Barbour County index., 1905-02-22

L
responsible for. He had met a just
and well-merited fate. and the general
belief was that conscience had driven
him insane. Angie, well beloved, had
come into her rights, and at the hands
of long-faithful lover, who now hoped
| to become citizen of that village.
Aunt Comfort, too, was in a fair way
to receive due reward for her unfailine
charity and general benevolence, and
all in although slightly bigoted-
Greenvale stood ready, like the rest of
humanity, to applaud and reward all
| goodness and condemn all vice.
But there was another, and to Mar
| tin even more interesting, conclusion
yet to be settled, and alone in Aunt
Comforts warm sitting room that
| night they discussed it. What it was
need not be specified, but at the close
| of Martins plea for Angles consent and
speedy marriage, although she permit
ted his arm-clasp, she shook her head.
NO, no." she said, mot yet. Once
you left me without thought or care
and now let us try being lovers again.
| was forced to try to put you out of
my mind and heart once, and 1
wouldn't care to live through another
such experience.
'Beyond that, have Aunt Comfort.
and no love can set aside my duty to
her. She has been my mother since
a child, l am all there is in life for
her, and her care and happiness is
sacred and must be to me so long as
live. You have brought to me also
another duty, and that, my poor father
| shall not rest, or feel moments
content, until he is here and under
my care. You tell me he is almost de-
mented, but contented where he is,
yet he is very old, and to let him re-
main and die in that miserable abode
is out Of the question. 1 would start
and walk to where he is, if it were pos
sible, and he must be brought here be-
fore l shall know moments peace"
In vain Martin pleaded that marriage
would be no bar to this double claim:
her duty must and would be his as
we'll and that Aunt Comfort would be
the happier for this consummation. 1t
was futile, for all his specious plead
ings and promises availed not Duty
to those already dependent upon her
for happiness was her guiding star
and watch word, and Martin had to
yield and accept it.
She even refused to be considered
as engaged, and her reasons for it are
worth quoting.
"A verbal bond has no strength" :"
| she said, unless reason wills and the
| heart wishes. If you need me and l
you for life, that need must hold us
until death, or it is worthless and a
| delUSion. Promises can neither add
to, or injure it, and be it one week,
one year, or lifetime hence, it must
hold and remain the same divine obli-
| CATION. Beyond that, l shall value a
faith and fidelity, given without ask
ing, and bound by no promise, thou
sand times more than all the vows
uttered by mortal lips. did not ask
Aunt Comfort to care for me a help
less child and not her own; she gave
me home and love without it. She
would not ask me to sacrifice one hour
for her selfish needs, and yet l am
ready, and shall if need be, to devote
all my life solely for her in return.
This and this only is true and unselfish
love, and all that is worth the name"
Then they changed the subject into
a discussion of ways and means to
rescue her father from his wilder
ness abode.
He has, so far as I could discover,
! for or1u fa
tin, "and while he seemed disturbed
and in a way almost touched by the
sight of your pictured face, acted as il
the past was blank in memory. Old
Cy he recalled well enough. In fact
and 1T was curious-his coming there
appeared 20 strike him as perfectly
natural, and in few days they became
like two old schoolboys playing al
keeping house. I'll wager at this very
moment they are content and talking
about their traps, the squirrels, and
how thick the ice is on the lake, OF
how deep the snow is. They once were
natural-born companions in outdoor
sports and such ways of living, anG
now are joined enjoying the same
again. l took old Cy along solely tc
identify this hermit, but builded wiser
than l knew, and it turned out more
than fortunate. was also so sure
had found Amzi that / took in extrs
clothing for him, and before I left
sent our guides to settlement fo
more provisions and needful articles
1t was by one of them that I sent yo,
that birch-bark letter, for was with
out even pencil. We also repaire,
and improved the cabin; built an ad
dition for the guide I left there fo
emergencies: they have meat and foo,
supplies for year, and when sprin,
comes. I'll take you and Aunt Comfor
to pay them visit To go there nov
! is impossible, except to hardy woods
man on snowshoes, for the only high
ways are locked by ice in that higl
: latitude. and snow is likely to be foo
or more deep. thought of all q ma,