Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-25

a situation that appealed to him.
Git ticket to Lapham Junction all
ready for me, Adny," admonished Mis-.
Minturn, folding her dustcloth and turn
ing toward the house. II wouldn't miss
that train for anytbi.11' I'll jest set ont
some cold vittles for Hiram. and leave 4
note for him, and change my dress and
then III come right down to the deepo.
Land. if could only set things right Tor
Harris, how pleased I'd be-
An hour and a quarter before train
time Mrs. Minturn hurried into the Little
Jericho station and bought her ticket for
Lapham Junction. She wore her best
Sunday dress and bonnet, and carried a
little old-fashioned ''retieule,' covered
with black beads In this bag she had
put a slender lunch, done up in brown
paper, two extra handkerchiefs. n bottle.
Of smelling salts, bottle Of painkiller,
and folded sheet of paper on which
were written her name and address.
with full directions for converting her
body home in case she should be killed.
She put her ticket into her purse. and
her purse into the capa rous pocket Of
her Sunday dress, and sat down, perfect
ly cOntented, to wait for the train. II
did not concern her that she was an hour
too early. The only thing that she had
feared was that she might he a minute
too late. The sweet, care-worn old face
was placid and hopeful, as she sat look
ing out of the depot window at familikr
fields and woods, which, somehow. she
hardly recognized from this unwonted
point of view She was full of a great
aud prayerful desire to set matters right
between the young principal of the Wiz
lage academy and this girl, whose pic
ture had stood on his table ever since he
came to board with the Minturns. In
some way there had been a falling out
between them. She knew it the very
a ho6 F,.f,,
Florence-she knew it from Harris face.
Then in a few days the postmaster knew
it, because the letters between the lovers
stopped. Then the whole village knew II;
for what the country, postma ster knows.
everybody knows. Mrs. Minturn had
gone into the pantry and cried when
the picture of Florence disappeared from
Harris table. She did not look about
for it in his room, as some women might
have done, perhaps. But she knew per-
fectly well where it was, without look
ing. 1t was between the leaves of Har-
ris' Bible. in his trunk.
At length the train for Lapham juno
ton arrived at Jericho depot, and Adna
Lewis, in spite of his habitual whirlwind
found time to asst Mrs Minturn aboard
the dreaded cars and admonish the con-
ductor TO be sure and see that she got
safely off at the Junction. The last thing
Adna saw as the train moved slowly
away was the pale but determined face
of the little peacemaker, pressed against
the window, gazing back at her beloved
home.
Florence Appleton had an hour 10 wait
at Lapham Junction. The train from
Jericho was due to arrive only twenty
minutes before she must leave on the
westbound express. If Harris came,
there would be, perhaps, fifteen minutes
for them to undo the terrible tangle
which had come about in the course of
correspondence, and which letters had
only served to make inextricablv worse
But what cannot love do in a minute.
nay, in a second. with the help of pro-
pinq;..ty and the meeting of young, elo-
qucnt eyesl 1t would all depend. thought
Florence, upon other things than words,
than argumentsii than explanations. 1t
would depend upon the subtle messages
that passed between their souls, when
they stood once more face to face For
her own part, the throbbing of her heart
told her that love would not have to
knock long nor hard at its gates. if he
came with the right look and word. All,
this pain of arrangement. / had writ
ten itself Enthusiastically in the girls fair
young face also.
The train from Jericho pulled in at the
Junction exactly on time. Florence had
been pacing up and down the platfrrm
for ten minutes, listening and TIC %trsg
for it. Now her eyes deyoured with
eagerness every passenger who alighted,
and her color came and went with alter
nate expectation and disappointment.
Harris had not come! She saw the con
ductor helping the last passenger down
the steps-a little, gray-haired woman,
wearing an old-fashioned gown and bon
net, and carrying a black reticule in her
hand. Tears of bitter disappointment
and chagrin sprang to the girls eyes, but
She dashed them away, whirled on her
heel, and was about to re-enter the sta
ton, when n light touch fell on her arm.
She turned, and, with the anguish and
self-pty and suppressed tears still in
them, her eyes met the soft, gentle, plead
ing, yet desperately earnest look of the
had only come looking into her eyes like
that. How easily all had been righted.
Excuse me- said the little, gray
haired woman, but is your first name
Florence. and do you know anybody by
the name of Harris Mils?"
look of blushing, swift surprise, fol-
lowed by one Of reserve and almost re-
sentiment, leaped into the girls blue eyes.
How came this woman to know her
secret? What did it all mean? Could
Harris have sent her? Perhaps-and the
blue eyes softened a little perhaps he
was SICK:
Yes" she answered, frankly. "my
name is Florence Appleton. | know Mr..
Mills, and was expecting him by this
train. Has he sent any message by
you?'
no, replied Mrs. Minturn.
The girl drew herself up haughtily.
Why. do you presume to address me
them she demanded in n cold tone. II
have no idea who you are"
He couldn't come" replied the ennis
sary of Love quietly. He was away for
all day. He didn't get your telegram.
So | come for him. He boards with
me. | amt rode on the cars for fifteen
years, and | vowed Id never ride on EN-
again: but when | see that Harris
couldn't git here noways. l come for him.
come to tell YOU that you're KILN
him jest KILN him. sure as the world.
poor hoy He hain't ben himself sence
he took your picture out o. the frame
and hid it away somewhercs. He's TEST
goin' the way that I've seen lots of 'cm
20. when they love the way he loves.
and III Tilted They git paler and paler
and thinner and thinner. and then they
20 into a decline and CONSUMPTION az
Nomethin' gifts hold of EN-. and that's
the last. You're KILN him jest the same
way W.