Morris tribune., 1899-12-16
THAT AUTUMN DAY


It was a lovely autumn day. The
sun, warm with the still torrid finger
of summer, shone down upon as fair
scene as ever the village of Mayville
| had beheld.
! At the gateway of pretty cottage
| hand in hand, stood a man and a maid
| he tall as Apollo, slender as Greek
| God, handsome as night, with won
derful dark beauty; she fair as he was
| dark, sweet faced, petite and lovely,
| yet fearful withal.
Yet they were not happy, for the girl
had just spoken the words which
brought the frown of displeasure to
the brow of the young man.
ono. Erwin, we must say good bye.
It is for the best. Tomorrow mamma
and I move out of the dear old house
to go to the city-where / must earn
my bread. If papa had left us rich il
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 I tell you" said the young man,
almost angrily, 81 shall earn enough
for >both-and more"
"Your mother!"
"Who cares what mother says. And
In time, Alice, when she knows you
bettsr-" ,,,
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.
cts a shame!" calculated the, young
man. ''But Alice need not think she
can escape me so easily Marry the
heiress! AS if could ever marty 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 their lives and it was under
stood that Erwin and Alice would mar
~ some day. But when Mr.. Nelson
died, leaving his wife and child almost
penniless, the wise ones shook their
heads, for well they knew the ambi-
tious plans which Mrs. Wardman had
cherished for her son.
High up on bluff in the finest part
of the town lived the Montague fam
lily, and every day the liveried coach
man drove Miss Montague and ner
mother through the town. The towns
people knew, and Alice knew, and all
knew, that Miss Montague had looked
with favor upon handsome Erwin
Wardman, 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, and for
the first time an angry thought came |
into his mind THAT was very unkind |
of Alice" said ne.
Erwin did not know that his mother
had sent word over to the Widow
Nelson ard her daughter Alice, offer
ing them nar horses and wagons for
that afternoon to assist them in NOV
ing. Nor lid he know that Alico's
mother had said: Perhaps we had |
better 90 today instead of tomorrow
daughter. since Mrs. Wardman has |
been so kind as to send her horses ond |
servants to help US"
Alice signed, for we'll she knew she
would not see Erwin again.
Two years Easscd
Alice knew that Erwin had married /
the heiress for she had read all about I
it in the papers and she knew that
they were living in the old home
Two years more passed.
Time had dealt lightly with Alice,
for she was still as fair as a lily But \
you who knew her in the old days ,
would never have recognized her now. I
Her step had lost its lightness and K
her voice was Low and subdued rs al
one who had suffered.
Her abunIant hair. once light and \
curly, IVES dark now from terrible I
fever, and she wore it banded over her
ears, like the hair Of saint. saint
Cecilia" they called her. And Alice |
answered to the name Of "Ceceilia"
among her new friends.