The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-10

Give my remembrance and thanks to
the ladies" it ran. Il hope some day TO
renew the pleasant companionship 1
have enjoyed so much, and trust that
Miss Maxwell may not have forgotten
the proper accompaniment of my songs
BY that time
If-ah me! there are so many ifs in
the world--strangal enough the only
thought which brought me comfort as
the foolish belief that because the like
thing had happened to Aunt Dorothy,
it could not therefore happen to me;
yet the very day before the same co.
incidence had depressed me. / was in
deed drifting about at the mercy of ev-
cry wave of thought; then by slow de-
grees came the conviction that the first
Dorothy had brought her fate on her
self She had sent back the ring, she
had resented the desertion, so if I
waited in patience and hope the end
could not, must not be the same. But
deepest of all lay the remembrance OF
Hugh himself; the feeling that if he
were false, it was foolish to fret about
anything in this world of shadows and
dreams. In heaven and earth he was
the most. real thing to me. and the loss
of my ideal meant the loss Of every
thing worth tear.
Despite this certainty as the long hot
summer days passed by bringing no
news of him, / grew listless and pale
The doctor called in to see me, smiled
She is full of vitality" he said, and
Of what ! call hopeful constitution.
Give her time and she will justify my
words. He was right. The first au-
tumn breezes found the color back in
my cheeks and hope in my heart.
But they found Aunt Dorothy ailing.
Since the shock she had undergone at
hearing the old song once more. she
had never been quite herself; and now
they talked of heart disease and looked
grave over the frequent attacks which
though not dangerous in themselves.
spoke of failing circulation.
My time was largely occupied in
nursing her, for we had grown friends
in adversely, as we should never have
done in joy, l think in her heart of
hearts she rejoiced over my confdence,
though her sympathy was uhspoken;
and of certainty she was proud of
my pride. So the long winter nights
went by as the long summer day had
done-without sight or sound Of Hugh
Christmas passed and the New Year set
in with bitter frost. which tried Aunt
Dorothy's feeble vitality to the utmost.
Still every day she came down in the af-
ternoOn to the parlor, and many time
/ have seen her old eyes fixed on the
nook in the carved chimney piece
where her Hugh used to put his letters;
and my young ones have followed hers
in longing for news of mine. She
looked into the past, into the future.
One day I was sitting in my usual
placed on a stool at Aunt Dor
othy's feet when in stopping to pick
UP the clew or my knitting, which
a mischievous kitten had rolled under
the fender, Hugh's ring slipped off my
finger, and with flash in the freight
disappeared in recess OF the old Chin
ney corner, I was on my knees in
moment, but though Aunt Phemie put
Gil her spectacles to aid in the search
nothing was to be seen.
It's likely slipped in yon crack" she
said. Yell mind Dorothy there was
aye one in mantle just over there: 1t
runs all the way up. Never mind my
lamb she added, consolingly, seeing
me ready to cry over the loss OF my
treasure. "Maggie's away to the Bowl
this minute. and she'll tell the joiner to
come I'D the morn and take out yon
panel. 1t will be behind it, never fear"
But for the first time dreary pre-
sentiment that even trust was power
less against fate took possession of me
and must have SHOWN IN my face. for
tied off on her errand felt Aunt Dor
othy's hand seek mine.
Poor wee lassie,'' she murmured:
you've been a better girl than I was
my dear, and sometimes I've wondered
if may hap it was all mistake. God
knows
We we're sitting silently in the dim
twilight when Dad came into the room
fresh from a tramp In the snow. give
fo-- To- !, s-1tl
his hands at the fire. Hugh Dalrymple
is back, and what's more ne has
brought a wife with him.
The freight fiickered and danced:
perhaps that was why the room seemed
to spin round as the CHEEKY voice went
on:
81 heard it ct the Lodge as I passed.
Quite unexpected and Mrs. Fletcher was
full of Mrs. Dalrympie's beauty" I
stood I'D. turning instinctively to Aunt
Dorothy. She knew, she could under
stand. Then once more fate was kind
to my pride, for I saw that she had
tainted and in the hurry and anxiety
which followed 1 had time not only to
conceal my pain, but to forget it.
Indeed, it was not until the attack
far more serious than any previous one
was over and / had been left to the
loneliness Of a night watch. that my
mlnd began to feel the full force of
the blow which had fallen upon me-
1t fell all the heavier because of my
trust. I had wrought my own undoing.
had given all the strength of my soul
to keep the spark OF hope bright, and
now it had died down to darkness for
ever and ever ! crouched by the fire,
now there was no one to see me, Tor
Aunt Dorothy slept the sleep Of ex-
haustion-and tried to think it out.
but my mind wandered away into the
yeriest trivialties and more than once
u had to bring myself back with a
certain sense of shame to face the fact
that Hugh, my Hugh. had forgotten
me. How long I sat there duly trying
to realize my own pain, I know not,
but the moon ro5e high in the clear
frosty sky when, with the feeling that
If could only see beyond those mar
row walls I might be able to under
stand, / went to the window and
softly drew UP the blind. Leaning my
hot forehead on the cool glass I looked
out, and great peace stole into my
heart. The depths of purple sky
seemed to stretch far beyond the linn
its Of pain. and the earth shrouded in
It's white covering of snow looked as if
tears and toll and trouble had been
forgotten and forgiven in the arms of
death. What did it all matter? A lit
tie while and my pain and his joy
would alike be settled.
Instinctiveiy I turned to see the bed
and knelt beside the pillow where the
tired old face rested so peacefully. It
tvo1Id not be long I fb5, oh : sfef0rea n or