The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1899-01-03


hand, as she repeated thoughtfully:
I hear voice you cannot hear,
That says l must not stay;
I see hand you cannot see,
That beckons me away
That's it Marjorie! I'm an old woman
| now-old before my time. God has
been kind TO me, far kinder than [ de-
serve; but the grass will soon be green
on my grave in the kirkyard. Let me
sleep in peace! Marry Johnnie Suth-
erland wi my blessing, and I shall ken
you will never want friend"
Such tender reasoning had its weight
with Marjorie, but it failed to conquer
her scruples altogether She still re-
manned in the shadow of her former
sorrow, fearful and ashamed to pass,
as she could have done at one step,
into the full sunshine of the newer and
brighter life.
So the days passed on, till at last
there occurred an event so strange, so
unexpected, and spirit compelling, that
it threatened for time to drive our he
roine into madness and despair.
One summer afternoon Marjorie, ac-
companied by little Leon, met Suther-
land in the village, and walked with
him to Solomon's cottage. They found
the old man in the garden, looking I'M
usually bright and hale; but his talk
was still confused; he mingled the
present with the past, and continued
to speak of Marjorie, and to address
her, as if she were still child.
The sun was setting when they left
him, turning their steps toward An
Mandate Castle. They fingered slowly
along the road, talking of Indifferent
things, and sweetly happy in each
others society, till it was growing
dark.
Then Marjorie held out her hand.
"Let me go with you to the Castle
gate," said Sutherland eagerly.
mot tonight" answered Marjorie.
tie Leon
Very unwillingly he acquiesced, and
suffered her to depart. He watched her
sadly till her figure disappeared in the
darkness, moving toward the lonely
bridge across the Amman.
Having wished Sutherland good
night, Marjorie took the child by the
hand and walked back across the mead
ows toward the Castle. 1t was peace
full cleaning; the stars were shining
brightly, the air was balmy; so she
sauntered along, thinking dreamily of
the past.
She walked up by the bridge, and
looked down at Amman Water, flowing
peacefully onward.
AS she looked she unused. Her life
had begun with trouble, but surely all
that was over now. Her days in Paris
seemed to be fading rapidly into the
dimness of the past; there was broken
link in her chain of experience, that
was all. Yes, she would forget it, and
remember only the days which she had
passed at Annandale.
And yet how could she do so? There
was the child, little Leon, who looked
at her with her fathers eyes, and spoke
his childish prattle in tones so like
those of the dead man, that they some
times made her shudder. She lifted the
boy in her arms.
Leon" she said, "do you remember
Paris, my child-do you remember
your father?''
The child looked at her, and half
shrunk back in fear How changed she
had become! Her cheeks were burning
feverishly, her eyes sparkling.
Mamma" said the boy, half draw
ing from her, what is the matter?"
Nothing, darling she said
She pressed him fondly to her, and
set him again upon the ground. They
walked on few steps farther, when
she paused again, sat down upon the
grass, and took the boy upon her
knee.
Leon" she said, patting his cheek
and soothing back his hair. ''You love
Annandale, do you not?"
eyes, mamma, and grandmamma,
and Mr.. Sutherland"
"And-and you would be able to for
get the dreadful time we spent in
PARISH"
"And papa?"
"My darling, your father is dead"
She pressed the child to her again;
raised her eyes and looked straight in
to the face of her husband.
Caussidiere!
1t was indeed he, or his spirit stand