The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-09-15

lug DAu gone on. . - ,;.r ;s
So twenty years crept away. Dolly
had remained in her aunt's home,
helping with the children at first, and
afterward working down town; for
her aunt's daughters needed every
thing, now that they were grown up,
and Dolly was used to looking out for
herself.
And now the waiting was over at
last, and she would be Roberts wife.
She would rather have waited for this
than to have been a queen long ago.
It seemed to her that the very
leaves knew and trembled, as she did,
with joy; and the stars twinkled
down between them as If they, too,
knew all about it.
The town clock struck ten and Patty
| and Ben came in from the reading
club. They always fingered a little
at the gate, as the manner of lovers
is, you know.
Dolly smiled as the soft murmur of
their voices came to her. She won.
dered if the poor young things would
ever be as happy as she was then!
And then, as they walked slowly
up the path, words began to grow out
of the soft murmur.
Bob Brent has struck it, they say"
Bob remarked in his elegant way, and
Patty replied mournfully:
"Ah, yes. How sorry I am for Dol
ly! Poor faithful, loving Dolly"
'sorry? Why isn't she in it?
thought they were"
"Why, Ben," Patty broke in, with
tears in her little babyish voice, "can't
you see that Dolly is only faded,
middle-aged woman now, while Rob
ert is in his prime-the handsomest
man in town? And haven't you no.
ticed how he admires Kitty? 1t was
all well enough when he couldn't
marry; but now"
But the words were indistinct again;
Dolly heard no more.
She had risen from the hammock
and was standing, white and still, in
the glare of the electric light. The
stars were mocking her now above the
lower light, and the breezes were
whispering of the twenty years that
had rolled over her, carrying her
freshness away
down to the gate, and bowed with
CHEEKY, Good night, Miss Dolly" and
went whistling his newest favorite
Gown the street.
Then Dolly crept up to her room.
Sand would have let him dosit!-sI
never would have thought of the
change. Oh, the shame, the humilia-
tion of it! TO think that I, a faded
middle-aged woman, would have
held him to the promise made to
fair young girl twenty long years
ago! He was too true and noble
to let me know, too tender to hurt
me. If only'I had seen! It is all so
different with women, but I never
thought of it before. It would not
matter to me now changed Robert
might be; I'd love him only the more,
If he needed more. But he is grandly
handsome and-and he must have a.
young, pretty wife. It is best, I see
that-best for Robert and for her and
for me; for I couldn't bear to have
him sorry or-or ashamed"
She loosed her dress at the throat
and pressed her hands against her
temples.
"He mustn't be ashamed of his
wife, dear, faithful Robert He must
be happy, now that the world is
brighter for him. l can bear it-for
him.
And then she wrote letter, and,
when it was finished, she knelt by her
bedside; and the stars twinkled in
and the breeze famed her pale, calm
face. Faded? Oh,, the beauty of it
as she knelt there giving up all she
held dear. What are dimples and all
fresh prettiness compared to beauty
like that? You only get the soul
after these are gone.
! In the morning before any of the
household was awake she took the
letter and carried it out to the mail
box on the corner; aud then she went
| to the hammock under the magnolia
and watched the sun rise down at the
end of the cross street.
| Presently the gate latch clicked,
and then pair of strong arms folded
themselves about her and her head
was on Roberts broad shoulder, and
he was telling her how he had longed
for her, and what an age the last
week had been. - -
| "You would have been sorry for me,
Dolly" he was saying; s.for in my
hurry getting off, left your last pho
tograph in the pocket of the coat I'd
been wearing, and there was only the
childish little thing taken twenty
years ago. Forgive me-. dear, but it's
more like your little silly-faced Cousin
Kitty than like you. There, don't be
vexed-I know you are not very like
her now; but, between us, believe
you were in those first days, though it
is hard to think Of my beautiful full
blown rose as anything less lovely
and sweet than she is now. But YOU
will soon be my very own, Dolly, and
/ shan't be missing a photograph
when !. have you. M slc .=
| Dolly drew her breath She was in
the new world again. ....
''Do you really want me, Robert?'
she asked, a glad light in her dark
blue eyes. .@I. !. ..s.. .s5..