The broad ax., 1897-07-31


wasted the hand that had clung 70 HIM
for a moment; how slight the weight
that he had sustained. With grim
satisfaction he had watched the tokens
OF failing youth in her keep pace Win
his own accumulating inhrmities. Be
'yond this he had never looked untli
now She had seated herself upon the
bank and insisted that he should go
on Her painting breath as she leaned
against tree told how her frail
strength was exhausted. A nameless
foreboding oppressed him as he Let
her.
A comrade observed his depression
and approached him, addressing him
genially, touching the burnt hole In
his sleeve. In mute recognizes cf its
import, then lifting his hand to smooth
down the pocket lapel on the breast OF
his old military coat A paper rustled
In the rocket.
Important dispatehes?" que-ied the
other, In smiling recognition Of the
service in which the old coat had been
worn.
IF they were, I'm afraid their use
tulness would be past" returned Sex
ton lightly, idly thrusting his hand
INTO the pocket and wondering what
relic Of army days would come to
light
He drew out couple Of tiny sheets,
gilded on three edges, a jagged line
On the fourth showing where they
had been hastily torn from a binding.
Across these was scrawled a message;
Il viii marry you tonight, II you
want me, John. Your empty sleeve IL
more to me than all the epaulets in
he world"
There was no Gate or signature, but
he knew Hetty Plympton's hand. What
Ind II mean? When had she written
L? How did 1t come there? He re-
NAMED standing, stupefed, bewildered,
while the rest moved On. Suddenly
the explanation flashed upon him. He
remembered the scene at the railroad
station on the day of his return from
the south; how she had turned aside to
write in the little book; her light
touch on his breast when she had stood
before him.
It was we'll for Hetty Plympton that
the place where she had sat down to
rest was a by-path, away from the line
of march. John Sexton would rot
have hesitated or delayed his errand IL
there had been a thousand people
about her. She rose at the sound Of
his quick tread. He held out the little
scraps Of paper to her.
"Hetty, / have but Just found this.
/ never saw II before. My darling,
what must you have thought"
Can love and joy find resurrection,
full and perfect, after they have been
entombed for a quarter Of a century?
Aye, II clean hands have laid them
away, and purity and faith kept guard
over them. Swift came the awaken
ing, gathering force and strength from
all the years through which they had
slumbered. Miss Hetty's face bios
somed into something so like its girl
ish beauty that she was as one trans
figured to John Sexton, whose eyes
lost their tired, strained look and re-
covered their youthful fire, while his
figure Strengthened. and he seemed in
a moment to renew his lost estate Of
youth and courage.
Yet they accepted their happiness
reverently, as becomes those who re-
ceive a precious gift, long withheld.
With a low exclamation, like the cry
Of some hurt creature, long suffering,
that has at last reached covert, Hetty
laid her head upon his breast, and he
folded his arm about her.
Sweetheart" he said, gently, your
pledge has been slow to reach me. The
day has been long and lonely. viii
you keep your promise tonight"
The shadows were lengthening when
they turned their faces homeward, but
the radiance of the setting sun was in
their faces.-F1ora H. Longhead, In
Springfield Mass) Republican.