Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-07-21
Won by Waiting.
EDNA LYALL.


for life
Poor monsieur! Oh, 1 am so grieE'
ed for him! Do you lot remember
Gaspard, how earnest-almost noble
he looked when he wished us good
bye?-how hopeful he was about tbs
Commune!"
Gaspard gave a heavy sigh.
Poor Lemercier! if ever man
meant well, he did. Well, cheTie, If il
had not been for you, might perhaps
have been with him, and the disgrace
OF that would be worse than starving
here"
TIE words slipped from him mad
vertently. Esperance shuddereTd, but
took no notice of them, fearing to vez
MIN.
'aAnd poor madame?" she asked
after a brief silence,
1T is some months since l had her
letter; she was in France then, but
bent On working her way out to him.
OF course they are ruined, for Mon
sieur never had a notion of saving,
SO she was looking out for a situation
as .governess."
Poor madame! how sad for her,
Bat she is brave and good-hearted !;
she will join monsieur before long,
without doubt. Oh, Gaspard, how I
wish were old enough to go out as
a governess, then I could help yeu,
perhaps"
you do that already by your econ
Omy; besides, l am not in despair yet.
have heard it said, that if work is
honestly wished for, and really sought,
it comes sooner or later
'1But in the neantime?" said Espeac-
ance, with culver in her voice.
We must endure, cherie, and trust
in God
His tones were grave and low, and
Esperance, in spite of thrill Of
happiness, was awed by them. She
was more and more reminded of her
father, and though her heart ached
when she thought of Gaspard's suf-
ferings, there was comfort in seeing
how good was being brought out OF
evil. A year ago he had been misera-
bic and depressed, out of heart with
himself, and in every way unsettled;
HOW, notwithstanding his troubles, he
was more hopeful, and more bravely
patient, while Esperance was con-
lcious Of a certain growth and ex-
pansion of his whole character.
which, though she could not in the
least fathom it, enabled her to lean
where she had before upheld, and to
reverence where she had simply
loved.
The clock struck five all too soon;
and when Gaspard spoke of preparing
for the start, a terrible yearning to
stay with him almost overmastered
her. To go back to the weary,
struggling, Seeding life at Ri1chester,
after the short respite, seemed almost
unbearable, and had it not been for
her anxiety TO leave Gaspard well sat
isfied with her comfort and happiness,
she must have given way. But the
loving little deception helped her, and
she kept up bravely. Just at the last
the landlady, who had been very fond
Of her, brought up some coffee, which
she begged ma mselIe to accept; and
'Esperance, who had tasted nothing
since the morning, made an effort to
ICE grateful, drove back her tears, and
managed to swallow some Of it, and
TO talk to the gOod-natured woman.
In spite Of her dread of leaving
Gaspard, she almost looked forward tC
the time when she might allow her
self to break down, the torture ot
this prolonged parting was worse than
anything, and it was really a kind 01
relief when they set out fog the sta
ton. They found COrnelia and the
dean walking up and down the plat
form, and Esperance rather enjoyed
introducing Gaspard to her cousin.
CorneIia who had from the first
been much more uesirous TIC help
Gaspard than to adopt his sister, was
evidently struck with him, talked
with him, at first patronizingly, but
soon with real cordially, and showed
her best side, while Esperance was IN
selfish enough to be thankful that
her little plot was thus aided. Gas
pard's last words, spoken rapidly in
French, proved how successful she
had been.
Goodbye, mon caeur, if you knew
the unutterable comfort it is to see
you thus we'll taken care off,
He was satisfied; a care was taken
off his mind; it was we'll! but as the
train moved slowly off, and the neces-
sity for restraint was no longer felt
an agony of loneliness overwhelmed
the poor child. Would it have been
better, she wodered if she had told al
her troubles to Gaspard and gained
! that sympathy for which she wa:
| craving? Was she right to let hin
think that she was happy and con
tented, when in truth she was miser
! able? And yet those thankful words
at parting were worth suffering for
if she had denied herself the relief O
a complete outpouring of her heart,
had at least gained peace of mind 70
him, had taken something from hi
many troubles. But there her self
control gave way, and the long pent-u
tears burst forth as she thought Of tn
many privations he had tried unsuc
ccssfully to hide from her.
The dean was engrossed in hi
newspaper at the further end of tn
carriage; moreover, he was a littl
i. deaf; but from the all-observing Coz
nelia nothing could be concealed
, She had been prepared for a few nat
/ ural tears, but when the long-draw1
quivering sobs continued, and eve
: crew more violent. she thought