Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-02-20
HIS SECOND WIFE

(0A Ii uOWU, Qedr, anu Willie l. an
~ waiting for John, 1 will tell you
~ all about it. 1 know people won
Tered when we were married, and
said 1 was an old fame, and that 1t
was preposterous for old people Hk us
to marry. But, my child, 1 don't care.
Yes, you do seem like a child to me-;
eighteen, did you say? And this is
your engagement ring. Pretty, isn't
it? How it brings back the old times
when 1 was just your age, and John
and 1 was counting"
There was a pause, and one small,
wrinkled hand was raised to brush
AWAY a tear. Then the sweet old voice
continued
you see, John was what they call
/ bound boy. He was just eight years
old when he came to live with us;
md he stayed until, we'll, until he
married her. You knew Eunice? She
was a handsome girl, If 1 do say it.
Ear prettier than 1. 1 never did count
much for good looks, but for all that
[ took pretty well with the beaux.
But I didn't care a jot for any n Of
them but John. He was five years
older than 1, and from the time 1 was
Il mite of three, my constant compan-
,on and protector. How he did stand
by me If there was any fracas at
school, as there always was more or
.ess with part of us on one side, and
part of us on the other. Well, matters
vent along smooth enough until 1 was
nearly nineteen. Then the first and
with, came like a thunder-bolt from
a clear sky.
John and I became engaged on my
eighteenth birthday, and father and
mother were we'll pleased. Don't very
often happen hat way, does it7 But
t did in our case. You see, 1 was the
only child, and John was a fine, man
Y fellow, fully capable of making his
own way in the world, and always
ike a son to father and mother. How
hey loved that boy! They never seem
I'd quite the same after he disappoint
ID them SO. And to think they never
knew the truth. oh, it was shame
ful! But there, 1 must not judge her
She was young and thoughtless, and
sorry enough in after years. I'll show
you the letters some time. 1t wal
them hat wrought all the mischief
They were written while I was West
visiting my mothers brother and hi.
family. You see, dear, Eunice and
were the best of friends, and 1 nevei
suspected till afterward how mucl
she cared for John, but 1 never blamed
her for taking him when he wanted
her.
81 tried to think It was the Lord
will, and stayed West two years try
ing to reconcile myself to the newt
able. Then mother was taken sick
and 1 came home, John and Eunic,
had a little one by that time, and some
how those baby fingers helped to hea
the breach; and before 1 knew it l wa
loving Johns baby as well as / di
him, only in a different way, perhaps
for there would come times when j
seemed as If my life was a blank. The
were apparently so happy, L so lone
ly, trying to crush out the love 1 nov
felt it a sin to harbor. Somehow
though, it survived the years; 70
John is as dear to me to-day, m
child, as in the long ago; when be
, meath the apple-boughs he placed thi
ring upon my finger. 1t was in tn
: fair spring-time and the old orchar
was like a dream of fairy-land."
Again the sweet voice quavered an
broke, and a tear dropped from tn
) down-cast eyes and glittered like
: diamond on the worn circlet of golC
Once more memory carried her bac
? to the time when she was a light-hear
ed girl with not a cloud to dim tn