The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-08

lndnR you IOr IelilnS me, Sdlu
Lacey, drawing a long breath. Il may
come down to Linn sometimes,
Jeanne?"
Yes"
Good by, then, and say good by to
Aunt Sarah for me"
When he was gone, Jeanne crept to
the sofa and wept with an abandon
ment not caused by her mothers death
alone.
The next morning they started for
Linn. AS they neared the place,
Jeanne reused from her quiet sadness,
and began to talk to her aunt.
do you know, Aunt Sarah, / have
not had any news of Linn since l left
there"
you don't say so! Well, I'm not
much of a hand to write, that's a fact;
and it seems when / did get down to it
there was so much about our folks
there wasn't much room for anything
else. l can talk a hundred times fast
er than al write. Who do you want
to know about?"
Jeanne asked about several families
she had known, and at last said:
And how is Eva Heathe, VINO married
Guy Harron? Has she any children
Eva Harron? why, sne's almost
dead with consumption. Didn't you
know that?"
Eva Heathe! cried Jeanne, staring
at her aunt with wide open, shocked
eyes. into which there came gradually
a curious light.
Yes" went on Aunt Sarah, draw
ing out the word after the manner Of
one cOrrOborating astonishing news.
"She isn't expected to live till fall. She
always was a narrow-chested, gangly
looking creature-those Heathes all
are-and then she had a baby, and it
only lived a few months, and after that
she ven right down. Yes, they live
in the old Samson property, right next
doOr to me, you know
Jeanne drew a long breath before she
spoke again.
els Guy good to herr" she asked.
Indeed, he is; does everything for
her. Poor thing, she is like all cor
sumptives-expects to get we'll. She'll
be glad to see you. She likes to have
people come in"
"Why doesn't he take her out West?"
9TH doctors said it was no use, and
at first she didn't want to go. Now
since she's so bad she talks of going
south"
Jeanne was silent during the rest of
the ride. When they arrived at Linn
she experienced that alienage one feels
on returning to a place that was once
home but where one is now only a Wis
itor. The sight of strange faces,
where once all were familiar, makes
one feel ones self a stranger, not only
to others but to ones past self.
Aunt Sarah called the girls attention
to several changes, but Jeanne hardly
heard her. Once, when Mrs. Childars
said: Here's the old Heathe place;
Eva's father built that porch the very
summer he died. Helps the looks of
the house, dont it?' Jeanne said "Yes;"
but she was not looking at the porch,
she was looking at the rustic seat on
the lawn and thinking: "That is where
I sat when I met him."
When they reached Mrs. Childar's
house Jeanne ran quickly up to the
room she had always had at Aunt
Sarah's. One window gave a view of
the river far off in the south, and
Jeanne went over to it. Kneeling
on the floor she folded her arms on the
sill and gazed dreamily at the line of
silver cleaning across the istance, in
the beauty lent it by the morning sun
as the event hat had occurred on it's
bank cleaned from the past in the
beauty of memory's light. She could
almost see the tree near where the
BOAT had upset, and Guy had rescued
her-where for a moment they had
forgotten all but themselves and their
love, and he had kissed her. Only a
moment, and then she had remembered
Howard and reminded him of Eva.
Only a moment, but that moment had
lasted four years for her. Next day
she had gone away; afterward he had
married Eva.
Ssh was still at the window when
her aunt called her to dinner.
Eva heard I was home" said Mrs.
FChildars, during the meal, land sent
her mother to ask me to come over
Will you go along?"
mo, I'll wait until tomorrow" said
Jeanne. But when Mrs. Childars re-
turned she brought such an entreaty
from Eva that Jeanne went over at
once. Her heart beat quickly as she
went through the little gate connecting
her aunt's yard with Eva's, and up the
path to the side entrance. She knock
ed lightly and Mrs. Heathe came to
the door.
How do you do, jeanne" she said,
with a little smile, which faded almost
instantly. She looked very sad and
careworn. Eva was her only child.
The sight of the familiar motherly
face brought Jeanne fresh realization
of her loss, and the healthy looking
girl struck the mothers heart with the
sense Of the loss she must soon suffer.
After a seconds look into each others
eyes they impulsively stretched out
their arms to each other, and let the
overflow of their grief mingle as their
wet cheeks met.
Mamma" called a wax voice, and
Mrs. Heathe unclasped her arms and
hoOan To UiDo hor oNnc