Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-06-12
and to liking him very much. rhere

ana TO liking him very much. There
was only one thing to dampen our
pleasure; one day the news came to us
that Mr.. Griffin, who held mortgage
upon Harcourt, had sold 1t to strang-
ers, and Marion and told ourselves
that from that time our claim upon it
would be only that of any other out
siders, who might look at its dear old
walls and pass 1t by. AS say, this
darkened our lives little, but there
We're still Mr.. Maxwell's visits to look
forward to, so it was worth while ex-
listing. But one evening. when he call
ed, he said: Miss Eleanor, l am going
away tomorrow and want you to do
something for me. VIII your"
Il don't KNOW" answered in a low
voice. Somehow l couldn't for the life
of me manage anything else. Blu. he
didn't seem to notice that said moth
ing about regretting his going away.
He simply asked me if l would go
down to Harcourt with him. 1 was
too miserable to resist, and we went.
My heart beat heavily as we walked
up the dear old oak avenue, and when
we had mounted the broad steps and
opened the door l could not see the
familiar dim old hall because my ewes
were blinded with tears. "Oh, well,"
thought l, as l stealthily dried them
away, you're n dear old place, but
you're nothing to me now, and I've got
no right to cry about YOU" But later.
when we went up to the long hall above
and found that some impudent person
had removed our few remaining pieces
of old furniture and had hung new
paintings there over crimson hanglncs.
l felt l couldn't stand any more. What
does this mean:" l cried.
THE purchaser hopes /, live here. ,"
explained Mr.. Maxwell, land he is get
ting it ready for occupancy" =
Here. | suppose, the poor man was
bewildered enough, for l had restrained
myself as long as could ard rushed
to the one place where the hateful
crimson did not cover the panels, laid
my head against their friendly support
and burst out crying.
"Oh, why did you bring me lere?"
said. Il can't stand everything.
would rather have this old lace burn
ed to the ground with only it's poor old
chimney left to show where it stood
than than to see it fitted with the most
beautiful things in the world by strang-
ers. Everything care about turns out
wrong" l concluded with sob. ~
am losing my home, and now you
stopped. frozen with horror. What
had said! But Norman Maxwell sud
denly put me into the window seat and
sat down beside me. Eleanor, look at
me-" lie said. But absolutely couldn't
lift my head, SO he put his hand under
my reluctant chin and turned my face
toward him. Eleanor, he went on,
don't you know I've loved you M. ...e
time and that l was going away with
the heartache. confident that you did
not care for me? Don't you care Just
little more about me than for an or
binary fr;end?"
oh" l exclaimed, very much afraid
that my stupidity had forced him into
it, II shouldn't have said-I didn't
mean to" But he put his arms
around me and then l knew it wasn't
because of what had said
Well, was SO happy that cried
and laughed in my own ridiculous fash
ion, and when we went home Marion
says 1t was difficult to tell which beam
ed brightest. my eyes or my nose. But
think l have wept the last sorry
tears l shall ever sled, for the best
man in the world has bought Harcourt
for me and it is to be our home when
we are married.-Boston Post.