News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-05-01
His Brothers
Keeper
BY REV. CHARLES M.
S H E | DO N


IT is not Tor me to thank you Tor the
greatest honor a good man can give a
woman. am unworthy of it."
"No, mo-" Stuart cried at last, turning
to her. 81 love you. Let me say it
And then he did what he had not
thought of doing when he began. But
he faced the possibility of an answer
ing love in this woman, and he longed
for her too much to leave the matter
without fully showing her his heart.
He took Rhena's glove from his peck
eft, the glove he had picked up on the
trail that night "See!" he cried, as he
path one night, and it was a night of
great beauty to me. l found you lying
over there close by the mouth of that
pit. l caught you up and carried you
down to safety. And for little while
you were mine in my hearts thought,
and you could not say me nay" His
voice broke in a sob. A man can sob
only under certain emotions. Stuart
had never felt that before.
AS for Rhena, she caught her breath
and then stood pale and still. "They
told me DR.. Saxon brought me in. Why
did they not tell me the truth? Why
did he not tell me? l owe you my life"
1t was both a question and a state
ment. Stuart would not even now an
ticipate the love that might yet be his.
u Ctnn1 thnpp foninu hoTt cilnnt n
that one outburst. At last he said
gently, 81 would like to keep the glove:
may l.?
She did not answer him. He put the
glove back in his pocket. She was
very, very pale.
He said one more word, "You believe
love your
Eyes; believe it," she answered in a
very low voice.
81 shall alwa-S love you," he said.
He took off his hat. The act was one
of reverence "Some time when l have
won your love, as l know l have not
yet, l shall speak again." he added
slowly. And then he turned and went
back over the trail, never once looking
behind. If he had
When he disappeared behind clump
of frs, Rhena knelt down by the old
stump and laid her head upon it, and
her prayer was very much like the
prayer of that night when Louise had
called upon her. After awhile she rose
land went down the trail. But she was
not the same woman. Her heart was
shaken for the first time in her life by
the love Of great and good man. All,
it is possible if he had said to her,
''Rhenaw she might have said, Stu
artr' and given him all. 1t was dan
gerous for her to think of him. She
felt as never before. And then the
glove. the knowledge of her safety due
to him-she trembled. There were
times in her feeling when if Stuart had
come back she would have said to him:
81 love YOU Let us go on our way
through life togetherv' And she went
ON into the next cottage, a look in her
eyes that was new to them and an
emotion in her heart that she could not
suppress.
AS for Stuart, he went down into
Champion with a feeling that was not
that of defeat or Encouragement. II
had been a crisis with him. He had al
last spoken. He had nothing to regret
in all he had said. And in spite of the
fact that his answer had been no some
thing told him it was not final. He
was the last man in the world to Try
to argue the woman he loved into low
ing him. He was not and could not be
"a pleading sutton for the heart of this
woman of all persons in the world. He
although he did not attempt to picture
when or how, when she would be his
as he wanted her to be. With thai
great thought burning in him he enter
ed upon one of the busiest and most
significant weeks of his life.
In the first place, when Sunday came
he joined the church. He had already
two weeks before gone into the pre-
paratory meeting with Andrew ant
there recited his experience. 1t seemed
the most necessary act& in the worlC
that he should identify himself openly
and boldly with other Christians in thu
organization which Christ loved. There
was not a moments hesitation in Stu
arts mind about the duty and privilege
of church membership. That was {
notable day in his life when Andrew
asked him to rise and give assent II
the church covenant.
The news that Stuart Duncan wa
going to join the church was interest
ing enough to call out a large part o
the population of Champion. Andrew
had never seen such a congregation
st. Johns was crowded, very Target,
with the miners and their families
Stuart was the only person received a
this communion. When he rose at An
drew's invitation, his face was cain
and even beautiful. 1t was a splendi'
sight to see these two men facing eacl
other at the communion service. Whel
Stuart kneeled to receive the baptism
Andrews voice trembled for a secon,
over the words, 81 baptize thee, Stuart
my brother, disciple of Jesus" an
many an eye In the audience molsten
ed When the bread was passed, Stu
art received 1t from one Of the miner
who had worked In Champion mine
ever since Stuart was a boy. He wa
n deacon in st. Johns, and Stuart ney
4. 4. =. r.