Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-10-27
SARAH RAwIsON'S LOVE.
1t Was Faithful to q Jealous and
Frenzied Lover.

in the stone yard to eat her dinner.
It had been her custom to sit in the
midst of the other girls, the merriest
of them all, at this time, but now she
wanted to get by herself.
She wanted to think, as we general
ly do when thought is most pain to us,
and she was in that condition of mind
when we could almost fancy ourselves
TO have a dual identity. One Sarah
Rawdon seemed to hold an argument
with another Sarah Rawdon in this
wise: The first was the old Sarah she had
known for nineteen years-her moth
er's obedient daughter, the good Sun
day school scholar, the steady, sensible
little Sarah, to whom duty was before
everything else. That Sarah talked in
this way: 81 am engaged to Charles
Arthur. am very fond of him. |
ought to be; he is so good, so fond Of
ane. We have been promised in mar
risge long while. | have been so
sorry for him since he met with
that accident through which my
mother and | nursed him. Now that
he has the engineers place in the fac
tory we need wait no longer. 1 ought
TO be very glad-I am glad. shall
not work in the mill after that.
shall keep his house for him. What is
this strange, wicked feeling at my
heart? What does it mean?"
The other Sarah-a new Sarah
seemed to say this: II engaged myself
to Charles Arthur before knew my
own mind. never really loved him;
he is very much older than l; he has a
jealous disposition. The pity feel
for his hurt does not keep me from
knowing that it disfgures him. | have
met the man love-I cannot help low
ing him. l know ] shall he miserable
if do not. ! won't stick to my en-
gagement; will break It, love Ben
Barton, and he loves me-"
Which was the real Sarah? The
poor girl did not know. She felt as
though she must really be going quite
out of her mind.
Meanwhile, at the window of his
room the engineer sat moodily, his face
dark with trouble.
He ought to have been happy, it
seemed. When, three years before, he
had lost good position all through
what called "carelessness," he had
never hoped to get another SO good.
ne had famed himself for life, and had
been haunted for long while by deep
5remorse.
Something had happened that had
absorbed his whole attention, and he
bad forgotten his engine, and the re-
suit was terrible one.
{, Hc had retrieved his character, how
lever. He had a good position again.
gIe was about to be married to the
prettiest girl he knew, and there We're
many who thought him very enviable
fellow.
On the contrary, he was very
wretched,t for he had just made sure
that Sarah cared more for Ben Barton
than she did for him, and he was furi-
Gus with jealousy. lie had made up
his mind to talk to Sarah that noon
time, but the assistant engineer Ind
been taken i'll and was at home, and
the engine could not be deserted All
he could do was to get near the win
dow and watch, hoping that she would
pass.
If she should come that way on pur-
pose, knowing Shaf he was tied in that
room By his duty, and look up at him
and smile. then he would know that
she cared for him still. Where was
s6ep Talking to Ben Barton, perhaps;
and at this thought he could have
killed the young fellow.
Before his accident he could have
dared TO run down into the yard and
look for her, catch kiss aud be back
again; but it would take too long now.
His mind went back To the day when
he had forgotten his engine in the
wrath he felt for fancied insult
"What fool | was." he muttered.
"1yhat confounded fool! But I've
paid for it. | used to be the strongest
fellow knew, if ! was not the hand
soonest. How can / expect girl to
like me now?"
Then memory came to him.
Once she had told him she loved him
all the better for his hurt. She meant
it, too; but she had not seen this Ben
Barton when she said it.
The big, dark man, with his face all
blackened with his toll, in his rough
clothes, and with the light of the fur
mace on his face, might have been
taken by romantic stranger peeping
into the engine room for something
almost demoniac at that moment.
But his heart was softening very
much at that moment. He remem-
bered the soft touch OF Sarah's fingers
on his brow when he was ill-her COO
ing voice.
"Sbc can't be false thing" he said,
and he left his window and went to the
other side of the room and peered
through break in the boards Thence
he could see the courtyard and stone
steps, and there sat Sarah alone. cat
ing her dinner; waiting for him, per-
haps. All that was tender in the man
thrilled within him now.
Sarah, he said, softly smiling un-
seen upon her. He whistlcd, but the
sound did not reach her. Little Sally"
he repeated, liam a jealous beast. I've
frightened you. Why shouldn't you
have dance now and then, child?