Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-03-12

leaving. 81 got a picture yesterday
of Frank and Annie and a friend OF
theirs and her husband"
She handed Elsie the picture. There
sure enough were Frank and Annie
Young and-Elsie clutched wildly at
the little cardboard-DaveB Brady, with
woman sitting archly on his knee,
his eyes gazing at her adoringly.
"They had them taken that way just
for fun," explained Mrs. Young. can
ME and Emma were friends years ago.
and they came across each other last
month at Manila. They've both been
married the same length of time-three
years-and there's not a months diff
ference in the ages Of the children.
Emma's is a girl, though"
Elsie rushed blindly out of the house.
Dazed, she made her way home, the
pretty head sadly dropping under the
faithful gray hat. She laid it off and
sat down beside it and gave way to
tears, tears that pride had held back
till she was away from prying eyes.
Three years. And she waiting,
watching, hoping, loving. Wife and
baby, home, love, everything to fill
his life! And she? An orphan, living
alone, no one to care whether she came
or went, was glad or sorrowful. She
sobbed ON pitifully. All night long
oh Iop INV
year, the time between.
1t was almost morning before she
could believe that Dave was actually
out of her life and-and-
She sat up in bed and laughed and
cried all in a breath. 1t was most
wonderful. She climbed out Of bed,
found the little gray hat and bit by
bit tore it into shreds. She laughed
again, then cried again and, all flush
ed and rosy, lay down and slept peace
fully till long past sunup.
John Stewart sat in his Office listen
ing gravely to his patient recount his
ills. He gave him prescription,
smiled, asked him about the children,
bowed him out, smiled again and sat
down to wait the next patient. They
came oftener now. A few years before
they had been few and far between.
The next one came in slowly, a slen-
der, graceful creature, with fair,
flushed face peering out shyly from
under a soft white hat covered with
blue cornflowers, the color of her eyes.
"Jackr'
He turned quickly, gave one swift
look and caught her in his arms.
"Elsie, my darlingv'
Dr. Stewart was certainly not slow
witted.
"When-how?' he questioned, kiss
ing her all in a breath.
She put her arms around his neck
and Rugged him tightly.
ever since l knew you," she whis-
pered give wanted you-you-you!
Oh, Jack, can never love you enough
to make up for what I've missed"
He laughed, puzzled, but blissful.
"Then why?" he asked.
She answered his kiss first, smiling
and dinpled, then a frightened look
flashed over the happy face. What
oh, what if Dave had been true, had
come back! She Rugged the doctor
again frantically.
at was the gray hat" she cried. cit
was a hOodoO. / tore it UP last night.
was never SO happy as while pulling
it to pieces"
And that was all the explanation she
ever gave him, but he had the woman
he loved and was as happy as is good
for mortal to be.
AS for Elsie, she wrote Dave a nice,
friendly letter after she was married
and sent his baby present. She was
so afraid he might have fieeting mo-
ments of remorse, and she felt that
would hardly be fair. Which goes to
show that woman's reasoning is rath-
er complex.