Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-12-08

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do you say? VIII you do it7"
Why not? As his wife she would take
her place among the best Of them. Be
sides, Lou would know that she was not
| grieving for him. Do not blame her II
she nearly yielded to the temptation-i,
was . strong one. Then the true woman.
hood in her nature asserted itself.
mo, Squire Hayme," she said earnestly,
you deserve better than can give You.
but will trust you with my secret. You
shall see how impossible it is" She truth
fully and bravely told him the story OF he,
lost love, opening its grave for him to
give one brief. incredulous look within,
and II she lost a husband she gained a
staunch friend.
People never quite understand those
that they see every day." he was oft-'
heard to say. "And perhaps 1t is just
well; they might not know how to appre
ciate them If they did"
In another year she was able to present
her mother with the cancelled mortgage,
but 1t was too late to be of ,ervice to her
There was another funeral from the cot
tage. Mrs. THORN was laid beside her
husband and Hazel was slone. Then
Squire Hayme asked her to reconsider his
offer Of marriage.
NO, she answered. gently. II cannot
give you wifeiy love, and cannot take
t~f, ;,,,
You are right" he replied, gravely.
and the subject was never renewed. But
even his strong friendship was not left 10
her, for the angel Of death oyershaduwed
1t and he was gone.
II WAS matter of surprise TO all when
1t was found that his will lef, all that he
possessed To Hazel THORN. The Hayme
homestead was sold. the mortgages and
notes left for collection, aud childrens
asylum was opened In the cottage on the
hull Merry. childish voices made Joyous
music all day long, and, blessed in a world
ly way, Hazel THORN learned to De col-
tent
No news came OF the lover of her youth.
aud silver threads multiplied In the brown
,resses which he had praised There was
one hidden habit Of her life, one strictly
observed upon each Thanksgiving evening
After the children were snugiy tucked into
bed and tie house was still, she pulled q
set II with pretty china and polished sill
Yer and dainty eatables. There were al.
ways two plates laid and a wedding cake,
no matter what the bill of fare might be-
Then she dropped the restraint Of years
and lived again the days which were for
ever buried in the past.
At last the twentieth anniversary came,
day that was cold and cheerless enough.
Outside q genuine New England snow
storm was raging The chilly winds
whirled the binding fakes in clouds
among the sighing. leailess trees. and the
weary horses plodded slowly along a drift
ed road. Inside the cottage was as cozy
and cheerful as 1t usually was. Contented.
childish faces were pressed upon snowy
of Mama Hazel brightenet their journey
to the land of nod. Hazel sat by the open
dre beside the Thanksgiving table. She
had been strangely r>etie bnr gr-a,
our lives are crowned with some great, un-
expected good. The nrelight softened the
lines OF her face and gave it . rosy, girl
ish glow, while the dancing shadows con-
cealed the threads Of gray among the silk
en- brown hair. All, the years had dealt
kindly with her.
So thought the man who stood under the
window in the binding storm. and watched
her with impatient. unressonng heart
hunger He could hardly realize that
twenty years had passed since he saw her,
that wife and child had made a home
for him, and that he had been homeless
wanderer for half that time. How long
he might have watched In silence, unmind-
full of cold or snow, he never could tell.
A motion betrayed him, she saw his face
close TO the window pane, and read the
pieauinK IN MS eyes. win low, glaO
cry she unfsstened the door and hello 1t
while he silently entered. Then he turned
and faced her opening his arms slowly.
his eyes asking questions which his shamed
lips would not utter.
And she?
With the Inconsistency of woman, ever
ready to accept loved one without Ques-
tion, no matter how deep the fault TO be
ssoned, she crept within the encircling
arms with sigh Of re-tful content
'Ah, dear one" he said, pointing to the
dainty table, lam an expected guest!"
That plate has been laid for you every
Thanksgiving evening for twenty years."
she answered softly, her eyes shining
through her glad tears. 81 knew that you
would come"
A commonplace story after all, isn't 1t,
reader miner But what would this world
be without the commonplace lives which
make ii?