The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-02

! EALATE HAPPINESS


typical old maid Of Kingston. People
said she had 'sourcd on the world" and
assurcdly. 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, Rebccca's mother who
was n widow, fell ill., Richard, who had
been waiting long time for Rebecca, in.
sisted upon the marriage being perform
cd without delay, for as their new home
would he within sight of the Stoncr place
Robecca could still be with her mother
nnd oversee Il nurse. But the mother
sclfshly objected. "Shc knew Rebecca
would not be the same to her after mar
riage. No one else would nurse her as
well, and she wouldn't be in their way
long. She would go gladly as soon as
she was called up higher" etc.
SO Rcbecca, sick at heart, but not dar-
ing, raised MS 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, |
fear, by your mistaken notion Of your
duty, but | must submit. But write me
for ] cannot stay here-and call me back.
Whenever you send will come back, for
! will never love any woman but you and
will be faithful TO you always"
All might have gone well had 1t not
been that Mrs. Stoner again selfishly
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 mt any time,
she had never harmed 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 n matter Of fact, the old lady held
on to life with n 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
riod since he had left her? Men were
inconsistent by nature, she argued. Yet
the remembrance of Dicks face and his
words as he bade her goodby forced her
to believe in his constancy Another
doubt assniled 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 a letter which would have
brought him, happy, eager lover, to her
side But in some unaccountable way
the letter was lost in transit. Dick never
received the message calling him back
to Rebecca, and she supposed. as 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. lie, on his part. receiving
no word after -thc 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 n walk. She had gone as
far as Dick Waldron's cottage when she
thought she heard 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. Arous-
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
murmured; then almost under his breath
he said:
"When pain and anguish wiring the
brow, 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-
sciousness he had the doctor beside him
instead of Rebecca. "AIiss Stonc- saved
your life, / really believe" the doctor
said.
II know she did," echoed Dick. But
he meant something the doctor could not
understand
The next day Rebecca received an
urgent uOle lrOHl ner Olu 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 n
wild hope that, after all, a new day of
happiness was about to dawn for her.
All that seemed so incomprehensibe to
them was now cleared up. although the
missing letter was never traced, and the
village people were shocked the next
day to learn that Rebecca had married
Dick Waldron when he was sick in bed
Took advantage of his helpless situa-
ton" some openly declared Others de-
rided, but some sympathized.
Rebecca heard this statement, but she
did not care. Dick had begged her to
marry him at once, and she felt she owed
1t to him as well as to herself to comply,
and so she nursed him back to life and
happiness they came 50 near missing and
1t was still sweet although it came so
late.-Chcago News.