Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-03-08
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| The Hermit
N a Story Of the Wilderness
~ ~ cnARIES CLARK MUM
Author Of Pocket island. Uncle Terfy''
ard Rockhaven."
CHAPTER XXXIV.-CoSr1SuEp.
Copyright. 1905. By Iss and Shepard,>

CHAPTER XXNIV.-CoSr1SuEp.
"Oh, you are not to be rid of me so
easily answered Angie. lightly. land
II YOU want to be. you can't, either.
wouldn't marry Martin or the best
man that ever lived, and desert you
now"
But Aunt Comfort only smiled again,
serene in her faith Of what must in
evitably happen.
For little while the two remained
silent, each absorbed in her widely
divergent line Of reflection. while the
tail clock licked on, the evening breeze
rustled the brown leaves about the
house. and the fire burned low. At
last Aunt Comfort. still smiling, be-
gan to doze, and Angie was alone with
her thoughts.
And then back to the old DAYS of
her girlhood they sped in spite OF all
resolutions. and once again the old
memories returned. They were only
fond recollections now, for he who had
inspired them had passed out of her
lite for good, and could not now be
allowed admission again. He must
never even know she retained them.
Her path of duty was clear, and beside
the good motherly soul who had been
al IN all to her so long-beside her
and for her she must and would live
until the patient hands were folded at
last and the wrinkled face would smile
no more.
It was a duty of love and gratitude,
ten times stronger than all the silly
impulses once inspired by Martin and
now sought to be renewed by him.
True he was manly and tender, and
somehow. absent, now was nearer to
her than when present He had shown
repentance for his old-time neglect
which. after all. was not surprising:
and had almost begged for tacit for
giveness and reinstatement in her Ia
Nor. She recognized that to live alone
and without mans protection was
not easy for any woman, and yet so
she had resolved and for reason that
seemed sacred.
Then sh: fell to wondering what
kept him so long in the wilderness aud
why it was that unique birch-bark let
ter, scraWled with charred stick, had
been sent in an envelope directed by
some one else. She had opened it with
raSerness, and tried again and again
10 declpher words impossible to read.
1t contained naught except what all
might read without question, it they
could. and yet no missive ever re-
celved by her had been valued more.
His movements and plans in life
were not her concern, of course, and
not likely to be. She had renowned
him for good and all now, and if he
returned and pleaded his love, as she
imagined ne might, it would avail not
Her resolve was made and final-anl
yet Martin absent was stronger thai
Martin present, and the old sweet illu-
sion hard to eradicate.
There are turning points in life,
when to choose the path of duty brings
heartache, and such a one now con-
1ronted Angie, yet she faltered not,
and the gray head with it's white cap
and wrinkled face, now nodding just
across the table, still seemed her
shrine of duty.
And yet-and yet
The fire had burned quite out-only
one tiny coal still glowed among the
white ashes, the tall clock kept say
ing. "Never-never-nev the night
wind still rustled the dead leaves in
The dooryard, and life to Angie seemed
like the clocks solemn voice.
Suddenly Aunt Comfort woke up and
looked at her companion
why, Angie" she said, you've ben
cryin!"