Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-07-19
NIy-

Mary returned home and s. few days
later was solicited to take charge OF. Il
small select school. But Mrs. Mason
thought it hest for hcr to return tt
Mount Holyose and accordingly she de-
cl'ncl My. knights offer, greatly To his
disappointment, and that of many others,
ohe morning about Il Week after hc1
return she announced her intention OF
visiting hcr mothers grave. ~ am ac-
Gus omcl to so much exercise" sai,, she,
THAT l can easily walk three miles. and
perhaps on my way home | shall get n
ride
Mrs. Mason made no objection. and
Mary WAS soon on her way. Sle WAS a
rapid walker. ana almost before She wns
aware of it reached the village. AS She
came near Mrs. Campbells the wish nat
uraily arose that Ella shoula accompany
her. Looking up, she saw her sister in
the garden and called to her.
"Wha-a-t?' was the very loud and I'M
civil answer which came back to her, and
In a moment Ella appeared round the cor
ner of the house, carelcssly swinging her
straw hat and humming a fashionable
song. On seeing her sister she drew
back the corners of her mouth into some
thing which she intended for a smile. and
said. why. l thought it was Bridget
calling me. YOU looked so much like her
In that Bingham sunbonnet. Won't YOU
come inY'
Thank you," returned Mary. 81 was
going to mothers grave, and thought per-
haps you would like to accompany me-"
"Oh. no." said Ella, in her usual drawl-
Ing tone, II don't know as / want to go.
i was there last week, and saw the mon
ument."
"What monument?" asked Mary, and
Ella replied:
why, didn't you know that Mrs. Ma
son, or the town, or somebody. had
bought a monument, with mothers and
fathers and Franky's and Allies names
on it?"
Mary. hurrying on, soon reached the
graveyard, where. as ELLA had said, there
stood by her parents graves a large,
handsome monument. William Bender
was the first person who came into her
mind, and as she thought of all that had
passed between them. and of this last
proof of his affection, she seated herself
among the tall grass and flowers which
grew upo her mothers grave and burst
into tears. She had not sat there long
ere she was reused by the sound of n
footstep. Looking up, she saw before her
the young gentleman who the year pre-
vious had visited her school in Rice Cor
'ner. Seating himself respectfully by her
side. he spoke of the three graves, and
asked if they were her friends who slept
there. There was something so kind and
.affecttonnte in his voice and manner that
Mary could not rcpress her tears. and,
snatching up her bonnet. which she had
thrown aside, she hid her face in it and
again wept.
For q time Mr.. Stuart suffered her to
weep, and then gently removed the sing-
ham bonnet, and, holding her hand be-
tween his, he tried to divert her mind by
talking upon other topics, asking her how
she had been employed during the year,
and appearing greatly pleased when told
that she had been at Mount Holyoke.
Observing Mt length that her eyes con-
stantly rested upon the monument, he
spoke of that, praising its beauty, and
asking if it were her taste.
NO." said she. II never saw it until
to-day, and did not even know it was
here"
Someone wished to surprise you, I
dare say" returned Mr.. Stuart ut was
manufactured in Boston, l see. Have
you friends there?'
Mary replied that she had one, a Mr..
Bender, to which Mr.. Stuart quickly re-
Joined. lis it William Bender? / have
heard OF him through our mutual friend.
George Moreland, whom you perhaps
have seen"
Mary felt the earnest gaze of the large,
dark eyes which were fixed upon her
face. and c~oloring deeply, she replied that
they came from England in the same ves-
sci.
"Indeed!" said Mr.. Stuart. when 1
2'turn to the city shall l refresh his men,
sry a little with regard to youw
I'D rather You would not" answered
Mary. Our paths in life are very diff
ferent; and he. of course, would feel no
interest in me-"
Am l to conclude that you. too, feel
no interest in him." returned Mr.. Stuart,
and again his large eyes reseted OH
Mary's face with a curious expression.
But she made no reply. and, soon rising
up said it was time for her to go home.
Vacation was over, and again in the
halls of Mount Holyoke was heard the
tread of many feet, and the sound of
youthful voices as one by one the pupils
came back to their accustomed places.
For n time Mary was undecided whether
to return or not. for much as she desired
an education she could not help feeling
delicate about receiving it from a stran-
ger. but Mrs. Mason, to whom all her
thoughts and feelings were confided, adj
vised her to return, and accordingly the
first day of the term found her again at
Mount Holyoke, where she was warmly
welcomed by her teachers and compan.
TONS. Still, it did not seem like the olden
time. for Ida was not there, and Jenny's
merry laugh was gone.
Patiently and perseveringly through the
year she studied. storing her mind with
useful knowledge; and when at last the
annual examination came, not one in the
senior class stood higher, or was grad
uated with more honor than herself. Mrs.
Mason, who was there, listened with all
q parents pride and fondness to her
adopted child, as she promptly responded
to every question. But it was not Mrs.
Mason's presence alone which melted
Mary to do so well. Among the crowd
OF spectators she caught a. glimpse of a
&0cN xr,lsoI,L 49, "