Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-01-30
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up by the cottage door, the neighbor,
began to talk Of the change which haC
come over the young girl once so full o.
life and health, but now so languid anc
pale. Still Maddy was not unhappy, mol
was the discipline too severe for by 1t she
learned at last the great object Of life
learned to take her troubles and cares tc
One who helped her bear them so cheer
fully that those who ptied her most never
dreamed how heavy was her burden. SO
patiently and sweetly she bore 1t. Occa-
sionally there came to her letters from
the doctor, but latterly they gave her
less pleasure than pain, for as sure as
she read one of his kind. friendly mes
sages of sympathy and remembrance, the
| Tempter whispered to her that though
she did not love him as she ought to love
her husband. yet a life with him was far
| preferable to the life she was living and
the receipt of one of his letters always
gave her pang which lasted until Guy
| came down to see her, when it usually
| disappeared. Agnes was now at Aiken
side, and thus Maddy frequently had .Jes-
sic at the cottage, but Agnes never came,
| and Maddy little guessed how often the
proud woman cried herself to sleep after
| listening to Jessie's recital of all Maddy
had to do for the crazy man. and how pa
tiently she did it. He had taken a
fancy that Maddy must tell him stories
of Sarah, describing her as she was now,
not as she used to be when he knew her
but now. What is she now? How does
she look? What does she wear? Tell
me. tell me ~ he would plead, until Mad
dy, forced to tell him something, and
having distinctly in her mind but one
fashionable woman such as she fancied
Sarah might be, told him of Agnes Rem
ington, and Uncle Joseph. listening with
parted lips and hushed breath. would
whisper softly, Yes. that's Sarah beau
tiful Sarah; but tell me-does she ever
think of me. or of that time in the Dr.
chard when l wove the apple blossoms in
her hair. where the diamonds are now?
She loved me then; she told me SO. Does
she know how sick, and sorry. and foolish
| am?-how the aching in my poor, sim
pie brain is all for her. and how you,
Maddy. are doing for me what it is her
place to do? Had | a voice. and the
crazy man now grew excited, as, raising
HIlliStil III Dtu, lac StSliNuidltu
had | a voice to reach her, I'd cry shame
on her, to let you do her work, let you
wear out your young life and fresh, bright
beauty all away for me, whom she ruin
ed"
The voice he craved, or the echo of 1t,
did reach her, for Jessie had been pres
ent when the fancy first seized him to
hear of Sarah, and in the shadowy twi-
light she told her mother all, dwelling
most upon the touching sadness of his
face when he said, Does she know how
sick and sorry | am!'
The pillow which Agnes pressed that
night was wet with tears, while in her
heart was planted a germ of gratitude
and respect for the young girl doing her
work for her. All that she could do for
Maddy without going directly to her. she
did. devising many articles of comfort,
sending her fruit and flowers, the last
new book, or whatever else she thought
might please her. and always finding
willing messenger in Guy. He was mis-
erable. and managed when at home to
make others so around him. The sight of
Maddy bearing her burden so uncomplan-
ngly almost maddened him. Had she
fretted or complained he could bear it
better, he said, but he did not see the
necessity for her to lose all her spirit or
interest in everything and everybody. He
smothered his impa tience, and determin-
ing to help her all he could, rode down
to Honedale every day. instead of twice
a week, as he had done before.
Attentions so marked could not fail
to be commented upon and while poor,
unsuspecting Maddy was deriving so much
comfort from his daily visits. deeming
that day very long which did not bring
him to her, the Honedale gossips, of whom
there were many, were busy with her
affairs, talking them over at their numer-
Gus tea-drinkings, discussing them In the
streets. and finally al quilting. where
they met in solemn conclave, deciding
that "for a girl like Maddy Clyde 1t did
not look so we'll to have so much to do
with that young Remington. who, every
BODY knew. was engaged to somebody IN
England"
The wife of Farmer Green, Maddy's
warmest friend in Honedale, did her best
to defend her against the attacks OF those
whose remarks she well knew were caused
more by envy than any personal dislike to
Naddv. who used to be so much OF pet
until her superior advantages separated
her in A measure from them. Good Mrs
Green was sorely tried. Without in the
least blaming Maddy. she, too, had been
troubled at fhe frequency of Guys visits
TO the cottage. Accordingly, next day she
started for the cottage, which Guy had
lust left. and this, in her opinion. ac-
counted for the bright color in Maddy's
cheeks and the sparkle in her eye. Guy
had been there, bringing and leaving
world OF sunshine. but, alas . his chances
for coming ever again as he had done
were fearfully small. when, at the close
of Mrs. Green's well-meant visit, Maddy
Law on her bed. her white. frightened face
buried i'm the pillows. and herself half
wishing she had died before the last hour
had come. with the terrible awakening it
had brought awakening TO the fact that
of all living beings. Guy Remington was
the one she loved the best-the one with
out whose presence il seemed TO her she
could not live. but without which she now
knew she must.
What was life worth without Guy.
and why had she been thrown so much
in his way: why permitted to love him
as she knew she did. If she must lose him
now? Maddy could not cry; there was a
t;gbtness about her ewes and a keen. crt-