The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-04-08
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and muttered: 'Nowt but book learnin'.
and precious little o. that, should say.
Oh, for twenty-four hours of Nurse
Marty and her herbs!' Nurse Martyi
The words sounded so familiar that I
knew they struck chord in my memory,
and sat in my chamber and thought.
Suddenly it seemed to me as though 1
saw vision of woman's face--a sweet,
sad face, which smiled on me-the face
of an elderly woman, Harry, who yet
did not look old, for all her snow-white
hair and furrowed forehead. But the
most extraordinary thing about her APP
pearance was patch of black silk she
wore over her left eye. 1t was very alb
surd of me to conjure up such an appar-
ition, but"
mo, no, am convinced it was a
reminiscence, Harry interposed. "But
had you no other day-dreams?"
eyes, my imagination pictured an
old stone house covered with ivy and a
great porch in front of it, reaching al
most to its roof What was SO odd
about it, was that there was a flight of
steps, which led to the porch, whose
floor was on a level with that of the
second story of the house"
s'Strange, indeed; but they built
many such houses in England in Queen
Elizabeth's days"
In England? All, Harry, then you
do attach Importance to my vision?"
ssOf course / do. Now try if you
cannot think of something more to tell
me-"
mo, 1 have told you all, Harry %
Wanda said, with dreamy wonder in
her eyes.
How swiftly the hours passed! It
seemed impossible to her, as she stood
that night in the moonlight with both
her hands in Harry's wishing him good
by. She had him for just that minute
all to herself, for Mrs. Evesham had
bade her boy adieu in her own chamber
and had retired to her place beside
George Arundel's couch and of course
the Dolmans were all in bed. True,
old Bladon might be prowling about,
but there were no signs of his immedi-
ate presence.
Good-by! Words at all times SO bad
mean to her-the death-lxnell of her
days happiness.
He stoops and looks down on the face
so beautiful with the moonlight playing
on it.
| Sorely he is tempted to speak but
stern duty intcrposes. What right has
| he to ask SO radiant a being to bind her
life to his? But who could resist the
tender pleading of the blue eyes which
| look into his one moment and then are
| downcast.
"Wanda!'"'
How strange his voice sounds to her:
| yet in his passion-iaden tone there is
still the sweet euphony he always gives
her name.
| s'Good-by, Harry!' With .quivering
lips she speaks and can scarce repress
| the sobs which almost choke her.
| With low cry he draws her to him
and holds her in his embrace.
Wanda, l love you!'
| All trembling she hears the word and
burics her face on his shoulder.
"Speak, Wanda! Only once-say you
love me-"
Slowly, reluctantly, she raises her
| face: it is pale no longer but crimson
with maiden bashfulness.
| Eyes, l love you. HarrY,n she muir
murs almost inaudibly, with faint,
long.drawn sigh.
| 81 never believed such happiness
could be mine" he vows with ecstacy.
Then, do SO now, DEAR" she whis-
pers, as with closed eyes she kisses his
| face.
An hour! Is it an hour, or minute,
or year?-this dream too sweet for
words to picture.
Then the mother must be told. The
! gentle, loving mother, who has borne
so much for them both. Pshaw, Wanda,
you need not tremblc SO, you need not
| shrink with great fear of the supposed
wrong you have done. That generous
heart has long been beating with the
hope that the day might come when
she could truly call you daughter.
| So Harry Evesham starts on his way
exultant, while poor blind George Arun-
del lies on his bed of pain with no
bright hopes before him; verify, ''to
him that hath shall be given, and from
him that hath not shall be taken away
even that he hath.n
Then Wanda shyly and with great eff
fort tells the glorious news to William
Bladon, who oddly enough is now in
clined to be cross with her because she
has not preferred his boy as the idol OF
her affections. So it happened that one
day, when George Arundel had gained
ck, Lak