The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-08-18


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 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 Us 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 am for Dol
lyl Poor faithful loving Dolly"
"Sorry? Why isn't she in it? I
thought they were"
"Why, Ben," Patty broke in, with
tears in her little babyish voice, cant
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 hooking her now above the
lower light, and the breezes were
whispering of the twenty years that
had rolled over her, carrying her
freshness away.
Ben saw her there when he came
down to the gate. and bowed with a
CHEEKY, Good night, Miss Dolly" and
went whistling his newest favorite
Gown the street.
Then Dolly crept up to her room.
"And l would have let him do it! I
never would have thought of the
change. Oh, the shame. the humilia-
ticn of it! To think that /, 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 had seen! 1t is all so
different with women, but l never
thought of it before. 1t 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. 1t is best, see
that-best for Robert and for her and
for me; for 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 a 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; and 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; ''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 II
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 photograph
when have you"
| Dolly drew her breath. She was il
! the new world again.
do you really want me, Roberto"
she asked, glad light in her dark.
blue eyes.
iii show you pretty soon. Want
you? Oh, Dolly" and then he went
on, laughing happily as he told her o!
his plan.
"Pm coming to- night with Mr..
Sims, and I'm going to claim my wife
and take her away with me. What
jolly tour ours shall be! Yes, know
there is always trouble about clothes
aad things; but we won't let that
make the waiting longer. Put on the
little blue frock and come away with
me. l want you, and I've waited
twenty years; and now must hurry
to mother AL Amy and the small
army of young people. I'll come for
my wife at 0, Dolly. Will she be