The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-11-26
A THANKSGIVING
LOVE STORY.
By Augusta Prescott

| 1t was a lovely autumn day, two
! days before Thanksgiving. The sun,
mild with the torrid finger of summer,
| shone down upon as fair a scene as
ever the village of Mayville had be-
| held.
At the gateway of a pretty cottage,
| hand in hand, stood a man and maid,
he tall as Apollo. slender as a Greek
| God, handsome as night, with a Won
derful dark beauty; she fair as he was
dark, sweet faced, petite and lovely,
yet fearful withal.
Yet they We're not happy, for the girl
had just spoken the words which
brought the frown of displeasure to the
brow of the young man.
mo, Erwin, we must say goodbye
1t is for the best. Tomorrow mamma
and | move out Of the dear old house
to go to the city-where / must earn
my bread. If papa had left us rich it
would have been different; then-we-
oh, Erwin and the brave voice broke
as the girl leaned her fair head upon
the fence In front of the pretty house
and wept for the first time since her
father had died, only one short week
before.
But l tell you," said the young man,
almost angrily, II shall earn enough
for both-and more"
Your mother"
"Who cares what mother says? And
in time, Alice, when she knows you
better"
"She has known me from childhood
and now she says that we must part
you to marry the heiress and to go to
the city and work. But, oh, love you,
Erwin"
say it again, my darling"
81 love you-love you'll love you"
painted the girl, lifting her head and
almost brushing the young mans
shoulder as she spoke, love you bet
ter than all the world. But you must
go. Your mother says"
And before he could speak or pre-
vent her she had dashed through the
gate and up the gravel path and dis
appeared into the house
It's a shame!' calculated the young
man. But Alice need Tot think she
can escape me SO easily. Marry the
heiress. AS If | could ever marry any
one else after seeing her sweet face"
AS Erwin Wardman spoke he turned
away from the cottage and walked to-
ward his own handsome home in the
other part of the village Despite the
difference in their fortunes the Ward
mans and the Nelson's had been friends
all theU lives and 1t was understood
that Eiwi9 and Alice would marry
some day. But when Mr.. Nelson died
leaving his wife and child almost PEN
niless, the wise ones shook their heads
for well they knew the ambitious plans
which Mrs. Wardman had cherished
for her son.
High up on a bluff in the finest part
Of the town lived the Montague fam
lily, and every day the liveried coach
man drove Miss Montague and her
mother through the town. The towns
people knew, ard Alice knew, and all
krew, that Miss Montague had looked
with favor upon handsome Erwin
WardIngn, and it was for the heiress
that his mother intended him.
Yet Erwin Wardman was man and
might have married the girl Of his
choice
That evening when Erwin Wardman
went down to call upon Alice he found
her gone and the house closed
Strange she did not tell me she was
going so soon," he muttered, ard for
the first time an angry thought came
into his mind. THAT was very unkind
of Alice said he.
Erwin did not know that his mother
had sent word over to the Widow
Nelson and her daughter Alice. offer
irg them her horses and wagons for
that afternoon to assist them in NOV
ing. Nor did he know that Alice's
mother had said Perhaps we had
better so to-day instead Of tomorrow.
daughter, since Mrs. Wardman has
been so kind as to send her horses and
servants to help us"