The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-05-20

r1ed that morning.
'Marriedw exclaimed; "why had
not the least idea that such thing wa
ever thought OFF,
mo more had we, Master Silas. Z
few weeks ago." answered Martha,
blushing, land, you know, you have moi
seen w since Christmas. So, az you
had kindly sent me an invitation to come
down and zee you, I thought I would
take the liberty to bring josiah alona
with me, and make it sort Of marriage
trip"
II am very much delighted to see you
both, and you shall stay with us fol
your honeymoon said, shaking hand
of each. "But you might as well have
invited us to your wedding"
Martha laughed and blushed; and then
my father and Mr. Jonathan offered theiI
warm congratulations to the happy bride
and bridegroom.
"And are you still at the Corinthian
Josiah ?" inquired.
mo-" he answered; Martha has per
suaded me to relinquish public life, and
pointment upon the railway as porter
A little time afterwards, Martha came
| to me with a radiant countenance. only
think" she said; "that dear, good Mr.
Jonathan is going to set us up in busi.
ness for your sake! And, Master Silas
what did l use to say when you made
such fuss about the little could dc
for you-didn't tell you you would be
rich some day, and what fine things YOU
would do for me?'
"But / am not rich. my good Martha y
I said, smiling, land it is not l who have
done this for YOU"
"Oh, but it's all the same, SIR she
| said, with a very sly look.
Presently my father. Martha. and 10
siah went into the house. But Mr.
Jonathan remained behind. and taking
my arm. strolled with me across the
| lawn.
"Silas, my lad" he said, in a kind
voice, 1.-THE sight of that happy couple
has set me thinking upon a subject
have long had in my heart! Although
| have never mentioned it, l know al
| about you and Clara. Mrs. Wilson told
me what she knew, and have picked ur
the rest here and there. I have waited
however, until now. In the first place.
wished to know you better, to judge
of your disposition; and, in the second
place, although the ties that bound you
to that unhappy woman were of the
! weakest, yet, after the dreadful circum.
stances that attended her death, we were
compelled in decency to allow certain
time to- elapse before the subject of love
and marriage could be preached"
"Ah, SIR" I answered mournfully
"Clara has ceased to love me. She will
never forgive the wicked weakness OF
| my conduct in gaining her love while
| another claimed me as her husband"
''It was very culpable," answered Mr.
| Jonathan, gravely; "and In any Other
person I could never have pardoned IT.
but your life, my poor boy. has been sc
exceptional, that it would be hard to
Judge you by the rules of everyday
lifc''
"And you forgive me-. darling?"
whispered as held Clara in my arms.
81 was never angry with you" she
answered. softly. II only felt sad. and
that wished to die
She was mine-mine at last! Nothing
could stand between us now save death
Oh, the bliss, the rapture of that mo-
ment!
l am lying at her feet, with my head
resting against her, and my face upturn-
ed towards hers, as used to in the old
days. The cool air Of the soft summers
night, laden with the perfume of the clus.
tering roses, steals through the open lat
tice. There is no light save that OF
the moon, that streams through the win.
dow, chequering the floor with the shad.
| cws of the overhanging leaves. One
broad beam glances over my darling'a
head, making her golden hair gIisten like
threads of gold, and falls full upon the
portrait of her mother that hangs behind
her. She is translating the rhapsodiea
that fill the souls Of both into loves OWE
language-music. Oh. those wild, pas
sionate strains, how they thrill through
my soul! They tell all the story of on,
love-soft, melancholy. mysterious
then broken by sobs and wails-swellins
into horror and cries OF agony-then
melting into soft, dreamy harmony toe
ecstatic for joy, too hopeful for sadnes.
and so they die away into the passion.
ate silence Of love.
(The end.)