Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-08-05
AT InE
VERY LAST
Rv CYNTHIA GREY
BY CYNTHIA GREY

rs this the place, aunty?"
Yes, Bluebell."
And is this the very spot where
you fell after the man said good-by to
your"
Yes"
Then you lay back on the beautiful
green moss and shut your eyes, for
your ankle hurt just awfully, and then
a dog whined close TO your ear and
you opened your eyes right into the
big, beautiful black eyes of very
tall, handsome knight, who lifted you
up in his arms and carried you TO
yonder gate"
You know the story well, but you
must not forget that ii is a secret"
II have not forgotten, but you and
l may talk of 1t here
Eyes, you and may talk OF it--untl
tomorrow"
Tomorrow you are to be mar
ried. What is he like, that man you
are to marry-like the knight"
mo, child, no! Let us talk now Of
the knight, and not of-of HIM"
And after he reached the gate"
continued the child, "he lifted you
way, way up high onto the horse and
walked, yes, walked every step Of the
way to the house close beside you,
didn't he?"
Yes, and them"
And then after that he came to the
house to see you and brought you
flowers, and books, and music, and
10 Iowa nd
loved him, and didn't know IL for
a long time, and when you found out
you sent him away because-for-I
never knew just for what you sent
him away, aunty."
For honor, Bluebell."
Whose honor"
"A woman's honor, dear, a womans
honor" groaned the woman. and to
herself Heaven knows / love him
still, and tonight Clarence comes
back, and tomorrow l shall marry
him because I promised-promised.
before / knew what love meant"
Who was the man who was saying
good-by to you just before you fell
aunty? You never told me-"
His name" said the woman, slow
ly, was Clarence Duncan"
There was a sound Of footsteps on
the gravel path.
You have come" said the woman,
rising from among the shadows about
the door, and she held out her hand.
He pressed his lips to her cool
forehead. 1T seems natural to be
back" exclaimed Clarence, as he fol-
lowed her into the hall. IL always
hung my hat on that hook and my
coat here. l think | expected to see
the house in dress-up clothes, ready
for the-for tomorrow"
1T will all be very simple and
quiet" said the woman, IF that
pleases you"
The simpler the better for me, all
right said the man, laughing.
There was the sound of small feet
here's a letter; / put il away this
morning and forgot it," and Blue
bell chung to her aunts skirts in a
/ tremor of remorse. Please read it
right away, for it may be 'portant,
! you know"
To humor the child she tore open
the letter. Make yourself comfort
able, Clarence; you always liked this
| chair" and she drew the letter from
the envelope
The letter was without beginning
plunging at once into a subject which
evidently absorbed the writer.
II know l ought not to write to you
but ! am sure you would understand
and forgive me If you knew how my
heart aches. Clarence doesn't know
that I am writing. He went away as
soon as we found out how much we
cared for each other. He is coming
back to you because he promised, long
ago, and he is breaking his heart and
mine. l thought, maybe, if you knew
you would save us. Forgive me, for
give me, l am so unhappy"
This letter will interest you, Clar-
ence."
80" smiled Clarence; lit is a WON
ans writing-why-" and he flushed
holly, she should not have writ
ten; Il"
READ IL, SAID the woman, softly.
THE letter is very important. Blue
bell, it has something to do with our
secret. Will you tell the story to Mr..
Duncan?"
THE one about the handsome
knight"
Yes"
The little girl told the story to the
7
there to look at her aunt, who al
ways nodded for her to go on. And at
the very last-but this part is all my
secret, for | have never told even
aunty-at the very last, the knight
came back on his big black horse that
pranced and jumped and made aunty
and the knight laugh great deal"
( That night Hugh Vernon receiyed a