The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-12-08
md iellies / make for the exchange. !.

and downs, her hard weeks and her sue
cessful ones. The children were some
times good and sometimes troublesome,
but they were always her first and ten
derest thought and care. Her whole |
heart seemed bound up In them, and |
when both Dorothy and Jean were strick-
en- with fever and were like to die, Ssra-
phine was almost wild with grief.
She nursed them and watched over them |
night and day. AL, other work was at
standstill, and the liti lie hoard of savings
which she had so carefully begun to put
by, diminished day by day. But at last
the crisis was passed, and the doctor told
her that both young lives were saved.
Then Seraphine wept for pure Joy.
And when she opened the door later in
that same day to admit the two Ham,
monds-who had not seen her for a
month or more-ihe marks of happy tears
were still upon her face.
Halt an hour later the two men were
walking silently away, both thinking
OF the beautiful, Unconscious self-revels-
ton which they had just been witnessing.
II decls re-" the elder man exclaimed at
last, "that girl, in her superb uuselfish-
ness ia one smong ten thousand"
''She is the Only one in all the world
for me !" the younger man said earnestly.
"And must have been fool-or blind
not TO have discovered it BEFORE"
From that time on Frank Hammopd's
devotion made Seraphine grateful and
happy, though che mistook his attentions
for pure disintereated kindness shown on
account of the little invalids, Dorothy
and Jean.
Hammond realized this, and groaned
inwardly, but he saw no way to open the
eyes of seraphine except to speak. And
he found no opportunity to do this until
Than ksgiving day, when he met her In
the street at noon hurrying toward her
home. Already he had passed there and
knew she was expected by the two little
pallid watching faces pressed close to III g
window pane.
"You could not guess what I've been
doing" Seraphine said brightly, when be
did not at once set free her imprisoned
hand.
you've been to church, returnin 9
thanks for the recovery of those two
precious, troublesome imps," he said.
"No! return thanks for that every
moment of the day I've not been to
ehurch.this. morning I've been TOO busy
baking and delivering batch of belated
Thanksgiving piesl"
"Seraphine! You work early and late
You simply have no mercy on yourselfl'
"B 1t have a doctors bill to pay
said Seraphine, "and I'm so thankful tc
have the work to do! My extra order
pay me WE'LL"
Il 81 have an extra order for you, then
an imperative one, which is that yoI
shall make no more pies or cakes here
after for any one but me! Don't YOU
understand? Sersphine, 1 love you
haven't you guessed it? And want 20,
to give up all this har work, and ms rty
me-at oncei"
Seraphine looked up at him utterly be
wildered and amazed.
"But-I never thought of such a thing
And-and besides-I am N UGH too old
ITO old! you poor unselfish chilli
cheated out of ell your YOUTH
II "And then-the child ren,-I couldn'
leave them, 'she stammefed in confusion
No, of course not,-and | want them
too"
A vision of peace and happiness su
i plenty came suddenly to Seraphine, bu
4 with it came thought of her step-moth
er and the bitter things she would b
sure to say.
f "Oh, but-people would say 1 married
you for home," she sighed.
D "They could much more truly say tia
I married you for home! Sersphine,
never realized what home might be IN
/ til you started out on your independen
J career, and dritted back to bachelor
quarters and found out at last what
: miserable thing it Is to live from hand &
mouth! I want you to come and make
j home for me, and want you to brini
! the children, for they see part o
| you, dear And perhaps we may eve
find room for my uncle, too.-for he ha
/ been clamoring to be let in, ever since hi
knew that | loved you and meant t,
marry you-if you would let MEL
III Then, as she was still white and silent
7 he was seized with sudden dread.
$50 rsphine, you can't mesn,-it ism
!. possible that you-thst you are going t
e refuse me?"
D Tears were running down her cheek
and he drew her into the protecting
( shadow of the doorway and supporse,
! her tenderiy with his arm.
"It's-i.'s so wonderful ~ she sail
brokenly. 'To think that you-should
care so much fer the children-and me
II I'm SO glsd-and so thankfuli'' she sdd
ed, looking up through her tears with
rainbow smile.
"Then you do care little for me
dear?"
, "Why, 1 didn't know it, never hsl
, time to think OF it bef,re. But now
seems to me that have cared-eve
since I saw you first!"
So Fortunes wheel had turned sgsin
and that Thanksgiving day Seraphin
Leisure was raised to Nights of love an
happiness and thankfulness undreame
of by htr before.