The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-17
A RETURNED LOVER.

prOprlhte titio, for VINO could be more
sweet tempered or oontented than the lit
tie sisterss They lived In the tiny cot
tage, not far from the parsonage that you
have 80 often admired. They had lived
there ever since their fathers death, and
q pretty little nest 1t was, with its rose
covered porch, low thatched roof and
bright, shining windows Their little gar
den was always neat. am sure no cater
pillars. or other grubs, were TO be found
In their cottage and strawberry beds. The
bright eyes Of Miss Sophia would have
spotted them at once. and the swift fingers
Of Miss Josephine have plucked them
away. y
Any morning in the year, save perhaps
on Sundays, you might have seen tho Mt
tie ladies hard at work among their plants;
any afternoon have met them walking
quickly up tho village street and received
bright smile from two happy faces az
you passed. They dressed alike In soft
material of sober color that Miss Joseph
Inc, the younger, sometimes frightened
by smart bow or lace ruflc. Their bon
nets closely fitted the small, shapely heads
with the bands of smoothly brushed hair,
from which an unruly lock would some
times escape and hang over Miss Joseph
ines check, to be at once rcproved by the
elder, and brushed back, with q blush, by
the younger sister.
Miss Sophia was five years older than
Miss Josephine, Of whom she always spoke
as "the child" To the younger the elder
was always "sister," never Sophia
that would have. been too familiar. To
uk< 4
she had passed girlhood, and even young
womanhood, long, long ago. Truly, she
was an example to the forward young gen.
eration shat now spends It's days In direot-
ing parents, and even grandparents, and
In kicking its heels against our best parlor
sofas.
To Miss Josephine belonged the hum
bier duties of the home life-the feeding
Of the chickens. the dusting Of the house.
hold gods, shrined In the dim, curtained
parlor; the washing Of the dainty eggsheli
porcelain In which the little ladies served
their tea. With such tasks Molly, the
maid Of all work, was too clumsy to be
trusted, but the delicate fingers of little
Miss Josephine never soiled or damaged
anything.
Often, when listening to her sweet, gen.
tie voice and watching the tender pink
color mantling In the fair, old maidish
face, wondered why no man had ever
claimed Miss Josephine for his own. With
Miss Sophia it was different. Her sharp,
angular figure and her stern, sallow face
had but few attractions. Had the forbid
ding aspect of the elder driven suitors
away from tho younger sister, wondered.
Once, in q moment of unwonted courage,
after had duly admired tho wonderful
Chinese figures In the drawing room and
the beautiful porcelain, ventura to ask
Miss Sophia whether Miss Josephine and
she had never thought Of marriage. This
drew from her the story Of their unevent-
full life.
She told me Of q motberless childhood,
through which the older had cherished the
younger with more than a sisters love, of
father whose life rs merchant In China
separated him from the two little girls.
OF two cousins, nephews Of that father,
two young men who, before journeying to
the far east to help In their uncle's firm,
had won the hearts Of the two girls,
"Apd Martin, my lover" concluded Miss
Sophia, "died of fever three years later,
but Willie, who was to have married tho
child, wrote to us for many years. Then
his letters grew gradually fewer, and In
the end-after many years-we received
the last But Josephine loves him still,
know. She cannot forget Willie" The
father died shortly before the little ladies
settled in the village; he had left his
daughters we'll provided for.
Tho story interested me. I wondered
whether the tagging lover would return
before little Miss Josephine was an old
lady. hoped 50, and my wish was grant
cd. Early one summer morning, as Miss
Josephine was gathering roses in the little
garden, tho postman entered by the wick
ct gate and put letter into her hands.
At tho sight Of the handwriting Miss Jo-
sephine trembled, her face grew pink,
then white as snow. Leaving the basket
of dowy roses In the middle of the path,
she hastily passed into the cottage and in
to the darkcned parlor. How long she sat
there before she ventured to open the let
tor the little lady never knew. thou
sand memories, hopes and fears, passed
through her mind ere she broke the seal
and knew her fate. When Miss Sophia,
Feturning from some Village expedition,
,ntorod tho room In search of her sister
rhe fonnd little Miss Josephine sitting by
tho darkcned window, the letter lying In
her idlo hand "Why, Joscphine-you
here! have been looking for you every
where" Thon Miss Sophia paused. Evon
I'm tho dim light sho noticed the pink,
agitated faoo, and tho dewy eyes "What
Is itY" sho asked. "lIas anything hap
pencdS" "Sister, something Is going Co
happen" Then the little creature sprang
To her feet, and threw herself, lctter and
all, into tho elder woman's arms. "Sistor,
do look old2 Am much changcdP VIII
no know moS For he's coming home
Wlllio's coming back tn moi
Miss Sophln Rasped.
She told mo nfterwnrd that she felt as
though tho day Of judgment were come.
But she remained outwardly calm and
merely said, "Show mo tho lottor. "
Then those two doar old maids scatcd
themselves side by sido on the sofa, and
together read tho words that Miss Joseph
Inc already knew by heart. He wrote
that ho had rsturncd 10 England; that he