The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-03-03
HARRIET CLARKSON.
She Waited, and Her True Lover
Came at Last.


complacently surveyed the tips of he,
new slippers as she said: II wish that
l had lover; I'm sure that l could
manage one," the mother took another
stitch in the dainty cam brio and re-
marked: There is plenty of time vet
Harriet mine"
Harriet started up in such haste tina
the little chair was set violently rock
ing. Going to the mantel, she raised
her pretty arms above her brown heat
and contentedly studied the fresh
young face in the mirror.
''Well," she laughed softly in tn.
midst Of a faint yawn, "I'm dreadfully
anxious for him to come. I'm tired O.
this do-nothing life!'
Let him come wien he may. anc
let us pray that he come in joy ane
peace" was the quiet rejoinder.
That had been less than a month ago
and now Harriet stood before the same
mirror; but it was different face tha
the glass pictured nova perp,exet
brow. a scornful lip and yet mist OF
pity struggling to the gentle gray eyes
A schoolboy's note was the cause of il
ala little hastily scrawled note. bu,
hot with an unframed passion. And
it's frank despair was what hurt he1
most
II know that you cannot forgive me, but
can't keep from it. I have tried, but am not
strong enough to beat it back. 1t is burning me
up, Harriet, even if am boy. 1 think thai
this will make man of me- At least, it viii
put mans heart in me-
Harriet read it over and over, and
each time there rose before her a vision
of an honest young face and tears lying
in the eyes hardly dry as yet from the
grief over the lost ball. Mrs Clarkson
said never word, for she knew that
the confession would come in good
time. At last Harriet tossed her the
note, and, throwing herself on the
couch, she buried her face in the soft
pillows and sobbed.
'Oh, why did ever want lover?
And why did he do it? l knew that lie
liked me, but l never dreamed of his
loving me-"
Mrs Clarkson read the poor little
note with sigh; then, drawing the
brown head to her shoulder, she said
II, too, am sorry from the bottom OF
my heart. But he and you are only the
instruments of fate. Every boy some
time in his boyhood loses his heart to a
woman older than himself It is his
first love and his first great sorrow. II
does put mans heart in him. But he
gets over it-that is, the sting is gone
but he always remembers It. for the
first love is the sweetest. This is your
first lover, and he has not come in ioy
and peace. BE a woman and dea
gently with him.
Harriet dried her eyes as she went to
have suddenly opened within her. and
she was surprised at her own gentle.
ness. Women are both womanly
strong and womanly weak, and the
tender, almost motherly note that she
wrote in reply was an example of the
first, while the big, round tear which
splashed unexpectedly Oh the address
was only a betrayal of the latter.
And SO Harriet, in her twentieth
year, cried over her first lover and sent
him away.
Four years went by. The curls had
become a little more comfortable. and
sweet dignity had begun to soften
the old-time girlish joys. 1t was the
day before her graduation, as she was
hurrying through the hall on her way
to the library, when Prof. Palmer APP
pearel before her. A little paroxysm
of pain seemed to go over his sweet, old
face, as he hesitated. A puzzled light
cleaned in Harriet's eyes. for she did
not understand why his face should
pale.
miss Clarkson," he at last said, Iii
you have time should like to see you
in my Office moment
She followed him wonderingly, and
yet half in dread, but it was not till he
had held open the door for her to pass,
in that stately, elegant old style of his,
that he said:
II fear it is wrong, but cannot help
it. l cannot let you go away with
out telling you that l love you. l
know that + am selfish, but am not SO
old, after all-only sixty-five.' And
unconsciously deep pleading crept
into his soft, old voice, and his trem-
bling hands clasped.
Again mighty pity filed her heart.
How she loved the kind, old man, with
his handsome head and wide-opening
heart! And yet, not at all as hus-
band, but as an instructor, an adviser,
a friend, whose gentle concern had
done so much toward making her col
lege life a success Her lips tremb!ed
as she faltcred:
CDR. Palmer, am truly sorry. I
cannot he thankful enough, either. for
am not worthy of such a rich love as
yours. But shall be frank. lido not
love you and l never can love you as
you wish.'
He sank into chair at his desk,
while already calm resignation had
begun to steal over his features
II see, you are right 1t was wicked
for man of my age to wish to possess
so young and beautiful woman as
you.''
Harriet demonstrated at this, but he
only said:
mo, 60 now, and forgive the weak
ness of an old man."
HIS head fell forward on his arms,
and Harriet waited only long enough
to reverently press her lips to the
snowy hair: Then she g]ided swiftly
cut with her hands pressed tightly to
her throbbing temples. murmuring:
II once thought that it was wom-
ans hour of triumph when a man told
her of his love-
So Harriet wept over her second love
and turned from him.
However, no one dreamed how her
heart ached as she was saying good by
to a group of schoolmates, when the
handsome young Grant Conway took
her hand, with the same ease and pure
friendliness - nothing more, nothing
less-as the rest A travelling veil hill
q. .-