River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-09-02

ing. ! thought lie was too sensible to
let the western fever influence MIN
when he was doing SO well at home.
Eetter let well enoug Oh alone. But /
understand he has sold out everything.
leased the farm and started out anew.
lie gives no reasons 10 anyone. Tan
sorry, for I always liked the lad" and
good old Farmer Hayes. rising a fort
night later from the breakfast table.
shook his head with a wise shake.
Poor Mrs. Hayes. IS she listened,
her florid face grew pale. Perhaps she
had made mistake, after all, and at
the memory of that white envelope,
hidden away somewhere in some deep
pocket, a weight Of iron was resting
on her heart. She stole a stealthy
glance at her niece. Her cheek had lost
Us color, her hand trembled little as
she raised a cup Of coffee 10 her lips,
but otherwise she gave no i'm.
That evening SOU re Arnold called,
and when lie left he carried with him
Marjorie Hayes promise TO become his
wife. Thus Mrs. Hayes ambition was
fulfilled, but vairly did she console her.
self with the thought. Something with
I in forbade self-cOI graduation. and tht
rudy color often left her cheek a
some forbidden memory. Squire Ar
mold had no cause to complain OF
capricious behavior. y spice of CO.
quetry tinged Marjorie's manner now
With quiet calm she moved about the
/ old house. busy with preparations foI
/ the now fast-approaching nuptials;
i but, oh, what would Mrs. Hayes have
given for one mischievous glance as OF
old, one ripple Of merry girlish laugh
I ter, one burst OF happy song.
7 Days merged into weeks, until one
I bright, beautiful morning in May, Mar
4 jorie rose to the consciousness that hel
wedding day had come. There was a
strange tenderness in Mrs Hayes man
rer, as sle helped robe the bride. II
was u though she prepared lamb foI
E the sacrifice, but il was 100 late now
she whispered ever to herself, and 81
/ hustled here and there in busy prepare
tion, so that none noticed how seldom
/ she smiled or how wan and pale she
looked.
II was over at last. Marjorie had gone
/ through II all as in a dream, scarcely
needing the words which bound her Ia
another, or hearing her own voice in re,
f Spouse. Then came congratulations
and farewells, and she had left her child
hoods home a wife. Then she awok,
from dream life to reality. then for the
I first time knew how stern a duty she
had imposed upon herself, and she won.
dered + her strength would not desert
her.
But Squire Arnold was too proud i'm
her possession To dteam her another
than satisfied. anu for six months she
did her duty well Then sudden, sharr
{ illness FRUSTRATED her husband, and be
fore the new year opened she stood
clad in widows weeds, beside his grave
But when she went back TO her desc
/ late home she missed even the duties
and as she realized how dread and
empty life was, a new, hard feeling
crept into her heart against the man
who had, in his ern. unrelenting an
ger, worked her his misery.
No word came from the wanderer
lie seemed to have passed forever from
their lives. but in the spring her aunt's
strength failed, aud she gladly obeyed
the summons to her side which allowed
her 10 close the great. lonely house
where she dwelt alone, and go back tc
the dear old farm TO the place her aunt
so long had filled.
Soon would it be empty. With a
great start, the girl first saw the awful
change whicH haJ taken place. She
rarely spoke. but Marjorie wondered
often At the wistful gaze which fol
lowed her every movement around the
room. But when few short weeks had
passed all knew the end was near. One
/ evening, just as the sun was sinking tc
rest. and Marjorie and her uncle. witt
a strange foreboding at their hearts
/ watched by tt sufferer, the sick WON
an, motioniug Marjorie nearer, whis
pered: The Ietter-in my pocket
I thought il best forgive"
The girl supposed her wandering
aud, STOPPING. she kissed the lips already