The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-06-23


ever came. AS in former days. when
her first romance had died. no one
seemed able to thaw the ice OF her
sweet reserve.
Her manner of life underwent a rad.
ical change after her husbands death.
The hard work she had courted
seemed to lose its fascination for her.
She still kept her little home neat and
attractive, but now in the long after.
moons she would lie for hours in the
hammock gazing dreamily at the
leaves of the crooked old apple tree,
or cuddled up in the huge willow rock.
er on the vine-shaded porch, pass the
hours In reading magazines and books.
! And nature responded gladly to the
ease and coddling. Unconscious her.
self of the benefit she was acquiring
from the much-needed relaxation and
rest. Evamay's color again daintily
tinted her cheeks, the light dawned
again In her eyes and once she caught
herself humming blithe little college
air.
She's just like the girl she used to
be when she went with Tom Norton"
affirmed Mrs. Kelly to the reading
club. "She worked too hard, and
'twasnt as If she had to. She was q
good wife to Herman" she averred
justly, but ] never did know what
to make of her. guess it's her high.
er education"
1t was along in the holiday season
that the town was given the shock of
Its existence by the news that Tom
Norton, now wealthy stock and bond
broker, was at the town hotel.
/ "A millionaire as he is, come to
spend the holidays in his old home
town." cried old Mrs. Kelly when. she
heard the announcement. why. Il
was only yesterday i see in the city
papers that he had the market in q
corner and was pounding the BEARS"
Mrs. Kelly prided herself on certain
knowledge of frenzied finance.
We'll, twas me wiped the tears oil
his little face when his father and
mother died week apart" she said,
her own eyes wet and soft, land I'd
take him on my knee the same now if
he wasn't too big entirely" In her
best bonnet and cape, selected from
the city store catalogue, she repaired
without delay to the hotel
Hes that grand and handsome
you'd never know him." she dubbed
that afternoon to the reading club,
but he kissed me as glad as child"
And the whole town staggered and
held its head high. In the cosy sit.
ting room of her little home Evamay
reclined like dreaming child, her
eyes fixed wide and far-seeing on the
suffering flames of the crate logs. 1t
was her dreamtime, as she called 1t,
When she lived in another world far
apart and alien to reality Her pretty
white house gown, with its touches of
black at neck and throat proclaiming
her second year of widowhood, made
her look as young and girlish as when
she had come home years ago from
that happy irresponsible year at col.
lsge. In the cracking flames she con-
1ured up again all the sweet, alluring
promises and hopes of those days, the
present faded away with it's sadness
and regret, and Evamay was happy.
The loud call of the knocker on the
front door startled her from the trance
and she went to the door with the
dream light still in her eyes. A lew
cry of fear, uncertainty, broke from
her as the tall, frank-faced man with
curling brown hair stepped eagerly
into the room. She looked at him
again, and then buried her face in her
hands.
"Evamay," he said gently, brokenly,
don't greet ME that way after all
these years." Masterfully he drew her
hands from her face and compelled her
eyes.
I'm frightened" she half.sobbed
like a child, I've been dreaming by
the fire-and-oh, it can't be you, Tom.
1t can't be you. I'm stih by the
CRATE"
She swayed and he gathered her
close in his arms.
Didn't you know, dear, didn't Won
know would come-some time, some.
how We would be together again? It
has been my faith, my hope, my re.
lglon, all these years."
A warm gladness came into Eva.
mays eyes and face. "Then it is true"
she whispered, "the crate fire told me
true"
mo one has ever known" she told
him when they were sitting close be.
fore the fire. Herman gave back the
mortgage deed to father the day we
were married. and neither father nor
mother. nor even Herman himself re.
allied the price was paying to make
my parents last years happy. He was
kind to me and I worked furiously
from morning till night to keep from
going mad"
Don't talk Of It, darling" he told
her tenderly. tits all in the past. AS
! told you then in my despair, 1t was
too great sacrifice for any human
being to make for another. But God
has rewarded It," Almost reverently
he touched the soft hair waving on
hor fnpohooH