Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-11-03
BLUE BELLS AND JONQUIN.

4
| Out In the dear old garden, under the
hawthorn hcdPe, where Willie and
stood sorrowfully, on that Tuesday
morning in June just before he started
for the Plach Fills to seek for gold
GIVE ne a bunch of those lovely
flowers, Carrie" he said, for their
blue blossoms will remind me of your
eyes, my darling"
| And as | stopped TO gather a hand
ful OF blue-bel,s and jonquils that grew
nj my feet. he caught me lovingly in
| MS embrace, and pressed me tender
| ly to his heart. whispering in my
| ears:
Darling. will you be true to me
while I am absent-will you think of
me alone when / am gone? Oh, Car.
RE. my darling love, will you wear
my image in your heart during those
long, weary months Of waiting, while
| am Wrestling the precious ore from
the mine-doubly precious, my darling,
since its possession will break down
the barriers that divide us-for, Car
RE. dearest. 1t is not my want Of
name, but my want of gold, that stands
in the way Of our union?"
All! little did my Willie think that
1t was not for the want Of gold or a
name that Uncle Nathaniel had for
hidden him ever again ito darken his
DOORS" No, he had learned that l mad
given my heart to Willie Vanderbeck
for this was the name my hero nad
borne ever since that early May morn
Ing twenty-five years ago when old
Dr. Vanderbeck, going out to visit a
patient, had found my Wilie-then
wee, chubby infant-with one little
rosy fist crammed into his mouth,
while his eyes were smiling up into
the astonished face of the good old
doctor from out Of the wicker basket
in which my darling lay And the dec
tor had taken him in and given him
home until his death few years pre-
vious. But now Willie was going to
brave the dangers Of those horrid
Black Hills that he might return and
make me his wife. Only a few short |
hours remained before our parting and
heaven alone could tell when he would |
return to me again.
"Ah, Carrie! sweet love!" he whis- |
pered, trying to cheer me, when l |
come back with the yellow bags your
uncle's doors will be open wide to well
come me. for 1t is gold, sweetheart,
that is the open sesame to hearts aid
homes in these days of mammon wor-
ship" he said bitterly.
wered. at is not your poverty nor the
want Of name that closes Uncle Ma
thaniels door on you. Listen, and
will tell you what II Is"
Then I went on, and told him how
father had made his will two years
previous to his death, when uncle mad
first come to live with us, giving all
his wealth TO me, with the proviso that
I should marry George Hammond,
Uncle Nathanlel's only son. But
shortly before his death, and after
George had behaved so badly toward
poor Nellie Benson, our seamstress,
father made a new will, in which he
left everything to me without any re-
strictions, and this will father put In
a little tin box which was always
locked up in his desk; but after his
death this last will could not be found,
and Uncle Nathaniel says that father
destroyed It before he died. The first
will leaves me entirely In my uncle's
power, and his heart Is set on George
md me marrying. And now, Willie,
learest, you know the cause Of this de-
ermined opposition to our union, and
Why l cannot Danish the gloomy fore
)odings that haunt me, causing my
leart to sink when you speak so hope
ully Of returning with gold to remove
he barriers which uncle will always
oppose to our union. But no matter
whatever 1t will cost me, will be true
o you"
Eleven little months have passed
ince then, but, ali! such months Of
gony to mel
Scarcely was my darling's back
urned when my Cousin George re-
urned from the city and formally |,
proposed for my hand; but I had only
ne answer to give him:
Cousin, I am already engaged to
marry the only man I can ever love-" =
Then followed a stormy scene with !,
ny uncle, until, blinded with tears. I l
ed from his presence and stole out
ere TO weep, where none but the blue
ellis and jonquils could witness my ,
lid grief. Oh! how l longed for the '
ouch Of the dear hand and the sound v
( the dear voice, to calm the tumult
! my aching heart, which my uncle's
ngry and cruel words had aroused! o
For long hours I sat there beneath d
nc shade Of the fragrant, blossoming a
awthorn, listening to the plaintive ti
otes of the whip -poor-will. that q
semed to echo the sad voice of my !"
ching heart. The sun went down be- &c
ind great banks of gold-colored r'
ouds, while sat there in the gloom
the twilight trying to school my un-
sciplined heart, and gain fortitude ~