The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-03-11
Book Ill.

She babe me give you her love, and say to lEs
my mother, saving: Ia
that she is expecting you this evening" oE@
"Dorothys love?"-I turned away; should leN't
been pleased to hear this but was not, 1t 81
made it harder for me to bear. turned agai
'Dorothy's love? dear mother, Dorothy doeslS
understand She is only girl; not yet VOTE
She does not understand. How can she who u
never been denied anything in her life; who ~
not know the value of money and all it staT'
for; or where it comes from; how can she UNI II
stand these things She does not realize III
great gulf has been opened up at our feet =
an impossible chasm now divides us She llnol
nothing of such things;-and sends me her loNtl
The Mater cut to the heart at the sigh y
my distress. She knew that had always loba
Dorothy, but she did not know how completely
life was bound up in hers She knew that f.
promise of marriage existed between us;-I
thoughts had never travelled so far, for she +
never yet realized that had reached manhood1!
Mother dear, Dorothy did love me. She Ice
me now. maybe; don't know. | might bria
this chasm with my love; but-dont you see;
| see, that / cannot lift her out of her fathf
comfortable home, where she is surrounded by,
of the luXures of life, to share my poverty;s
help me battle with the world? Nor can ask
to spend the flower of her youth waiting for n.
These the thoughts that still filled
mind as paced my narrow little chamber, max
ready to go to Dorothy. They We're nsistent.
could think of nothing save,
The hopelessness of my loue for Dofothy
L 4
Mater as kissed her goodnight.
God bless you, my boy she answered. Il
Having threshed out the matter thoroughly
my own mind; having steeled my heart aga,I
any possible Weakness fortified by all of the all
ments l had brought to bear against the inq,
gence of hope, | started out with my moth4
blessing ringing in my to make the gu
sacrifice of my life. To lay my heart upon j
altar of my love
The distance was not great and l decided
walk, postponing thus for few minutes the tel
BILE ordeal. On my way passed, for the first t 4
since we had left it. our old home 1t was d
and still empty,--a For Sale" sign staring at h
from the closed door This terrible wre1S
stopped for moment, gazing up at the n
dow from which | had watched for my "lis
sweetheart dorothy, who was coming to |
birthday party. could not forbear smiling II
called to mind all of my mad antics that d
walking on my hands and feet like bear: TIL
ing "summerses'; showing off-as Mana
Chloe said, when my mother gently chided me y
being trough in my play for the little lady.
Slowly, very slowly, l walked up the sidew Y
only few PAGES, hundred Yards perhaps
"Dort'ys house" as used to style it in the
days.
Though it was early September, With warm iii
and balmy evenings, | found the house alight
the Homecoming Slowly ! walked up the sis
steps over which | had bounded The 81
with "I4i Missile in Nanny Chloe's arms,
the goal.
Very slowly walked up, as an old man mi
have done When had reached the topmost ST
the vestbule, could not help pausng a momI
to turn and single out the tree in the little pa
under which had first met Dorothy little oil
eighteen years ago 1t was very much chang
1t had fulfilled the promise of its youth, and
grown from stout young sapling to tree
goodly proportions; | had however. no dltfcu
in locating it, since | had kept it company
growing
1t was kind of last look with which indus
myself a last goodbye to hope, for really, up