Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-12-16

that day beneath the Barharv tree
was the last wrench in giving mp the
forbidden She bad thought she was
being good and noble was keeping
her promise as the highest eanous OF
duty demanded Was putting aside
temptation-and vet the voice kept
saying she was bad. ii was a problem
her learning could not clear.
Some one was calling az the door,
calling some other person with an un-
familiar name = would they never
leave OF? They bothered her Then
someone else. a man. boldly crossed
the threshold Of her room, laid his
hand upon her arm. bent low and
said: Anna, love of me-come, we
shall be late"
She let him lead her away He was
50 tall, 50 strong. Down in the hall
below people were waiting. Some Of
them were crying. and il made her
( vaguely sad She tried TO efFaee her
( self by stepping into the shadow OF a
bookcase, and then someone sought
her ought and said: '-Good-by. Miss
Irwin. and everyone laughed a. what
they called his 'sblun5er
She wished they would not 1t con
fused herr why should thew laugh be-
/ cause he called her Miss Irwin-was
Z that not her uame3 All. no, she re-
7 membered-and there were more good
I byes, and many kisses. and she was
I seated in the carriage beside the tall.
4 straight man. and they We're driving
[ down the hill that she knew 50 well
/ How good it all looked. The trees
/ touched by the first early frost into q
Z spiked glimmer Of gold and flame.
I The little river. singing exultant Of
I recent rains beneath the bridge upon
! which the hoo3s Of the horses smote
I sharply, with q ringing sound The
/ world was fair. so very fair Did il
! not seem thus 70 those who were
about 70 die, she wondered, so sweet
I and dear world to close their eyes
/ upon and have darkness shut in upon
\ their lids forever?
The maa at her side bent over her
I coming between her and her thoughts
/ She felt his arm about her. she heard
/ his whisper of Anna, M lit e wife.
after ali the weary years Of waiting
4 For one delirious moment she gave
/ herself mp 10 thinking that these were
1 other arms. 70 believing even the voice
/ another voice. TO dreaming that she
| could look up and see the stern, dark
I face Of the absent, instead OF the clear
/ brow and frank eyes Of the present
( Then she tore herself away with a
| little choking cry Of horror at herself
and hatred.
The man looked. saw the carriage
/ had almost reached the station plat
I form, saw a merry party thereon
/ gathered, and said. apologeticafly.
/ '-Oh, / see, dear. they are here before
Us, and then smiled brightly 10 the
welding guests who had preceded
/ them The long wind swept aside
\ shayls and wraps as they walked and
gave to ordinary people about the
/ depot glimpses of satin shoon and
lace ruffies and glittering arms. and
| here and there a flower and a jewel
/ There was an abundance Of laughter
and rice, and both were distributed by
I the restless ones unable to wait
I quietly for the belated train and the
| proper season for rice-throwing Anna
| felt the cold, hard grains press against
I the hollow Of her neck, but only
smiled. IL was dream, and she her
self but a fantasy among shadows
| The dream grew more and more con
/ fusing. The bridegroom was hurried
away to the ticket Office upon some
| errand which had become entangIed
A thought of temporary freedom
I seized her. She must get away from
/ this confusion of shadows She turned
I in the direction which her husband
I had taken. The shadows laughed
/ about her: ''She cannot loose sight Of
/ him even a moment Oh, Anna. won't
| you be known for a bride at once?a
/ and tenderer than the rest muir
INJURED: How she must love him.
But Anna did not follow her hus-
band beyond the first door. Crossing
a waiting-room she opened a second
door and emerged into the outer air
again. and upon second platform.
She knew the place we !. Here was
but single track and less light. aud
fewer people. Here she could be more
quiet TO think the problem out-why
the voice kept saying she was bad. .
She paced up and down. and the wind
blew her sillE-lined mantle into cling
ing, classic folds about her. Still it
I cooled her head and cleared her brain.
Why was she bad? Had she not
| kept her promise of years? Had she
not irreyocsbly sent away that other
man who had made vows even as hers
now were? She had suffered: SO.
I doubtless, would he. At the latter
thought the old cruel pain clutched at
heart and thFoat-but she had done
what she thought right Up to to-day
her life had appeared pure. spotless,
| blameless She and that other man
had drifted into loving almost with
out knowing. but upon realization of
their folly theg had given each other
up, had done their duty singly How,
then, could either Of them be "bad?''
But the voice kept saying it and Anna
Irwin--no, Anna McIntyre-cringed
as she recoliected saying of her
! fathers when once as child she had
sobbed to see debased and cursing
wretch dragged along the streets by a
policeman. She is bad woman, my
/ darling" But she-Anna-how could
she? Why. her only sin was
in thinking of that other mana thing
which had only become sin at the
marriage ceremony of to-day. But
was it sin? Like a flash came to
her memory of the sermon on the
mount whatsoever looketh" - the
heart thought was with him even as
the deed, thing the purveyors of
creeds too often forgot She saw and
understood.