The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-12-25

their simple breakfast of toast and tea
and sat down to mend a snag in Mabel's
apron. She looked carefully in her
workbasket for her thimble, but could
not. find It.
"How strange l cannot find it," she
said. 81 know / had 1t late last night"
Then sudden memory. came over her.
had sisters thimble last night; tell me
where did you put It,"
Mabel ran around the room, with q
grave brow of deep perplexity, and even
old Mammy Joined in the search But
all In vain, TIC thimble could be- found
nowhere.
Suddenly, with q cry Of Joy, Mabel
ran over to the rose .jar, while she lisp
ed, "All my Eay-sings In dere."
Catherine grasped tho jar and
turned tie coDtents out on the floor
Out rolled the thimble first, then dozens
Of buttons and spools of thread, and q
shoe b%uttoner, a toothbrush and a hun
dred other things. And there, from
fat black hand has pulled out q dainty
white envelope, sealed with red wax
and on the back Oatherine's own name,
in a name frm hand. :
"Ob Miss Catherine, deere 1t Is at las
dat los leLler. Tse done looked dis
ole house ODER o thouean' times fer dat
letter, and dere it Is at las exactly
where dat little mischief done hid it"
ooh, Nanny. Nanny" cried Gather
inc, "how came this here? When =
how"
Her trembling voice broke in a sob
and she fell upon her knees moaning:
"You have ruined my life, Nanny
I'll never forgive you, never-neverl'
| Nplnoun -1Nn1k Arr CO hs,o rnNl1s.
'Taiht nothin' 'portant, is 1t? Yes, let
me 'splsin bout it, cause maybe 1 done
wrong when / neber told you bout 1t
o Dat letter come to our house
de day Of ole marster's fune'rel, an you
KEEP u cryin' an a cryin' 30 ODER dc
corps dat / jes' laid it down on de table
in yo' room. But bineby, when 1 went
ter git 1t fer you, it was gone. I wuz
'fraid you'd be mad bout 1t, so when dc
niger como fer de answer 1 tole him
dere wasn't none. Oh, honey. tho Lord
Almighty knows old Nanny didn't
tend to do yo' no harm"
And the tender hearted old negro W..
man, when she saw how unhappy alh.
her side and wept liko her heart woult
break
Don't cry, honey. I'll bring hin.
back to you" she said.
"Oh, Nanny, 1t Is too late now-too
Late" walled poor Ca herine, as she
broke the seal of the dear letter whose
secret the jar Of withercd rose leaves
had kept so long.
Richard had written in a passion O.
remorse and tenderness.
dearest Catherine: Il havo been &c
unhappy ever since we parted. Won't
you try to forgive me, darling, and tske
me back into your heart once moro +?
my heart aches for you in your
great sorrow, and IL you will but Let me,
l will love you 80 much that you will
forget all the unhappy. past. Send ms
one little word OF forgiveness, and le,
me come to you, darling, forI am 90
miserable without you.
Yours, Richard"
The snow dashed in u binding shect
of white against the window panes, and
as the old negro woman opened the
door and went out, the pitiless wind
rushed in, wailing too latei too Iatei
ALI day long Catherine sat motion
less, with her pale cheeks pressed clos.
against the withered roses, and Rich.
ards letter clasped tightly in her hand
With eyes as sad as death, she looked
absently into the white outside world,
where the passers to and fro were only
htluiiy anu ulmly Vl5lDlc through the
swarming snow flakes.
Towards night the sky grew darker,
the clouds hung over the earth like a
great black shroud, and the storm burst
forth in all its fury.
But above tho noise of the storm al
imperative ring of the bell arouses Gath
crime from her weeping. Tho front
door opens and closes quickly, and a
moment later she hears old NANNY cry
out F.:
miss Cath'rin, honey Use done
brought him back ter you p
She feels a pair Of s,rong arms clasp
her to q warm, man y breast; she feels
loving lips cling ~passionutely to hers
and sbe hears Richards tender voice
softly pleading for forgiveness.
II have loved you from first to last
darling, and l must have been mad to
have imagined for even one momen,
that I could love any othcr woman thar
you. Won't you forgive me, sweet p"
Her only answer was a smile n di.
vine smile, eloquent of womaa's compas
sionate, deathless love.
And Catherine was happy at last. fo,
she was in Richards arms, weeping on
| Ricbar0pa haa,t and tl,., 49,. o