The Natchitoches enterprise., 1897-02-18


closed
Sd Nellie Thu0ods Tom Thusrons, !.
Young VIE died and was buried n ~
httis ohurohyard by the ssa. ard sbs M
tide came ii aud tsie tide went oni
through the long snAnmer days ana
nights and peaceful otdez xegned ID ~
little cottage, fot Heslzilhh vas 4 nota.
BE housskeepst, and Ton Wns erasafu1
10 her In dull inozzonal way. HIs
heart was bnried ii peEly made grave
ca the cliff side, and nofhsna sss.ss.s
real q him int that.
I Hepzibah watched hin from nader
hor whits eyelashes and k6ps silent. hu
bis Pipe was alway zeaay foz hlns
when he came 1ndooxs and his favraito
food sinlneren 0n the bob
Hepzinah'a i hs5r szsn brlEhtsf as the
/ DAYS went on I1eE cs ks had oonely
isssT. Sis <.'n s thoueisof lssz
dress. She bog lnA einqhnnn gown
in the village and muasHn hanaker4
/ chief for her neck Hee voioo kooIF i
softer note. she hegaa e dig about her
work
Bat tom would sit in The ehnrobrart
through tlae long 8unaknez fsgiliahts' ar,fs
when he came IN 70 his supper his feet
/ dragged wsarlIy, and hie sxss wers dali
! with misery.
] You shculd not e4i6vs 10 . eaid
Hepaihah softly one night AFTER suspkr
/ She was knitting 10 the ilrslsght. Har
head was bert ever Der work.
Tom woke ~ fEun dream. Ia
/ looked at her With unaaeln4 eysa.
ssAh, It's well e say that q & is,asr
I whose heart IL hreaking
His voice grew husky. Hs turned
away bis head to the aEe.
'sBnt Jon shouldn't sriava as ems
| without h1pe. TiEas must soften thinos
: Bit You have your life before you' !,
Tom laughed q short bitter laugh not
good to hear
ssshe was al haduly NelIie--tl,e
apple 81 my eye. aat goods lie to
ne nowf Such pzsy Hags aha had.
tooF he went On napsing: ueh lov-
Ing. tender ways
Hepzibaha i needle flashed II the fre-
light
There are other .s4sn = sEe SIC work
as 4.sssssaa aa fssific. alsa saia oatlv. with
her eyes en- her la
There wns & lotz snce s. a 5nns.
TIE IRE fioker4d adez fell on fbs
hearth. HopzihaE i hear har heart
throbs. She slowly lksed her eyaa to the
naan 4
a nok loasillE at her a. SO. but
as china pIIsE eEs upen se little
aga
tz1Nbled Lo was trying to remember.
bly, Nellie did not keep that on
there No. It was on the mantelpiece
hero that ahe had It
He brought the ornament o7ers dHst-
Ing 1t with his handkerchief
We must keep the things as she left
them Hepzi bah, hE said But Hepzi-
bah had slipped out ef tlao door iu60 the
SUMMER darknesa
She rested her arms "a tie Etkle gate
and stood looking faE out to sea. Her
faoe shone white and ghostly ii TIE
dinaness. She shivered In the wxrna air.
You dead woman-you Nellie, she
vhiapefed tansely, Why will you not
give him up to me9 You have your
Jack. You 40 not want hina-and r.
oh. my Godi'
A great fearless sob choked her. The
shimmering waves mocked her. Her
face hardened.
Why should not Tell hin9 I shall
do you no harm. How can one hurt the
dead? You ara asleep in the churohyard.
and / love him-I tell you l love hfml,s
The man was sitting, smoking mood
ily, gazing into the glowing FIRE when
Hepzibah glided IN and stood behind /
his chair.
ssTom, can't bear that ron should
grieve so. She wasn't worthy Of love
Ike yours
sHepzibahl''
81 have thought you ought to know, %
she FILTERED. because can't bear to
see you spelling your life for love Of
her-her who did not love you at ali,
but Jack. "
Woman, what do yDu mean7 What
Hes are you telling neGy
ssIt's true. Don't you remember her
calling out. aboua The ietteza che night
- .lfsaf She gave rs g packet Jaaiz'a
letters to her.
ssREy Godl Give them to mel's
"Yon must not mind 50 much, Tom. ?
ssThe Ietterap
Hepzibah laid the packet on the table
and crept away up the staircase 20 her
room-
The still hours passed By. Night
xyaued. bat Hepzibah, wild eyed and
n1mb. crouohed BY the bed. straining
her ears for any sound from below.
An hour before dawn came the sound
Of 1 chair sCrapfng on the tagged floor.
Then drawers were opened and ahut.
His footsteps echoed 10 and fro; then
silence ard the scratching Of 8 pen.
II grew unbearable Disheveled, wan,
fearful, she orept down the stairs and
peered In.
Tom Thurgood sat sc the table writ
ing by the dim 5andlelight He had on
bis rough pilots coat a bundle tied il
q red handkerchief rested beside him.
Hepzibnha broken cry aroused him.
He rose and oarne toward her.
"I'm going away back to sea
again, ha said graVsly. You re vol
come to the cottage and tho bits Of fur
nituza There's no home for me now
the place would Kill me Get back to
BED, woman. Gtoodby there, goi''
He turned back ta bis writing, and
the room was quiet again, Presently he
threw down his psn and passed his inky
tlngers through hia hair
t9rhe wind means terrible tonight, =
be said
TWAS Hepzhah above crying for her
lest paradise -Ghapman'a Magazine.
rr..sa I.osa.