The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-12
HOPE DEFERRED.
The Weary Years Of Waiting That
Brought No Reward


among themselves that, six years hav-
ing fed, the marriage never would
take place. She alone had illimitable
faith There is something pitifully
childish, sweet with all the Inherent
igno .ance Of innocence, in the divine
trust natural to q ccrtail type OF wom-
anhood lie would come some day,
and, meantime, Mercy Strathmore's
very atm psphere bespoke endurance;
it beamed from that Steadfast gray eye
and brearhcl from her mobile mouth
Come he would, all uncx 5ectedly, as
fond lover likes to come, to claim his
promised BRIDE.
And come he did.
1t was like a beam of happiness from
out that golden highway spread be-
hind the dark browed hills-that
same bright path she often longed to
tread on aimless tender evenings just
like this. The cracked voice of old Mar
get had announced
IF it 'ud IA disturb We. missus, there
be q mon to see We as wunna TAX
nay
Behind the white capped messenger
the visitor had stepped into the well
remembered garden path between tall
borders of raspberry canes sloping
sheer to the open window of the neigh
boring forge. The monotonous beat of
the smiths hammer seemed to come
forth Just as of old-and yet not. Time
effects changes sometimes that visions
of yore may strike the heart to still
deeper awakening, and wiring 1t with
bitterer pain for the rekindled knowl-
edge of lost time that has slipped
man. Those absent years, with all
they had to tell, wrapped him as in
some garment OF lead, till the dear face
he had come to see shone cameo like in
the dull red of the blacksmitl1's fires.
The leaden garment dropped in her
smile and six long years erased them
selves like lost records.
God "a mercy" muttered the old
woman. and fled precipitately.
Over and over to himself he said:
1--WE parted yesterday; this is to-mor-
row" She scanned his face, while his
heart Knocked the distant forge ham
mer. What did she see? Some things
she knew-and missed: some others
she would fain have seen. The change
was none the less for being intangible
beyond that spirit shock.
lie bore her scrutiny but tremulous.
". The six years that have furrowed
my brow did not pause to lay trace
on yours, Mercy"
She smiled ''And the fortune you
went to seek?"
He shook his head.
Il do not regret it. We shall do
without. But John, those six long
years all gone-why did you go at alp"
1t was the cry of one permeated with
the electric sense Of something missed
that neither present nor to come could
ever again supply; those six long years
had drained the absent element from
her blood The exclamation pierced her
listener like stab from the grim angel
himself. A frlghtful pallor pinched her
features.
All, why?" he muttered, clutching
st his throat as though to throw of
some invisible assailant. In Gods
name, Mercy, meyer ask me that again.
Surprised she was, but still fore bore
to question, Perhaps the keenness of
her own regret had communicated it.
self too deeply to him. But what mat
tered it? The future offered full COM
pensation, if not for the irrevocable
past, for the mysteries of the present,
at least
Forget John. have but little, but
it will be enough for both"
'You must keep what is yours al
ways" he said. quickly. Give me
only little longer, Mercy
There was no gainsaying this deter
mination. They parted then, but he
came again-camc often, as he said he
would-came with the lines of endless
harassment upon his face,-came with
a soul hungering for her love; let her
white hand smooth away the care, her
own. her womanly arms inclose him
jealousy, and her true heart throb
against his, as medicine for its insistent
ache.
How womanlike to do thing that
consumes one-half a lifetime with re-
gret, the rest infuses with a subtitle
joy! Her longing overcame her once.
She called him back.
Il am not quite ready to let you go;
the common looks SO wide ana drear
tonight. John, what is your failure to
our continued separation? Let us be-
long to each other
He dropped on his knees and buried
his face in the drapery of her skirt.
Like the arant coureur of some impend-
ing grief, a great bat flew across the
sky. She seemed almost to
feel its cruel dampening wings A sud-
den hunger devourcd her faithful wom-
ans heart She too knelt on the dew
damp garden-path, kissed the hard
wrung tears that forced themselves be-
meath his lids, and stopped the quiver-
ing breath between his trem bling lips.
The red light of the forge fires
cleaned out on him like the eve of al
avenging deity. He shuddered in the
clasp of her arms, pushed the damp
hair from his throbbing brow. and
went away without backward look,
according to his wont She watched
him go, and felt as if her grief had
come.
Il
It was heavy tread fer woman's
that crossed the lonely stretch of COM
mon at the close Of Salop's buoy
market-day. Her feet crushed the odo--
GUS beds of wild thyme on every little
hilloclI with an exultant sense Of tramp
ling ont the heart OF something, even
IS her own had been frarnrllAd ont