The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-09-02

her to close the great, lonely house
where she dwelt alone, and go baclSS.b
the dear old farm, TO the place her an. At
so long had filled.
Soon would it be empty. With a
great start, the girl first saw the awful
change which had taken place. She
rarely spoke, but Marjorie wondered
often at the wistful gaze which fol.
lowed her every movement around the
room. But when a few short weeks had
passed all knew the end was near One
evening. just as the sun was sinking to
rest. and Marjorie and her uncle, witk
strange foreboding at their hearts
watched by the sufferer, the sick WON.
an, motioning Marjorie nearer. whis-
pered: The letter--in my pocket
thought il best forgive"
The girl supposed her wandering
and. STOPPING, she kissed the lips already
cold, and when she raised her head the
eyes had closed. the spirit fed Then
when the funeral was over and the
house restored to its quiet, she took
her place beside her uncle. it seemed
as though all the glory had died out
of her life. and left only gray shadow
of its former brightness.
Two years passed. and Marjorie won
dered at the strange calm which seemed
almost paralyzing her life, when sud
denly her energy was reused to action
\ terrible fever had broken out in then
very midst. Men. women and children
fled before it, and there were few te
care for the thousands already stricken
With a sense of almost gratitude, Mar
iorie took her place by the bedsdes OF
the sick and dying. All eXpostulatior
was in vain, and night and day she
worked as though unconscious of ia.
tigue. One evening, in passing through
: a temporary ward, she caught sight OF
n man whose face, bronzed and bearded
yet carried with it a forgotten memory
y moment she knelt IOy John Harding
| side. In his delirium he seemed TO rec.
ognize her.
There was no light, Marjorie. in the
} window. 1t was all dark-no answer tc
my letter. So went away. 1t was best
sC-best, best" and the fever burned
hotter and fiercer and his voice sank
or rose in incoherent words
"A hopeless case, Miss Marjorie" and
the old physician's voice, still giving her
the name of her youth, reused her from
her reyerie He worked like a Trojan
among the sufferers, poor fellow, until
he was stricken down himself; and now
he will never work again" and with a
shake Of the head the old man passed
on.
John, John. live for my sake; if only
once l may tell you it was my fault-all.
all mine" and with burst of sobs, the
fair young head was pillowed by his
side.
When she had gone back for a few
hours rest to the farm, the words of his
deiirium returned to her and with them
those of her aunt.
She had said: Forgive" With a
strange prescience she flew up into the
unused room, opened the lavender.
scented closet, and one by one examined
the pockets of the dresses she herself
bad hung there and left untouched,
At last in one her search was rewarded
Paper cracked under her touch. and
drawing forth AN envelope yellow with
age, she saw, in the handwriting she
knew so well. her maiden name.
The evening found her still sitting
with wide-open eyes, yet seeing moth
ing, and the letter on her lap.
Forgive me- Marjorie. You know dear,
did rot mean it. l will trust you, dar-
ling and you, with your gentle ways, must
teach me patience. Write me just one
little word of love in answer; or, if you
can't do that, put light in the east win
dow for me. | will see X, ard shall know
you have forgiven me, little as l deserve it.
Yours till death, JOHN HARDING"
Till death--tiIl DEATH" the white
lips moaned, and so they found her,
only idly muttering those words, with
the fever burning and ravaging her ten
der flesh. It was fierce struggle. and
when il left her wan and wasted. she
thought of the dreary future ahead
with a wild wish at her heart that she
had not been spared. But one morning,
sitting in her own room by her open
desk, the old letter spread out before
her, a familiar tread sounded on the
gravel path, and, looking up, she fell
odch ldlntlnS, Iof she thought she mad
seen john Harding's ghost. But it was
no ghost, but living flesh and blood re-
ality which bent so tenderly over heI
and waited till the blood came back to
the wasted cheek and saw the glad
night of recognition leap into the open,
ing eyes.
Then Marjorie knew that God was
> good, and, with great cry of thanks.
giving that her wicked prayer for death
had gone unpublished, she dung to his
breast, and, clasping her close to his
: beating heart, John Harding felt the
past was wiped out, and that at last,
after long years, he held his wife. IN. Y
Ledger.
| What Is Virtue.
Emperor Sigismund, in conversation
with Theodore, archbiship of Cologne,
asked the primate how he ought to act
so as to obtain happiness.
I'VE cannot, sire, expect it in this
world"
"What then, is the WaV to cain han.