Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-06-11

! lhFu anu plOHllSeli HIS WIG biiut Shc
, should have fine new house in year
or so. he went energetically to work,
preparing portion of the land for
the precious grain; and aside from
the discomforts which could not
be helped, all went well with him; for
he had sufficient money to buy the
necessary machinery, serviceable
pair of horses and few cows, besides
laying aside small sum for rainy
day.
But all was not we'll with Lizzie. As
soon as they were settled and she aud
her mother hal, with womanly in
genuity, given IA pleasant and home.
like appearance to the interior of the
rude cabin, she had written long
letter to Will, aud iutrusting it to her
fathers care, watched him drive off
to the little town of Melton, a dozen
miles distant, where was located the
nearest postoffice. She hoped for a
letter in return, but was disappointed
81 shall be sure to receive one next
week, she thought and sang about
her work, as she helped her mother
inside the house, or planted the flower
seeds and roots brought from the old
home, which, later, made beautiful
the outside of the homely cabin.
Another disappointment awaited
her, but she thought, 'Perhaps my
letter did not reach Will. He may
not have our correct address; l will
write again.
The next time her father went to
Melton she walked to meet him on his
return her heart bounded with Joy as
he handed her thick white envelope,
but sank like lead when she looked at
the superscript;on. 1t was from
girl friend, a very dear one, but Lizzie
felt no desire to read it then.
ooh, father Is that all? You
must surely have another one !"
"Only some papers, puss.
His voice was little husky, and he
did not look at her.
Glow foolish [ am !" she said to
herself, when the first keenness of the
, disappointment was over. ga dozen
things might have happened to delay
the letter. How l wish we could go
t to the postoflice every day"
IL ''Hope deferred maketh the heart
q S-Ch. llHllc Wdlbeu week alter Week, ,
j. but no letter came from Will.
n 81 will write Just once more" she
It said, ''only n few lines, that | may be
/ sure that l am not the one to blame -
a She gave up all hope when, in early
5 autumn, a letter from girl friend
e contained the information that evil
IL Chester was flirting awfully with q
II cousin then visiting his fathers, and
v some thought it would be match. .
t Lizzie was too proud and also toe
sensible to let this disappointment
r spoil her life. She hid her grief from
e her watchful father and mother, and
o if her pillow was wet during many II
If wakeful night, she was busy and
Q cheerful each day.
t Summer and autumn passed. The
harvest was gathered, necessarily small
J. for only little land had been pre-
% pared. at would be very different
e next summer, said Mr.. Barton. Then
is came the Dakota winter. Oh, that
:; terrible first winter to the Barton
e family Not having any idea of how
# severe the cold would really be, they
did not make suitable preparation for
{ it, and endured many hardships.
Winter came, and Lizzie was again
| installed rs teacher in the small
{ school house, her father driving her
there in the morning and coming for
her at night.
One cold afternoon in January he
, was not there as usual when the school
was dismissed, and Lizzie, wondering
. what had happened to detain him,
hurried her little flock home, as it was
beginning to storm. She waited for
| half an hour, hoping her father would
$ come, for she had felt ill all day, and
was scarcely able to walk long mile
= i'll the face of the storm.
n Mr.. Barton was in the grip of his
p. old enemy, infammatory rheumatism,
& and was almost unable to move Mrs.
/ Barton was not alarmed on her daugh.
ters account, thinking she could easily
walk homo when tired of waiting.
I "I must CO." thought Lizzie.
{ 'Father would be here by this time il
something had not happened to detain
him."
t She left the schoolhouse and began
the long walk. Presently her steps
slackened; faint feeling stole over
, her; she strove against it, struggled
on few steps, then sank down in the
fast drifting snow.
/
: That day, when the Eastern train
steamed into the little town of Mel
: ton, it left one passenger on the plat
/, form of the small depot, good-look-
ing broad shouldered young fellow,
! whose name was William Chester. He
l had been amazed at not hearing from
Lizzie ut first, and had written again
| and Ngain, thinking there must be
some mistake Finally he heard n
rumor of her intended marriage. He
had been deeply hurt, but resolved
that no one should know it. Yet he
} could not tear her image from his
heart
When he started on his present trip
he said sternly to himself that bn