:,cc a::d merry ways of the boy
who had im:sra TO make love to her before
his school days were over. wincing as she
Thought that l;er last afternoon was spent
III stahbing him with cruel little fings.
"Oh, WAS hateful 10 him" she confiied
to the evergreena, aud amy angel who might
happen to bc listening "Oh, was hate
ful! Ent it does seem hard that should
never he happy again in all my life" Her
eyes were full of tears, but she quickly
brushed them away, for Il step sounded in
her ear, and in ~ moment more some one
had entered the church and was coming
vi, the aisle to I he spot where she sat. It
was young man she had met very fres
quently of latc, since his family Joined the
church.
"How devoted you arc,' he said. "Real.
ly, quite like sister of charity, and how
quickly you work. I've been watching
you from outside; quite Il meliseval picture;
like an illumination, you know. Really
there was IL halo about your head, and you
looIed-you'll have to forgive me for say
ing 1t, c.su't help it-=you looked SO beau
tiful"
1t IS very hard to make an answer to
such IL speech. Marjorie Chadwick could
qsly say, GOA, Mr.. St,nisland."
And he answered. oh, but couldn't
helm Thinking IL. r.,nl1vO
He WAS one Of the yo,tng men from the
Heights; tue only son of a very wealthy
Resident. His clothes came from London
and he had that indescrlbable look which
the word stylish docs not fully express.
Marjorie was seatel on little carpeted
hassock. He took another aud sat near
her.
"Do you know I'm 30 glad / happened
TO pass and see you." he said. He paused
and showed his white teeth In smile.
Eyes. J" he went ON, livery glad, for I wsut
to talk to you. pve resolved to talk toyioa
Tor long while. The very Gtst nn0msutsi
81