Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1900-12-20
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WAdI dIO SOuI pidAS' dShcu tnC |
young man.
81 suppose you'll be surprised to
know that they're all made" said the
girl a little petulantly. I'm going |
to Aunt Rachel's in the city. She
wrote and said 1 might, and I mean
to learn shorthand or bookkeeping or
something" she ended rather vaguely.
ooh, Sally!" the young man said,
81 wish you wouldn't. 1 can't bear
much to offer you, but if you'll only
marry me right away, I'll work for
you all my life"
There's so much depending on you
already" said the girl, and there was
note of tenderness in her voice. ''Id
only be an added burden"
He laughed. Its the kind Of bur-
den I'd be only too glad to carry If
you'd only give me leave. I know
we're poor, but the farm is in good
condition now, and things are going
to be better, 1 know"
There was pause.
Wont you?" he pleaded.
mo-" said Sally, gently but firmly.
mot yet 1 never should be content
ed till had tried it at least"
81 know how it will be-" He kicked
the stone post on which the gate was
hung. you will go of to the city
and get fascinated with some fellow
there and forget the farmer out in the
country. We might as well end every
thing right now, so you'll be free from
the start"
Don't be goose" Sally said light
ly. Then her tone changed u don't
want to be free. won't let you throw
me over No, Phil" she declared sol
EMMY, "I never shall forget you.
Truly 1 shall not. I'm not the kind
to change that way. And don't you
forget"-she went closer, reached up,
and put her arms about his neck
don't you ever forget, Phil, that
love you" She stood on tiptoe and
kissed him, then turning ran lightly
up the walk into the house, and closed
the door softly behind her.
| 1t was q month later that Sally
Thurston went to the city, leaving
Philip Graves lonesome and heartsick.
He hoped that Sally would soon tire
of the experiment and come home,
but her letters were brave and cheer
full, and this hope soon died. He
wished he could join her. so that they
might work near each other, but his
home ties bound him. He was the
Oldest in the family, and his mother
was a widow. He worked hard for
them, and though he tried bravely to
lay by something against the time
when he and Sally should be married,
it seemed pititu1ly small sum that
| he was able to save, and when Sally
wrote OF her success and her earnings
he felt discouraged and Inundated.
| For several years Sally spent her
vacations at home, and they were joy
full times for Philip. 1t surprised and
delighted him to think that with all
her advantages she still cared for him.
She urged him to come to the city, he
could make so much more money. He
told her that he would not be a desert
er, and she said, when Eddy gets
old enough to run the farm you will
come"
But when that time arrived it was
Eddy who went to the city, and she
helped him make place for himself
Sally had taken up typewriting,
then had drifted into journalism, and
by and by she had an opportunity to
go to large Western city and become
| the domestic editor of a prosperous
weekly.
Philip felt that she was drifting
| away from him, but was ,powerless to
prevent it She promised him, when
| she went away that when times were
easier on the farm and all the chill
dren grown, she would come home and
settle down.
So it happened that for ten years
they did not see each other. They
wrote often She prospered, and he
prospered a part of the time, and met
with reverses the rest. The children
grew up and married one by one.
Finally he wrote to her that the
time when she had promised to come
home had arrived. But" he said,
81 don't think you ought to come.
You have found your life work and
you ought to stick to it. Farm life
would be intolerably dull drudgery
|
urge you to keep your promise.
know there was time when begged
you to share my drudgery, but Rust
have loved you very selfishly then"
| Two weeks later Sally came. She
went to Philips house in the after
noon, and her appearance greatly as
tonished his mother.
| Then pretty soon Philip came in
He paused in the doorway and turned
quite pale when he saw Sally, but she
came forward to meet him with one
of her old-time laughs.
Mrs. Graves lowered about them,
smiling and happy, and insisted that
Sally should stay to supper. Then,
after that, she left them in the sitting
room while she did the supper work.
Sally became strangely silent to-
ward the last of the evening, and when
Philip set out to go home with her
she was quite grave.
els that seat still under the old ap-
ple-tree up on the hill?" she asked.
'Yes," he said, do you want to go
there?"
eff you are not too tired"
He laughed. mo, indeed. I'm not
too tired to go Herewith you"