Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-12-16
JOHN DERWEN'S WIFE,

brightness, Ildl llllTrOfeu ITSELF In the
blue waters that seemed to meet il.
Higher up, the sky was full of purple
shadows, shot through here and there
with lines of gold.
Two persons walked along the
beach-a man, who saw only the
brightness in the face of the woman
by his side, realizing in vague way
from her features, that held such a
ehlsm for him, the splendor of the
sunset pageantry.
She was looking out to sea. Tho
sunset fires seemed to glow beneath
the lashes of her eyes; its crimson ra-
dance made her cheek bright and
touched her hair with shifting lights.
IL shall be gone three years" he
aid, softly, his eyes still on her face.
"Three years are long time" she
answered, slowly.
Il know that" he said; "but they
cannot be longer to you than they will
TO me-
She did not reply, but kept her eyes
apon the fading brightness in the
west.
"You will write often, know" he
said, taking her hand. '.Your letters
will help TO make the time seem short
er"
"But you are not sure of getting
them,' she answered. "You are go
ing far away, and into country
where one doesn't enjoy the means of
correspondence with a great deal of
certainty or reliability"
"But | shall know you have written
if 1 do not get your let ter" he said.
Tustingly.
John Derwent had vast amount of
faith in Agnes Brent. He loved her;
consequently he trusted her.
"And You are going tomorrow"
She asked the question with little
shadow in her face.
eyes, l start tomorrow" he
answered. 81 shall not see you again
have come TO bid you good-by."
She dropped the long lashes of her
eyelids TO hide the tears that gathered
there. Her betrothed husband was
going away for three lonesome years.
She should miss him.
Like most women, sweet words and
lender caresses were pleasant to her.
No one had ever cared for her before
as John Derwent did. To know that
she was loved by some one-that in
that persons regard she was the one
woman in the world-was a knowledge
fraught with pleasant emotions.
They walked up and down the beach,
while the sunset died away into SOM
bre grayness, and till long after the
yellow moon had started on her voyage
up the sky.
Then John Derwent kissed her good
by. She hung upon his neck, her
warm tears falling swiftly, and would
have kept him back. But he must go;
and, with his kisses on her lips, he
whispered his words of parting-and
was gone.
wonder if the moon looked down
on other scenes like that that night?
Did it see other lovers kissing good
byes and parting with trust in each
others faithfulness through the days
Or months or years of separation?
The days went by.
John Derwent reached his destina-
tOn safely. The situation offered TO
him was lucrative one, and in his
new Australian home he was quite
cOntented, feeling that love was wait
Ing him by and by that would amply
repay him for the long days of lone
some hours that were sometimes his.
Letters came regularly for the first
gear; not half as often as he could
have wished them to, but as often as
he could expect them. Pleasant, loving
letters, that were full of tender little
wishes for his comfort AMI happiness,
and of longing for him to come back
to her. 1t was so lonely after he left.
II was pleasant for John Derwent to
read such letters-to know that at
home one heart was so true and tender,
hat one heart thought always of him,
and yearned for his return.
'If every man could have love
like that which life has given to me
your love, Agnes" John Derwent
wrote home in one of his letters, There
would be much more happiness than
There is at present-fewer men who
scof at wOman's truth and constancy.
never thought for moment of doubt
Ing You, Agnes; i should not forgive
myself if | were to do So You are
my ideal of all that woman should be
true, tender, womanly." Q.
You can see from that how much he
cared for her-what faith he had in
her.
The day was dying again in pomp
OF purple glory. The sky had gloomy
look about it, despite its lurid bright
ness where the sun had gone down.
Ihe wind moaned across the beach,
and beat against the rock, where the
waters had lashed themselves into q
"hlte foam of fury.
had been terrible day. The
''orn had spent its violence now; but
lhe ship that had struggled so nobly to
ave Its crew had fallen a prey at last
% wind and water, and lay a helpless
"Leck little way out at sea.
Men and women gathered on the
'nore. They cast anxious glances sea-
'ard, and watched the waves to see II
any semblance of humanity was swept
3" land by them.
j, woman stood little way off from
u .ie others-a tall, handsome woman in
'ich garments. She looks towards the
wrecked vessel with a little pallor on
ner face.
PRESENTLY a wave leaped in shore
"ard, and then swept back again,
.oaVlng body on the sand. Seaweeds