The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-07-12

forest, they sat down. and Fred brought
out some dainties which he had bought
for his little sweetheart. But it was late
in the summer, and the rays of the set
ting sun gIinting red and gold through
the leaves warned them that they must
not linger. Fred looked at his watch,
and Jessie's heart stood STILL She had
suddenly decided to tell him now, before
hey left the shelter of the dear forest,
where he and she had spent so many
happy hours.
Erred"
"Well, Jess. dear
81 have something to tell you. Hold
my hand and promise you won't be an
CRY. 1t is hard to tell you, but l must,
because it is right and because you are
going away. You have never asked me
who | am and where was brought up"
why, of course not. You are Clara's
friend, and | know who she is and that
her aunt wouldn't let her associate with
any one who is not respectable"
Jessie gasped.
But don't you know that l live all
alone in London and work very hard at
umbrella mending?"
"Oh, yes, know you do, poor little wo-
man. My heart has often ached for you,
and long for the time when | can take
| you away from all that. When we're mar
ried you shall live in a pretty cottage
near my mother, perhaps after this voy-
age
"Oh, Fred, stop. When you know all,
you will not want to marry me. Do you
know my mother is dead?"
yes. Clara told me you were an or
phan and have been cared for by some
Ii, laI. VIII in
work, and all that"
"Is that what Clara said? She did not
tell you the truth. l am not an orphan.
My mother died of consumption when
was baby, and l was brought up in a
home in London BECAUSE
"Well, why" said Fred in a hard
voice.
Because my father is a convict. He
is at Dartmoor"
Jessie spoke steadily, but her face was
CHASTITY and her breath labored. Fred
Harding rose slowly from beside her. He
dropped her hand and clinched his own.
He set his teeth, and his face was as
CHASTITY as hers
Jessie" he said sternly, from this
moment all is over between us. l don't
care what has passed before. You have
a convict's daughter"
He turned in passionate haste and left
Jessie alone in the forest. When she saw
him go, she stretched out her arms i'm
ploringly.
Erred, Fred, come back If you knew
how love you, you would come backp'
He only hurried on, the faster Then
Jessie knew all was over-her dreams,
her love, her hope, everything She sat
long as he had left her till the darkness,
becoming more and more dense, warned
her to hurry from the forest, and the
lonely girl returned to her now doubly
lonely drudgery.
Fred's ship sailed the next day. That
was all she knew. She saw nothing of
Clara, and she neither wrote nor went to
Barkingside herself. The weary months
dragged on. Her cough grew worse.
She could not eat, and she could hardly
do her work.
One day about four months after Jes-
sizes parting from Fred some one knock
ed at the door of her room Clara opened
the door to see her friend lying on the
bed near the window, colorless, dying.
Her white hand loosely held a bunch Of
violets, and her dark eyes, bright with
fever, were fixed on the window, from
where she could see peep of the sky.
ooh, Jessie, what's the matter?'
| Jessie tried to answer, but coughed in
stead
I'm dying" she gasped.
| Clara impulsively threw herself on heI
| knees by the bed and burst into tears
| Jessie laid her hand gently on her head.
Don't cry, Clara I'm glad now
| Fred gave me up, and | couldn't live
| without him.
ooh, I'm sorry, but you shall come to
our house now and get better"
Il shall be better, Clara | cant live
long emily want to live till Fred's ship
comes back | want to hear him say he
forgives me-
ITS not for him to forgive" said
| Clara angrily.
at is Clara. | knew him knew his
| honesty, his passionate temper, and yet
deceived him all that tine"
"Jessie, Jessie, don't die. He'll soon be
| here, and I'll make him forgive you and
come TO you, and then you'll be better"
'No, dear, he won't forgive me. But |
want you to tell him love him just the
same. And Clara, will you do something
for me? VIII you take this money TO
your misunderstanding out little packet
from underneath her pilow--"and ask
| him if there is enough to bury me at
BarEingside, want to lie there near
! Fred's home. And when he comes from
sea and hears | am dead, perhaps he will
forgive me and think of me as being very
near. He will perhaps sometimes put n
! flower on my grave. Mrs. Merrall gave
me this to buy things to eat She has
often been to see me since she heard !
was i'll, and we talk over the old days at
! the home.
Two months later young sailor knelt
| in deep sadness and humility beside a
little grass covered mound in Barking
side churchyard His chest heaved and
tears rolled unheeded down his sunburn
ed face. Then he reverently laid some
flowers on the grass and turned toward
| the road leading to Hainault forest.-EX
| change
One of the richest men whom we
know, speaking of wealth in its largest
and best sense, is a man who only
owns little 40 acre farm. He has
health, wife and children of whom
any man might be proud, keeps little
fine stock and poultry, farms his land
well and gets the best crops. He is a
reader and thinker, and his life is
broad and useful. He could not be
happier had he 1000 acres.
| =.