The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-10

Rrandfathers were sailors, all OF us
have always been sailors. 1t runs in
| our blood like the drink habit does in
some peoples. / am as good q sailor
as is made, if I do say 1t myself. Now,
I have always wanted to marry a sea-
faring man, for it's a mans calling,
and most of them that follows it are
| good, true men. But a man named
| Israel Kramer, who Keeps a store, is
going to marry me. l can't help it. |
! liked him some, and one day he said,
Mary, keep a store, and / know you
hate it, but l am going to add you and
your mother to my stock, and so you
get ready this day month. and don't
back out or up, for it's no use, and be-
sides, love you why 1t Just bested me,
| he was so masterful sure. SO l said:
All right, Israel and l let him kiss
me. Still--oh, how l hate the idea of
a store-keeper."
But you do not hate Israeli
mo, indeed. He's fair and square and
very kind. And I'll tell you secret
no one else knows, Miss Hemming. l
am going to Trenton with him tomor-
row, and when I come back I'll be Mrs.
Kramer. Mothers going to live with us,
of course. after it's over. l couldn't
stand being publicly married, so we
plenned the Trenton trip. 1t is sneaky,
but l am so ashamed of myself"
"Oh, that is all right, Mary. l wish
you, with all my heart. a happy, low
ing married life. and a good man to
| lean on"
As she spoke Margaret look wistfully
| toward the Sailboat which was very
close to them. oh, what terrible
longing to find there the honest, hear
tY. reliant man of her ideal. For the
first time in three years the great
doubt completely obscured her face. All
of MurraY's old weaknesses. the great
selfishness that she had known of, and
his immense want of self-dependence
rose up before her and menaced the
idol of her dreams. Her heart beat
wildly. There he was, and, in the frac-
ton of a second, SO it seemed to her,
she was by the sailbnat, and stepped
into it.
Mary Skelly after an affectionate
| good bye" pulled slowly away. Won
dering why the drops no longer chased
one another down her cheeks and neck.
1t was frightfully hot and she felt worn
out, SO, when about half mile up the
channel from the anchored sailboat, she
drew in her oars to take another rest.
Then she tainted. She was one Of
many hundreds the sun overthrew that
July day. But while these others re-
ceived immediate attention in the cool
est places obtainable, the hot fire con-
tinued to pour upon Mary's prostrate
body In the west, however, the deep,
black clouds promised relief from the
oppression.
Murray Stewart prolonged the hand
clasp which had been necessary to get
Margaret safely ON board. She looked
at him wistfully, tremulOusly.
Murray" she said. There were a
thousand words in the one. Dear
Murray"
MY Margaret" he whispered, with
out knowing why she strove to draw
away her hand from his.
ooh. dearest!" he cried, have you
stilI the doubts which have separated
US for so long? Did you think that |
would be here if I were not able to
claim my wife? oh, dearest, dearest,
can you not see that I am a man, not
! a perfect, never-errlng one, but a man
of sure purpose and will, famishing for
your love? Come to me, dear. Come
|
and ] claim you with just claim"
With a cry of the deepest joy Mar
garet leaned over towards him and
kissed him on the cheek before he was
aware Of her design. so pale was she
that he Thought she would faint, and
he drew her down beside him on the
bench. Slowly from between her dark
lashes came the big drops and she
! iSh 1
away the tears, and the phase quietly
passed away from her. Then she lift
ed her head from off his shoulder and
gazed at him admiringy.
Murray! You dear boy"
'Oh, my dear, isn't it wonderful?"
is it all true? Are we really tCgeth-
er? And, Murray, dear, have you suf-
fered much?"
"S-s-h-h. dearest love. 1t is all over.
What does it matter? have you now"
Yes, dear husband"
She put her arms around his neck.
The chained fires of ten years burned
in her large, brown eyes when Stewart
clasped her to him. She was manifest
ly beautiful as her soul responded to
the delight of gratified love. Her whole
being had been completely changed in
a few moments.
How sweet it was. that swftly-mov-
ing time. when little was said and all
was understood. The joys OF love are
combinations of loving another and
being loved The pleasures of loving
are necessarily unselhsh when the love
is pure and wholesome, but the sweet
ness of being loved by one whom we
hold apart from all others is a delicious
HShn .t,1n 4,
we nurse in our hearts as a mother
her child. And if that love-chld be a
frst-born it is a passion the least gross
of any in this world.
Margaret in the boat, loving, loved
was wrapt in mystic dreams, kaleido-
scopic and intangible. At her request
Murray stretched himself in the bottom
of the boat with his head in her lap
and she crooned sweet melodies Ia
him as she petted and fondled him.
Her mother-heart was very full.
Suddenly she thought of the prettlest
love song she knew, a little thing in
simple language richly set to sweetest
harmony. a few weeks previous she
had heard it sung in the most refined
and touching way by one of the finest
voiced cantatrices.
With infinite tenderness she started
the appealing chausonette. But sudden.
lv the object Of her love leaped to his
feet trembling in every fibre.
For Gods sake, not that tune" he
cried.
Murray! Murray"
And then, parallel to the startling
suddenness OF his words and the ra.
pidity of the transformation that had
taken place in him, came a dazzine