El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-16
:ALATEHAPP|NESS$

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| Rebecca Stoner was regarded as the
| typical old maid of Kingston. People
said she had ''soured on the world and
assuredly, judging from the sharp, bitter
| remarks which often passed her lips, one
would not imagine that she found the
| world full of sweetness and light.
Her story was one not uncommon in
New England life. When preparations
were going on for her marriage to Rich
ard Waldron. Rebecca's mother, who
was a widow, fell ill. Richard, who had
been waiting long time for Hebecca, in
sisted upon the marriage being perform
ed without delay, for as their new home
would be within sight of the Stoner place
Rebecca could still be with her mother
and oversee nurse But the mother
selfshly objected. She knew Rebecca
would not be the same to her after mar
riage. No one else would nurse her as
we'll, and she wouldn't be in their way
long. She would go gladly as soon as
she was called up higher" etc.
So Rebecca, sick at heart, but not dar-
ing, raised as she had been, to resist pa
rental authority, offered Dick his free
dom.
He stormed angrily at first, but, seeing
her pain and distress, at last said to her:
"Rebecca, you are spelling two lives, 1
fear, by your mistaken notion of your
duty, but must submit. But write me
for l cannot stay here-and call me back.
Whenever you send 1 will come back, for
I will never love any woman but you and
will be faithful to you always"
All might have gone well had it not
been that Mrs. Stoner again selishly
interfered. "Rebecca and Dick must not
write to each other. 1t would only keep
Rebecca's mind in n tumult, and she
would not stand in their way long. She
was ready to go to heaven at any time,
she had never harmed a living creature,
she would gladly free them of her pres
ence" and more canting talk like this,
which did nothing to heal Rebecca's sore
heart.
AS a matter OF fact, the old lady held
on to life with a tenacious grasp and
lived five more years of helpless invalid
Ism, helpless to the last.
When at last Rebecca was free, she
hesitated about recalling Dick, whom she
still fondly loved. What if he had mar
ried since he had left her? Men were
inconsistent by nature, she argued. Yet
the remem brance of Dicks face and his
words as he bade her goodby forced her
to believe in his constancy. Another
doubt assaied her. She had changed
during five years attendance in the sick
room and had lost much of her girlish
charm. Perhaps he would not care for
her.
Finally her love conquered, and she
wrote him letter which would have
brought him. happy, eager lover, to her
side. But in some unaccounta BILE way
the letter was lost in transit. Dick never
received the message calling him back
to Rebecca, and she supposed. he did
not return. that he spurned the love she
offered. Naturally, she was almost heart
broken, lost her faith in man and never
wrote again. He, on his part, receiving
no word after the death of Mrs. Stoner,
supposed Rebecca's love had cooled and
rallied at the Inconsistency of woman.
But he never wrote to upbrad her.
Years passed, and he finally returned to
live in his old home; but. though he and
Rebecca passed each other daily, there
was never speech between them They
were now middle aged, and each lived
alone.
One night Rebecca in a restless mood
started out for walk. She had gone as
far as Dick Waldron's cottage when she
thought she heard a groan. She stopped,
then, with fast beating heart. ran up to
the door and listened. The groan was
repeated, and. listening no longer, she
pushed open the door and entered. AL
most on the threshold she stumbled over
his PROSTATE form In moment she
was on her knees and lifted his head
upon her breast.
'Dick, my darling, are you hurt?" she
whispered, passionately kissing his closed
eyes and rubbing his cold hands. ARGUS
ed by her words, he struggled to rise, but
fell back. But he knew her. 'Ah, Re
becca, You have been cruel to me- he
murmurcd; then almost under his breath
he said:
''When pain and anguish wiring the
brow, a ministering angel thou.
81 fell and broke my leg and crawled
to the door for help he began to ex-
plain, but tainted away.
When Richard Waldron recovered con-
seriousness, he had the doctor beside him
instead of Rebecca. Miss Stoner saved
your life, l really believe" the doctor
said.
Il know she did," echoed Dick But
he meant something the doctor could not
understand.
The next day Rebecca received an
urgent note from her old lover begging
her to come to him. She could not re-
fuse, for, as she told herself, he might be
dying. When she saw him, pale and
suffering, but smiling gladly because she
had come, the sharp eyes softened, and
the hard lines about her mouth seemed
to disappear, and her heart beat with a
wild hope that, after all, new day of
happiness was about to dawn for her.
All that seemed so incomprehensible to
them was now cleared up, although the
village people were shocked the next
day to learn that Rebecca had married
Dick Waldron when he was sick in bed
L.. L.. I1l,~