Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-02-13

That's why you left me- wasn't It, Sarah
why you wrote that letter which made
my head into two? It's ached 80 ever
since, and I've missed you so much,
Sarah. They put me In cell where
crazy people were--oh ! so maryland
they said that l was mad, when l was
only wanting you. I'm not mad now, am
l, darling?"
His arm was around her neck and he
drew her down until his lips touched hers.
And Agnes suffered it. She could not
return the kiss but she did not turn away
from him, and she let him caress her hair,
and wind it round his fingers, whispering
This is like Sarah's-you're Sarah, are
| you not?"
Yes, am Sarah" she would answer,
while the smile so painful to see would
again break over his face as he told how
much he had missed her, and asked IL she
had not come to stay till he died.
There's something wrong" he said !,
somebody dead, and seems as II some
body else wanted to die--as IL Maddy
died ever since the Lord Governor went
away. Do you know Governor GuyY
Il am his stepmother," Agnes replied.
whereupon Uncle Joseph laughed so long
and loud that Maddy awoke, and, alarm
ed by the noise, came down to see what
was the matter
Agnes did not hear her, and as she
reached the doorway, she started at the
strange position of the parties-Unce
Joseph still smoothing the curls which
drooped over him, and Agnes saying to
him. You heard his name was Reming-
ton did you not-James Remington"
Like sudden revelation it came upon
Maddy, and she turned to leave, when
Agnes lifting her head called her to come
in. She did so, and standing at the oppo-
site side of the bed, she said, question
ingly: You are Sarah MorrIs!'
For moment the eyelids quivered, then
the neck arched proudly, as if it were
thing of which she was not ashamed, and
Agnes answered: "Yes, l was Sarah Ag-
mes Morris; once for three months your
grandmother's hired girl, and afterward
adopted by lady who gave me what edu-
cation | possess, together with that taste
for high life which prompted me to jilt
your Uncle Joseph when a ricner man
than he offered himself to me-"
That was all she said-all that Maddy
ever knew of her history, as it was never
referred to again except that evening,
when Agnes said to her, pleadingly
Neither Guy nor Jessie nor anyone need
know what l have told you"
They shall not" was Maddy's reply;
and from that moment the past, so far as
Agnes was concerned, was a sealed page
70 both -
between them, Agnes felt herself strange
ly drawn toward Maddy, while, If it were
possible, something of her olden love was
renewed for the helpless man who clung
to her now instead of Maddy, refusing to
let her go; neither had Agnes any dispo-
sition to leave him. She should stay to
the last, so she said; and she did, taking
Maddy's place, and by her faithfulness
and care winning golden laurels in the
opinion of the neighbors, who marveled at
first to see so gay lady at Uncle Josephs
bedside, attributing it all to her friend
ship for Maddy. just as they attributed
his calling her Sarah to a crazy freak.
She did resemble Sarah Morris a very lit
tle they said; and in Maddy's presence
they sometimes wondered where Sarah
was. repeating strange things which they
had heard of her; but Maddy kept the
secret from everyone so that even Jessie
never suspected why her mother stayed
day after day at the cottage, watching
and waiting until the last day of Joseph's
life.
She was alone with him then, so that
Maddy never knew what passed between
them. She had left them together for an
hour, while she did some errands; and
when she returned Agnes met her at the
door. and with a blanched cheek, whis-
pered: He is dead; he died in my arms,
blessing you and me; do you hear, bless
ing me. Surely my sin is now forgiven?'