The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-20
A Flower From the Yukon,

| and would wish fellow gcOd speed
| But we shall miss you 50 al home,
! she made the soft answer.
! Nonsense, there are enough left! he
said. lightly. adding more gravely: And
! you know Mile how have always hated
this grinding poverty. and how have had
| to give UP all my dreams of college and
a professional career TO run the farm, and
| then have barely kept the wolf from the
/ door. Now that the other boys can take
my place, 1 am too old to succeed along
| educational lines, and must try some oth-
| er way, and what better one is there than
| to try the Klondike? Yes. l am going
| the party starts in one month, and l shall
| not return until l return rich man"
| The girl buried her face in her apron
! and burst into tears, sobhing until The
| young man was almost frightened; but he
| held his peace, going back in memory
| to his first Getting with her fourteen years
| before, when she, tiny, willful elf Of
| years, came, an orphan. into their poor
home. It was with him she first made
| friends; he rocked and soothed her TO
sleep when she cried Of inconsistencies; to
| him she had gone ever since with her joys
and sorrows. And he?
Well, always old and full of care beyond
| his years. he had taken her into his heart
when he had taken her into his arms, and
more and more. as the years passed, she
| became his idol; but there mad been no
love-making between them. Each had
been content to be near the other; each
was burdened with the multitudinous bur-
rens that daily fell to their lot.
There were ten children, besides Mile,
in the Stanley faly. The oldest, girl.
was dead; the second married and far
away; then came five boys, John. the
eldest of these; then a girl, and lastly
two boys Mile. coming in just where
she did-like John-had much care and
hard work; but no one had ever heard
her complain or seen such 4 look on her
bright face as it now wore.
When the storm OF her grief was spent
John said, gravely:
Il may not have another chance to see
you alone, Mile, so l want TO tell you
this now, although I am sure you must
know it. l love you with more than q
brothers love; you are the one woman
in all the world for me, but l am not
going to ask you to bind yourself. 1 am
leaving home for the sake of the whole
family, but more than all for your sake.
Mile. If you want me on my return I,
with all I have, will be yours; IL ! never
come back, you VIII know that largely
tor your sake tried ard failed. YOU"
Bu' here he vas 1T :errupte1 by The girl
TIN owing her arms a5)3r his neck in her
old childish way, and sob5ing:
Don't go, John. o, don't gor'
He drew her into his arms and kissed
and soothed her as on that first night.
John was gone and life in the busy old
hive of farmhouse went on apparently
much the same, but 1t was not the same
with Mile. At parting she had said:
Il shall never, never see you again,
John"
He had tried to smile, though his eyes
were suspiciously moist, and had answer
ed, lightly:
Nonsense dear one; I'll remind you of
your gloomy prophecy on our wedding
day" Then more gravely: when 1 send
you a flower from the banks of the Yu-
kon. you may know 1t is an omen of
success, and that day-if so be you are
true to John-begin to prepare for our I'M
ion. The few letters that 1 can send
will be, of course, family affairs, but this
you alone Will understand
Days, weeks and months passed Once,
In what seemed to Mile an age, letter
came and it always contained money, for
John hired out at once instead Of pros
pecting for himself. Too, the letters
were full of bounding life and hope; full
Of dreams of success and the glad home
coming. Drawing strength from these,
the girl went on her now doubly burden
ed way Never before had she realized
how much he had done to tighten her
burdens; how he had tried to shelter her;
how like bulwark his love has been
around her; how much she had depended
on his appreciation and sympathy. 1t
had all seemed a matter of course to her.
1t was sultry August evening. Forked
lightning played along the western hori-
zon. An occasional distant roll of thun-
der harbingered storm before the morn
ing.
Millie, sitting on the back steps waiting
for the boys to come from the village
with the mail, INDUCED in bright dreams
of the future, an easy, happy future, in
a quiet home devoid of all the rush, worry
and wrangle of a large family, she and
John would be so cozy. Her head ached,
but happy thoughts and night breezes
cooled her brow and she smiled contented-
~, though her heart was hungry for
John. Presently Hal. coming up the lane
in the twilight, and mistaking Mile for
mis- sister, said:
Here's a letter for Mile, and It's from
the Klondike. but it amt from John"
From the Klondike, and not from
JohnP" Mile repeated interrogatively,
her voice sounding queer TO Hal and the
others just coming out.
What is it?' cried the mother, sharply.
What is it's" echoed Anna
Get light and let us sect! command
ed Hal, while he almost dragged Mile
into the house.
When they saw the look on her face
they started back in surprise and alarm.
open it, said the mother
Let me have it!'' cried Anna.
No" And then Mile opened the envel-
ope. A smaller one was inclosed ad-
dressed to herself in Johns handwrlt-
ing.
Whats that?" and a half dozen hands
reached for it. but she waved them off
and began reading from the half sheet
accompanying; reading. too In the mOnOt-
onous tone of one who instictively kows
the worst and has nothing to fear.
Miss Mile White: l inclose an envel-
ope addressed to yourself found this
morning among the personal effects OF
John Stanley who was accidentally kill
ed three days since while helping a party
run through Miles Canon. II you are a rel
alive or friend OF his. accept the sympa-
thy Of one who loved him as a brother.
Dawson. D. r. LYON"
The letter slowly f1uttered from Miles
fingers TO the floor. and as her hands
fell neryously into her lap they came in
contact with the inclosed envelope. Me-
Chemically she opened il, but at the sight
Of the contents uttered 81 low moan and
her face was cOnvulsed with agony. There
was only faded blossom sewed 10 a
white card and the words eneath:
"A flower from the Yukon" But 1t spoke
volumes 20 the girl.
The day you get It begin 70 get ready
for our union"
She heard the words as plainly as she
aid the sound OF wsiling n the room.
John was gone, but she would 20 10 him;
there would be indeed a glad union; and