Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-07-05

not let him be. She went every day and
watched, as by a resistless fascination,
that pitiless, great saw tearing it's slow
way through the logs making them use
full while seeming only to destroy them.
He was 20 years old at last and she
was 49,.
She had been fussing about the old
house, making Cruel for Aunt Huldah,
and trying to coax smile on Aunt
Hannah's stolid face, but really only
waiting for Ralph to return from the
village.
He came in soon, and seeing her
standing alone in the clean, poorly fur
nished room he went straight to her,
and, taking both her hands in his, he
said:
'Now, Gertrude-Miss Kendennis-
you must not come here in this manner.
People are talking of it down in the
village, and if your uncle should hear
of it he would send you to nunnery
and kill me outright"
"Oh, you do not want me here" she
said, trying to speak playfully, but
with little moan in her voice.
81 dol do" he answered, putting his
arm about her, holding her close, and
touching her hair with a quick, caress-
ing motion. God knows it is worse
than death to send you away, but;Ssmy
darling, see the long, weary life
stretching before me. See the work to
be done here and you lowering like some
bright bird just out of reach. Could
drag you down to share this poor old
nest? No, no, it would not be right.
have served duty too long to- dare de-
sert her now"
"But youare so young" she murmur-
ed, leaning her face on his shoulder;
he could feel her breath against his
cheek.
His heart beat so fast he thought it
would strange him, and that moment
of rapture paid him for the suffering of
years.
$50 young and so ambitious-and
there is the invention down at the mill
L
Eyes; but l have been to the village
to-day for the last time trying to raise
even $50 to pay for the patent, and
can not do it. Nobody has any faith in
it; they think it is boys scheme, and
I'm quite discouraged"
ooh, if l only had my money"
eyes, but you have not, my darling;
nor would l touch one penny of it if
you had No, you must go back to your
relatives. l shall never marry, dear,
but I shall cherish your memory as my
one blessedest gift. Now, don't feel
badly-don't."
They were both sobbing together by
this time; she put her arm up around
his neck, and their two tear-wet faces
nestled against each other like two
grieyed children.
Aunt Hannah put her white, fabby
face in at the door to say that dinner
was ready, and, seeing the young peo-
pie standing together there, she started
nervously and exclaimed:
Laws sakes! that's courtin' now,
amt it?' And as they neither moved
nor spoke she went softly across the
floor ard whispered: "Ralphie, boy, are
you goin' to be married."
Eyes, auntie," answered Gertrude,
''and we want your blessing"
But you want your money, too, don't
your
Eyes, certainly; the marriage por-
tion," said Ralph, bitterly, brushing the
tears from his eyes and trying to face
his lonely life once more.
'Then come upstairs" she laughed
out, in her queer, wild fashion.
what does she mean?' asked Ger
trude, wonderingly.
II do not know" Ralph answered. Il
have not heard her speak so many
words at time in ten years"
Reckoning them to follow her, she
climbed the worn old stairs up to the
dusty garrett, where broken chairs and
song-idle spinning wheels made up the
furniture.
Down behind the big chimney crept
the daft woman and drew out large,