The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-06-29
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ity.
Since then, In dose and delriunl, the
poor child had lain, and this was the
first awakening to consciousness.
She listened With Il Shudder to the
tory that her motherly curse told her
of their finding her that weird snowy
night. She cried softly rs she told heI,
TOO, how they came to love her bonny,
innocent face-how, il she was home
less, friendless, they would gladly make
room for her in their home and their
hearts, be"eft only q short year since
by the death of their own darling child.
They asked her no questions as she
grew stronger daily, and Edna did not
enlighten them. 1t seemed as if pail,
never to be lifted. hung over her young
life. She remembered all that the
messenger her father had sent for her
had impartd to her-that he alone had
placed her at the seminary years agone,
and with him had persisted the mystery
of her young life, all hopes of estab-
fishing her identity, of finding her
father She had been cast upon the
world alone, with no claim upon her
past life, and the mystery of her true
identity was a mystery still.
No claim, save one-Raymond! Her
heart beat anXiously as she thought of
him. How he would worry over her
sudden departure, her strange silence.
She must write to him, to her dear
friend Beatrice Mercer, at once. No,
she remembered all her guide had told
her. &c must never communicate
with any of her old friends until she
saw her father. 1t might mean peril
trouble for him. Oh! how the per-
plexities of her situation frctted her.
A week passed by. She was strong
once more. All one day Edna reflect
ed seriously. That night, glancing low
ingly at the faces of her kind friends,
she told them of her resolve.
You have been like IN own father
aid mother to me-" she murmurcd,
gratefully. II can never forget you
never cease to love you, butt am
going away
| Going away sighed the kindly Mrs
Blake. ..
Yes: must see some friends. Th"V
I will return, then | may be glad of
YOUR happy, happy home. Please do
not question me-, but | must go.
Reluctantly they babe ner good-0y
the next morning. The farmer drove
her over to the railroad station. III
tho new garments with which her old
torn and belraggled attire had been
replaced, no one recognized her as the
suppasad victim of the bridge disaster,
an event strangely that Mr.. Blake had
not heard Of Edna had Il few dollars
in her pocket. She bought ticket
taking her half way to Hopcdale, kiss
ed the fatherly farmer go"d-by, prom
ised to write or return within q few
DAYS. and the train whirled away.
At the terminus she sold her watch.
This gave her ample means to contl1tU"
her tourney. Ali the way she was
thinking of what she should do. Some
thing in the memory of her guides
strange warming about the mystery
that clouded her fathers life impellcd
her TO secrecy in all her movements,
and when she reached HOpedale at
noon she trusted to her attire and a
heavy veil to conceal her identity.
She haunted the vicinity of the semi
nary. She would try to get word to
Beatrice Finally, she addressed a
strange student The reply to her
Inllestiuns chilled and Disconnected her.
Miss Mercer had loft thu seminary two
weeks previous.
Then Raymond-sha must find him
now. She could tell him everything
While he endeavored to get some trace
of her father, she would return to the
BIahes and make ner home with them.
il WAS just when she finally rang at
the dGcr-bell of the Marshall residence.
| A servant informed h" that Mr..
Marshall was not at hone. He had
gone to the 8hotel with his father, the
colonel.
What shall do? Oh! AN SO fear-
| | - 80 Y11ictolrn hl1t I m1lCf
see Raymond. Who else can l appeal
to III my uncertainty"
IJubiously, undecidAdly, Edna Walked
towards the village hostalry. It was
quite dusk, and She was very tired
when she reached tho place.
Mechanically. almost, she assembled
, the stairs leading to the ladies' parlcr.
and sank to cushioned chair, think
lug, wondering, hoping SHE was doing
what vas eminently proper, aid for
the best.
Footsteps on The stairs brought her
to her feet. If it was n servant, she
:: would ask her to try and fud Mr.. Ray
! mond Marshall and his father, and
send them to llel-but it was no serv-
ant The familiar form Of DR. Slmms
= passed the door, and following him was
:, clerical-looking man, and the former
! was saying:
Mr.. Marshall is waiting for us. This
way, sir"
, MI acknowledgement! He was in
, the hotel, then? What meant the
l words of the doctot? Why was the
ministeIiaElooking man here? For q
> few moments the perrlexed girl linger
ed. Then, involuntarily, she stole from
the room and down Il corridor.
The sound of voices through the opeI
: door of a darkened room drew her t.
2 it's threshold. 1t was the parlor OF the
suite occupied by Beatrice Mercer. The
half-Open door of the communicating
apartments admitted the sound Of sol
!, Gmn, impressive words.
Was she dreaming? Half stunned
she staggered across the room ane
Fpeercd into the next,
!. Observation-Disclosures na!nister-Col
? Marshall. The two former with hands
united, one lying on h couch, the other
! she fanced, bending tenderly toward
her
;. Oh! surely, this was some delirium o.
:. the senses, her old fever returned.
No, for Just then came the solemn
? somber words from the lips of the cler
gyman:
= and you. Raymond Marshall, dt
! take Beatrice Mercer as your legally
4 welded wife. to cherish and protec
: while life shall last!'
The unhappy girl reeled where sh'
!, stood Her senses seemed desertin;
i her. Clinging to the door-knob for sup
q port, peering, Mortified, pulsating, sD
drew the door open:
q She saw Raymond Marshall start
): stare, recoil-he alone. Her sense
r took in the scene as the browning tab
leau of set of scenes in her youni
d life that had brought wreck, heart
/ break the disaster to her fon'
v homes
!. Then she turned and fled, sick q
soul, affrighted, appalled,. A voic
h seemed to call her, but she heeue
It 1t not.
d Out through the portals of the hote
she sped, down the street like one mac
past the limits of the town, into tn
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