The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-06-05

! to find his house dark and desolat4
his babies crying and his wife gone.
Two years after he received a lette
telling him of his wife's penitence an,
begging for help.
He went to her at once, and foun
her poor and dying.
She never asked for her children
He took care of her till she died. the,
buried her, and placed q stone at he
grave.
Il ought to have known" he said
humbly, that pretty little thing lik
her couldn't love homely, ungainl,
man like me-"
\ great wave Of tenderness and Dit,
for the lonely man surged ND in Olive,
womanly heart.
So she said, eagerly: THAT don,
make no difference with a woman
Mr.. Leonard! She don't mind kow q
good, kind man with great kind hear,
like yourn looks! Not if she's the
right kind"
He looked up at her queerly. "Do
you mean that?" he asked, softly.
YES" replied Olive, earnestly, never
realizing what dangerous ground she
was treading.
He held her hand for moment. when
he went away, saying: THANK YOU.
Olive, you don't know how much your
sympathy means to me-"
And Olive sat till after midnight
by the window thinking of Mr.. Leon.
ards sad story.
A few evenings after he found Olive
alone on the porch. He was very ST.
lent all the evening, but when he went
away he took her hand and said abb
ruptly:
"Olive, you said that a woman didn't
mind mans looks, and those words
make me dare to tell you that love
you and need you. Will you be my
wife?"
Olive looked at him q moment. the
color coming to her face.
"For the land sake!" she exclaimed
Il hope you didn't think 1 said that
10 make you propose. I'm sure never
thought of such thing"
Il know it," he replied. "It was
your perfect Inconsistencies that at
tracted me. You never remember your.
self"
She looked at him with great solemn
eyes. Are you sure you love me, or
do you want me to keep your house
and look after your children? A wom-
an amt never so old or bomely that she
won't resent that"
Before God, / love you," he said
DO you think could ask anyone whom
l did not love to marry me after my ex.
perience?"
"Yes," said Olive, 81 think can love
you well, and be good wife to Won.
but l have loved some one else bet
ter.
but then, you have, too, an mebbe
that'll only draw us closer together.
some day I'll tell you all about it,"
Olive did not make elaborate prepa-
-ations this time, and as for Almira. Mr.
Leonard told her the news himself.
'Pooh!" said that damsel, coolly.
I've known that longer than ven few
- "a SSiAs diu DllQu.
Olive bought soft brown stuff for
Ter wedding dress, and one day she
'rought out the lilac-colored silk and
aid to Almira, carelessly: Here's a
Iress pattern never made up. You
nay have it IL you like
The wedding was very quiet, and that
light, as Olive stood by the children's
title bed with her husbands arm
round her, she said: "I'm SO happv
hat I'm afraid. I'm inside now. amt
?~
He stopped and kissed her, saw.
,g: "Yes, love, you ure inside INV
cart forever"
WELL" soliloquized Almira, as she !
'oked around her new room, ''Tve got
job few clean up an get the furniture
ended. I'm thankful Olive amt
one no worse. {
She wouldn't enjoy marvin
an with no one about him, because Q
'e couldn't pity and coddle him, then.
only wonder she didn't take blind or !
deaf and dumb one. Il
I'm thankful that Mr.. Leonard only I
nps an has an all-kiIlin' homely
ce. He's so meek he'll let me do c
like, too, so if she's satisfied. I am G
Boston Budget. t