The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1894-11-02
MY 10, JOHN.
CHAPTER X.
by HELEN b. MATHERs.

all open. and the sleepy. hot summer
air might have lulled to slum Der any
worker. tired in brain or limb. who
found himself stretched in rocking.
chair, beneath the wide veranda that
extended round three sides of the
house.
But the two women who had been
resting all dav, who were tired of
rest, and wanted life and movement
instead, and who dreaded the long
hours of the summer night. held no
sleep between their evelids, as they
languidly set some stitches in their
needle work. and talked-as sisters
do talk who have been separated for
years.
There was a big gap in age be-
tween the two, for Mary had been -
when Mamie was born; but when the
latter grew up, the difference be-
tween them seemed to vanish, and
it had been terrible wrench to
Mary when the girl went out to
India. to be married from friend 5
house to q man the elder sister had
never seen.
The pair had met at country
house, and the man had shortly
after gone with his regiment to In
dia. aud from thsre had written TO
Mamie entreating her TO come out
TO him and be his wife, and much TO
everybody's amazement, Mamie had
picked up the handkerchief so
graciously dropped to her-and
gone.
Mary had packed some tears and
thwartej hopes in with the girls
bridal gown OF white and silver, and
she had trembled as she told Mamie
how little she knew of this man TO
whom she was going so unhesitat'
ingly, and Mamie had laughed, with
the pure, utterly happy Joy of a girl
who is living in loves young dream,
and without tremor or a doubt, or
regret. she had gone. and the groom
had met his bride, and the bride was
wife of some years standing now.
And now the pair had come home,
and Captain Dewar had gone first to
his own people in Scotland, and
Mamie had come straight to Pigeon
wick. and they had talked, these
sisters. OF everything upon earth
save their own hearts
Mamie had been a beauty, which
Mary never was, and she had had
the brightest smile and the merries
laugh that ever girl had, and she
was as merry and bright now as she
In Nd 4
the Fletchers, assuring each other,
acrimoniously, that she had drawn q
prize in the matrimonial lottery
anyway
But Mary looked deeper. and she
found the heart and soul of the
smile gone, and the merrimen nj
might pass muster with the world
but it rang untrue in the ears that
so jealousy held the memory OF q
spontaneous happiness in every rip
pie of the girls young voice.
And Mamie's blue eyes were as OK
quisite as ever, only they had diff
ferent look in them, as il they had
gazed ont for long while on some
thing that hurt them, and the hurt
had been gotten over. but the looh
remained.
And Mary said to herself thai
something had caused her to suffer
exceedingly. so much that she would
never be able TO suffer very much
again; and having made compro
mise with life Gas most of us do),
had taken counsel with a brave
heart, and resolved that if she wore
it on her sleeve, 1T should look as
gay as the best.
Mamie could enjoy joke as well
as ever. She was, indeed, much
given to raising her own and her
neigh bors' spirits, wheresosver she
might find herself, by amusing
stories. and an exercise OF that sense
of humor which is so rare in 9
woman, and she got immense salts
faction out OF tho peculiarities o.
the Fletchers. and even OCCASIONALLY
made sad-eyed Mary enjoy them too
But on this especial afternoon
Mamie was barren of Jokes, and
Mary felt the oppression of life
weighing her down heavily, like
clods on halfdead mans breast
"lt's very good of you. Mamie. Il
bury yourself down here" she burs
out suddenly. 'just to be with mo =
when so much is going on in town
And of course you expected TO 6nt
me at Harley street. when you came
home"
..Yes." said Mamie, II did. Blu
it was you came TO see. not you
house"
She dropped her work. got out o
her long chair as only graceful
young woman could, and knelt dowi
beside her sister
MARY" she said. "dear old girl.
and laid her cheek to the olde
and paler cant you talk aoou
10, even TO me? IL would do 20,
good IL you could cry, IL woul,
be better still"
Her arm was round Mary's necl
now. and, for awhile. they held cacl
other tightly, and neither spoke.
"It's no good. Mamie" she sal
at last "nothing can alter it