Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-04-19
Continued.


and then he noticed that all the glow
ing color was dying from her lovely
face, and that the hand he held in his
own was trembling.
Ethel" he said, gently, you mus
not give way now. You are tired
faint, perhaps; all this has been toe
much for you. See, here is a large
tree; sit down under the shade OF It,"
There was a little mound under the
tree, and she sat down upon it, Laurie
by her side. The rest revived her. HI
looked anxiously in her face.
you are better now, my queen" he
said Ethel, can hardly believe tt
1t Is our wedding-day. ] look in your
lovely, fiower-hke face, and say TO
myself that is my wlfe's FACET hold
this white hand in mine, and say
this is my wife's hand; but do not
realize 1t ALL hardly believe lit
seems to me incredible that should
have won my queen with her royal
dover OF proud young beauty"
They sat for a few moments in
silence, and then Laurie took the
passion-fiowers from her.
81 shall keep these until die" he
said, remembering always that you
held them while we were married. And
now. my darling, give me one kiss.
Raise your sweet, fair face to mine;
dearly as | have loved you, I have
hardly dared to touch 1t. l may kiss
my wlfe's face, Ethel"
She raised 1t, and he wondered again
at its exquisite beauty; the faint flush
of returning color was more dainty
than the bloom of a wild rose He
bent his head reyerently and kissed
her lips.
my wife" he whispered, my beau
tiful queen, | could not love you more!
And now, Ethel, time Is fying-we
must return, We will part at the gate
that leads to the woods You, my
darling, had better run through the
woods, lingering little on your way,
for / must return to the hotel first. II
you are there by eleven. will have
everything ready for you"
I'VE will see Miss Digby at once"
she said. with quiet smile.
He did not think II was of any use
to tell her the truth Just then.
Yes, we will see her. and give her
the greatest surprise she has ever had
in all har life. What will she say
when she knows that | am your hus-
band and that we are going to Aus.
trla?"
Ethel laughed; and then It struck
her that the laugh seemed out of har-
mony with the brightness and beauty
of that calm summer morning.
What time shall we start?" she
asked -.
Laurie had thought of an excellent
plan as he imagined. He would get
away from st. 1na's under the pretext
OF starting at once for Austria She
would not know what tickets he had
purchased and he would not tell her
they were on the road to Liverpool uu-
I'll they had gone some distance and
then IL would be too late for her to
offer any remonstranee. He thought
that was the wlsest and most suitable
plan that he could adopt.
He fingered for a few minutes longer
talking OF Helen Digby. dwelling on
the keenness of her disappointment,
and then II was time to go.
The church clock struck nine. and
an old-fashloned chime played directly
afterward.
Suddenly Ethel gave a little cry; she
had struck her hand against the corner
of a stone that was hidden in the grass.
and had bruised the tender skin
! did not know this was a grave"
she said. rising with shudder.
She parted the long, thick grass. and
looked at the broken stone.
We have been sitting on a child's
grave. l.aurle---a child who died many
years ago, before we were born. We
have been talking about love. with
death so near 90 us"
He would not own that her words
startled him. but they did, He drew
her gently away. and then he bent
down and kissed the little bruised
hand.
MY sweet wife" he said. you are
nervous and tired. You have strange
fancies this morning, but you will soon
forget them all Now we must part"
They reached the little gate THAI ,ed
20 the woods, great elm grew near
and overshadowed Il.
you will be home, then. by eleven,
Ethelg" he said,
Yes" she replied, "and then for our
grand denouement Helen Digby may
bid farewell to all hope OF ever being
my fathers wife. Laurie"
she may indeed he agreed: and
then they stood for few moments un.
der the great elm-tree.
For years afterward Laurie Nugent
saw Ethel In his dreams as he saw her
then, the fair head proudly raised a.
she babe him farewell-"only for few
hours" he thought
For one minuSe he held her IN BIZ