Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-04-04

that, too, had persisted. Only her
voice and her black dress had any link
to the vividly-imagined "Marion. "
He had been prepared for o somber
frock, and her tones were as soft and
sweet as he had fancied.
'I'm very glad to. know you," she
was saying. ''Tell me all you can
about-about it. The official an
nouncement was the only news ]
had"
Dick pulled himself together. and,
with much gentleness, recounted the
scene at Jagai, speaking of Philips
death as painless one.
She detected the kindly lie, as we'll
as the tears in his voice, and impul-
sively held out her hand to him. 1t
looked like snowflake on the bronze
of his, and in the emotion of the mo-
ment he bent his lips to 1t, at the same
time conscious of disappointment
gnawing at his senses. Dick was dis
tinotly human and it was with re-
vulsion of feeling that he recalled the
death-cry of his Jonathan and his own
promise. 1t was easy then to pledge
himself to lift the loneliness of the
beautiful, bereaved girl, but its full
filment with this calm, faded woman
seemed thing SO different.
''Let us be friends for the sHke Of
our dead," she said, as he left he. nd
he WINGED.
A few days later Dick was w'th her
again, conscious-stricken 4 that
second visit he assigned a re- day
for what he considered his duty. He
was quartered at Portsmouth, and one
afternoon week he sacrificed in the
little green-shuttered villa facing the
sea. He knew that she looked for his
coming, because she had told him so,
but the yoke of his promise continued
to weigh heavily.
"Why don't you leave this OFF," he
asked one day, touching her black
gown. 'It's more than a year ago,
you know, and think you would
brighten with brighter surroundings ,"
They were sitting on patch of
lawn, and the searching sunlight re-
vealed all the weariness of her face.
"Do you think so-really?" she
said, with earnestness. 81 have SO
many pretty frocks upstairs, but
may tell you something? You won't
laugh at me?"
She had never lost her apathy until
this moment, when, leaning toward
him, she confided something of her
past.
d" And it was SO awful
cherishing love with folded hands,
doing nothing day in and day out but
pray and wait, and wait and pray, for
my lover, that, to make the dreariness
seem less II got my trousseau ready.
When the idea first struck me worked
with feverish haste, but, little by lit
tie, the stitches were made more slow
ly to fit it with the gap that yawned
in front of me. Even then the mar
riage things were finished too soon,
for nothing happened until"
The unuttered allusion, following
the revelation of life fretted thread
bare of hope, softened him toward her
as he had never felt before. In dim
way he realized the pathetic patience
of this woman, who had mutely al
lowed her prettiness to slip from her
grasp whilst drifting down the river
Of years, which had borne her from
the shore Of youth to the dead level of
despair. The ravages of time upon
her face stirred his deepest pity, and
with an impulse he did not pause to
question, Dick asked Marion to yield
her life into his keeping.
They were engaged. No words of
love had passed between them, but
their compact was tense with sincerity.
Dick found newly awakened interest
in the face that now smiled without
effort. There was restfulness in her
glance when it met his which stilled
any lurking regret that may have
existed, and gradually he looked for
ward to his marriage with Marion
with certain degree of contentment.
"When is it to be?" he asked to-
ward the end of the year, and
was startled at his spasm of relief
when she answered indefinitely. Jug
Cling with his conscience, Dick ex-
planned the feeling to himself as a re-
luctance to "settle down yet"-any-
thing but shrinking from the final
step of his promise
1t was nearing Christmas, and Mar
ion was sticking holly about the
house; a spray Of scarlet berries
glinted warmly against her dress,
which was no longer black, and Dick
thought her almost pretty as she laugh
ed down at him from the height OF u
flight of steps.
$50 my little sister will be home for
the wedding after all, she was telling
him. "She'll make such lovely
bridesmaid, Dick!"
SIS she nice little girl?" he asked,
abstractedly.
"a darlingl She's leaving school
for good now, SO you'll see lots OF
her. She has the bluest of eyes, and
another holly sprig for just here,
please; thanks-and the brightest OF
hair you ever saw! Once II was like
her, Dick"
81 know" he murmured; 81 mean I
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