Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-08-22

light was settling over the lonely shore.
He used to know without seeing her,
that she was there, under the pine,
She wondered if he know that Dick
had asked her to marry him? The sea
WIS quite dark. except whcrc a faint
wreath of white came and went whore
the waves broke on the rocks. How
dear and kind Don had been; how full
Of laughter; how simple and trusting;
how careless and Food-patured; she re-
mem berod this or that drollcry. this or
that dear unreasOna blcness; hundred
tcndcrnesses No wonder she loved
him; to love such a man was enough
for one girls life, she thought. And
yet, Dick Wheeler had thought she
might marry him,
But I've been true" she protested
to herself. as if in excuse Then she
turned back to the path, and went on
to the little gray house. Don thought
it wasn't as nice as Dicks" she
thought, half smiling; well, you see,
I've chosen it, anyhow she said. half
aloud. as though he We're beside her.
She saw the kitchen door open and
SHUT, and heard burst of laughter
"Whv, who is here at this time of
night?" she thought. Ana then she
saw that there We're people in the door
yard, and two figures al the gate sud-
denly saw her, and came running
towards her:
Mary, he's back. Mary! Don's
home"
Mary stood still at the gate; she was
IT, H., Jp .1,, -, Il
her and would have pulled her along
the path. Hes home, Hes back, Mary;
do Won hear? He's back; he says he's
been meaning 10 come these five years;
hut he's been on three voyages"
Like a woman walking in her sleep,
Mary was pushed to the door, which
swung open again to admit these
friendly on-loollcrs, who lad como to
rejoice with those that did rejoice
Afterwards She did not know Wheth-
cr she saw him or not; the kitchen was
crowded. She heard Mrs. Hayes
laughing and crying, and saying;
And Mary's boon true to you-but
not because she hasn't had chances.
But why didn't you ever write to her""
And then a voice, voice from the
grave. dead voice, that made Mary
thrill with horror; voice that made
her heart culver, as though the founda-
tions of the solid earth moved and
mcltcd-a hearty, kindly voice, said:
Wen. was ALWAYS meaning to"
and, somehow, she turned and slipped
away between the pushing, joStling,
congratulatinE friends; slipped out into
the night, and ran, stumbling, crying,
shivcrng, away from the housc'of joy
and Thanksgiving.
Dick Wheeler was certainly tired
enough 10 have Jacob help him back to
bed; but Jacob was at the grocery store
listening, opeu-mouthcd, TO the story
of Donald Hayes return; so the young
man sat in the darkness, feeling miscr-
ably faint and miscrahly unhappy, He
wished Jacob would come he wished he
, had a lamp; he wished he had some
supper; he wished Mary would be kind
er. And then he drew a long breath,
and set his lips, ashamed of his unman-
ly iIritability. his cowardly collapse.
Some one knocked, but did not wait
for his Come in to push the door open
and enter It was Mary; she came
right so his chair and knelt down and
tool, one OF his big, thin, gentle hands
in hers
"Dicl come back. Don's alive.
And-and and, Dick, take me, please.
! Want--you; because Dou's alive"
TIE END.