The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-02-10
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| The Hermit
NJ A Story of the Wilderness
~ By CHARLES CLARK MUM u
Author c: Pocket lsand" Uncle Terry"
ard Rockhavea"
CHAPTER acknowledgements
Copyright. 1905, BY Lee and shepard.)

oh. you are not to be rid OF me So
/, easily" answered Angie, lightly. land
If you want to be. you can't. either.
l 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
evita6ly happen.
For a little while the two remained
silent, each absorbed in her widely
divergent line of reflection, while tho
tall clock licked on, the evening breeze
rnstled 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 lie who had
inspired them had passed out of her
life for good. aud could no, now he
allowed admission again. He l.usl
never even know she retained them.
Her path of duty was clear. and beside
the good motheriJ soul who had been
all in all 10 her SO long-besidc 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.
1t was Il 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-lime neglect
which, after all. was not surprising:
and had almost begged for tacir for
giveness and reinstatement in her fa-
vor. She recognized that to live alone
and without Il mans protection was
not easy for any woman, and We, SO
she had resolved and for reason that
seemed sacred.
Then sh" fell to wondering what
kept him So. long in the Wilderness and
why il was that unique birch bark let
ter, scrawled with a cllarred stick. had
been sent in all envelope directed by
some one else. She had opened it, with
eagerness, and tried again and again
to decipher words impossible 10 read.
II contained naught except what all
might read without question. if they
could, and vet no missive ever IT.
ceived 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. rs she
imagined he might. il would avail not
Her resolve was made and final--tln,
yet Martin absent was stronger than
Martin present, aud the old sweet i.lm-
sion hard to eradicate
There ar. turning points in li;c.
when to choose the path OF duty brings
heartache. and such a one now cGn-
fronted Angie. yet she raltercd not,
and the gray head with ill.,; white cap
and wrinlled face. now nDdtinG just
across tho table, still seemed her
shrine Of duty.
And yet--and yet
The fire had burned quite out-only
Que tiny coal still slowed among the
white ashes. the tall clocl, kept say
ing, "Ncvcr--never-ncv 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 III and
looked at her companion.
"Why. Angie" she said. you've ben
cryin'!"