The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-06-24

it was easy to see how George had
loved her. how utterly self-sacrifcing
his rilence had been. To spare her
pain he had kept from her all knowl.
edge Of his own suffering.
But his pride yielded to Wills en-.
treaties to be allowed to befriend him.
He was very weak, very i'll, and he al
lowed Will to get him a pleasant room
in quiet clearinghouse, to furnish
him with necessary clothing, to en-.
gage doctor, and to take brothers 8
place beside him.
And then true, unselfish love tri.
, umphed.
''She will never marry me-" Will
thought, ruefully, as he folded long,
long letter, ''but she shall not be
cheated ont of what little happiness
life may still hold for her."
He wrote, too, to Mrs. Raymond, a
letter that caused that respectable lady
to grind her teeth, but which she
obeyed, packing her trunk and accom-.
psnying Helen in the journey west.
ward.
1t was Will Spencer who met the
two at the depot, and accompanied
them to the boarding house, where he
kept Mrs. Raymond in the parlor after
sending Helen upstairs alone. 1t was
Will Spencer who smoothed away every
difficulty, engaging rooms for mother
and daughter, and quietly effacing him
self.
1t was far too long story to try to
record the three months that followed.
George Vanhorn was resolute on one
point. He would not marry Helen.
He had no hope of recovery, but if the
unexpected should happen he would
not risk running Helen's life by bind
ing it to his.
"Oh," she would cry, "what am I
to deserve the love of two such men?
Mother, it humbles me to think how
they love me!'
And by this love her courage was
sustained through the three months,
when she and her mother smoothed
George Vanhorn's path to the grave.
Such happiness as could be hers, she
knew that she owed to Will Spencer,
who showed his love only by his care
of the invalid He never spoke of love
to her, giving her up entirely, but
upon her lover he lavished every kind
ness wealth could procure, or friend
ship dictate. He gave him brothers
devotion until the last parting came,
and when he was laid in the cemetery
Will Spencer took Helen and Mrs.
Raymond back to their home and left
them.
1t was three years later when he
came home from European tour and
called on Mrs Raymond.
"The old lady, sir, is dead" the
servant told him, an Miss Helen's liv-
in in - street. Maybe yees didn't
hear she's come into some money from
her uncle, sir, and Mrs. Grady, she's
took this house, sir"
Come into some money! Well, she
did not need him. He would wait
awhile. But in few days little note
reached him:
''It was unkind to letme hear of your
return by accident. Will you not come
to see me?"
Would he not? And when he went
he could not keep the love out of his
eyes or his voice, and she-at last!
Her eyes dropped under his gaze, her
cheeks blushed for him, her voice
faltered, with tenderness He had won
his bride And he had no secret hidden
from her loving eyes, no treachery he
would drea,j to have her discover By
the frankness he had thought would
ALLEVIATE her forever he had won her
true, faithful love, n devotion as entire
as that she had given in her girlhood
to the man he had SO nobiy befriended.
The Ledger.