The Monte Vista journal., 1897-07-03

the question to her-it's we'll didn't.
She invited me to the weddin'. It
nigh killed me. Josh"
wal, consarn the -" began, as
mad AZ fury at what seemed her flirt-
in ways. but 81 raised his hand an
stopped me.
"Don't-not word agin her Josh!'
he sed. flarin' up. Remember, love
her"
1t wazn't In me to hurt his fcelin's,
an asked, consid ably cooled down:
Does she know yer feelin's. Si?"
He shook his head. II didn't tell
her-I couldn't She Jest looked on me
as friend. I reckon. She must never
know. Josh. 1t might sp'ile her hap
piness, he sed; an then neither of us
could find anything to say for long
time; Jest stood thare. a-lookin' at the
stars way of 'mongst the fiy!n' clouds
an tryin' ter swaller a big lump that
kept risin' In our throats. Somehow
81 never had seemed quite SO near and
dear to me as he did In them silent mo-
ments o mutual misery. l edged up
closer to him an he to me an our
hands got together in tight. warm
grasp that sed more than all the words
We could hev spoken in a lifetime.
1t must hev been mighty nigh mid
night afore VIC left the barnyard gate,
although We hadn't sed more'n dozen
words. We Jest stood there a-holdin'
onto each others hands an tryin' to
think. but always losin' our reckonin'
in the heavy clouds O. sorrow that
hung ever us.
Don't take II too much ter heart.
81. Try ter be brave-try ter mSks
the best of it, l sed to him as we
parted. He didn't answer me. He
tried to. but all OF suddint he gave
my hand q powerful wrench and hur-
ried away with a pitiful look O. an
guish on his white face.
didn't see quite SO much O. 81 after
that as afore Every two or three
days. though. he'd come to the house.
an 1t seemed ter me that he always
looked paler an thinner an more de-
| spairin' every time We met. We didn't
often speak O. his sorrow. but we'd sit
| sometimes fer hours a-holdin' hands
an lookin' In each others faces an un-
derstandin' each others feelin's bet
| ter. l reckon. than II we'd tried ter
| put our thots inter words. One day,
after we'd been sittin' in this fashion
fer quite a spell. 81 kinder reused him
self up an sed:
Sally an Zeb are ter be married ter
| morrow"
YES" sed I. wonderin' why he'd
spoke OF 1t.
Coin. s'pose?" he added.
II reckon So sed I.
Then we'll go together" sed he, an
a look o. sharpest sufferin' came in
his pale face. which hurt me more'n l
know how ter tell.
"D'ye think it's best. Si?" I asked.
| as gentle as could.
| Yes" he answered. heavin' Ngh
'She might think 1t queer II l staid
away: besides. I'd like to wish her an
Zeb happy life."
didn't say any more. 1t would hev
done no good. an maybe 'twould hev
hurt him II argued against his goin';
SO the next day me an 81 went to the
little meetin' house together. Jest as
We had done In our boyhood days.
when VIC used ter 20 to Sunday school.
though we never waz SO silent an sad
an thortful In them days. We sat in
the same pew too. WHARF we used ter
| sit years an years ago. an I thort as
| I looked now an then at Sis thin.
white face an droopin' hgger that I'd
never seen him look quite so miserable
an hopeless like rs he did that day.
Wal. after the cer'mony waz over
| 81 was one O the hrst ter push his way
through the crowd SOS to reach the
bride and groom an offer his good
wishes. There waz. I noticed. q queer.
cnnatral sort OF look In his sunken
eyes an n fcverish flush on his hax-
| gard face. an when we at last started
| fer home poor 81 waz so trembly an
| onnerved that he had ter take my arm
to keep on his legs.
II hope they'll be happy. JOSH" he
| sed several times as We wcr' walkin'
| slowly along. an once he sed. very low
an In a kinder chokcd voice: II hope
| she'll be loved us well by Zeb rs she
Is by me-" That waz about all the
talkin' that waz done till we parted
at his gate. Then ] sed:
Come over an see mo termorrow.
ST."
II reckon" sed he. after hoidin' my
hand quite . spell. you'd better come
an see me. Josh. don't seem ter be
very strong o late. an the walk makes
me tired like"
"Ali right" sed n CHEEKY As
| could: I'll come"
Yes: went over to 81. the neg day.
II wax quite early In the mornin' an
wax sent fer by his father an
mother. 81 had caikerlated exactly
right: he wsx not able to visit me.
They had found him In his bed . few
minutes before-desd: an the doctor
who arrived about the time I did. sed
he had died from heart trouble O. some
sort. !.
So he had-a heart trouble which
| death alone could curc.-Thc Owl.