News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-01-14

sure he will not hesitate to give YOU
to one who has done naught to sully
it"
SO the next night, with heart
beating high with hope, the girl paced
up and down the walk alone, wait
ing the return of the lover who had
gone to plead his cause: and the flush
rose and died on her cheek as she
pictured his eager face, fancied his
buOyant tread hastenmg to her. to.
perhaps, draw her arm through his
and bring her a willing truant to her
grandfather's side, first to be play
fully scOlded, and then to receive his
blessing. How happy she was But,
ah, she hears his step! Asudden shy
ness takes possession Of her, and she
throws herself down on the green
sWard, making no motion till he
| stands beside her. Where is the eag-
er delight, the torrent of words with
which he is to break the silence? =?
Mute and still he stands there, and
at last, with wondering dread, she
turns Der head and glances upward
into his face. In its whiteness she
reads all. He went from her a boy,
with no trace of care. He returned u
man. No sign of youth seems to be
in those hard lines around his mouth
or in the eyes, which have so strange
an expression.
Had | been a beggar. Florence, 5"
he says at last, che could not have
spurned ME with greater scorn. He
bad me tell you to come to him, and
never look upon my face again"
"Will," she sobbed, 'he meant to
try us. Why should he have said
such dreadful things"
'He meant it all and more. When
| told him that the name | offered
you was as old, an honorable asy your
own, he laughed and said: A noble
legacy. indeed Bid the girl come to
me, and put such thoughts out other
head. She shall never marry. Flor
ence, it is unjust, cruel. You shall
not submit to it."
Hush, Will" the young girl an
swered. "You do not mean those
words. 1t will break my heart to
give you up, but | never can desert
the old man who has watched so ten
derly over my childhood and girl
hood. Time may soften him, viii:
and though it come years hence, you
know my love never can fail you
will 90 to him, and see what my
pleading can effect. Ifit is hopeless,
oh, viii, help me to be strong!
Grandfather, am here" said the
sweet young voice, as Seth Graham
raised his head from his reverie and
glanced at the threshold where she
stood, who had interrupted him. So
had her mother stood eighteen long
years before, and the estern lines which
then had gathered on his face again
saw the light.
"What is this story young Howard
has been telling me? What do chill
dren, such as you, know of lOve?"
eve are both children, grandfather
and we love each other. Oh, grand
father" she continued, hasteningfor-
ward and throwing herself at his
feet. '"Think of the time when you,
too, were young, and your deargran-
ny, think of your own child who lies
buried in the chuFChyard, the darling
mother whom l never saw. You did
not blight her young life. You
"Hush, chiIdl" the old man eX-
claimed, rising hastily from his chair.
do not speak of herl l say you
shall never marry
"And l say, give me some reason
for your refusal. If it be just, l will
abide by it, But have no right to
condemn the man | love unless You
can convince me it is just
She, too, had risen as she spoke.
As she stood confronting him, the
light blazing in his eyes was reflected
in her own.
"Then you will have 1.-THE secret
l have kept from you all your life.
On The headstone at your mothers
grave is but one word: