The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-29


nerso9sy twenty years SINCE I've my mother OF
a soul belonging 20 me. wenty years. Mr.. Greene!
mother arc both dead now. but nc wouldn't So w,hou,
me she looked lovingly up at him
blue tickets and put them IN well purse, Who
would keep the pckpockets away from tell
when get of the tram if mother wasn't there And
she couldn't so without me for might sc, sick play
with the fire or do something
They laughed delightcdly like oh,dren-,he years
hons; w ~ ~ N'''''. '".s "e'< s''"s
he shovecd moTe coal into the dirty lit,le
rs there ca. wed i'd today Mrs M99Is asked
brook. Jim Brown has just back from Prince
Alber, marry the eldes, Taylor girl Its going to be
over i'll the new church and everybody's gong l am
going to close and too had better all
along The tram won't be here until dark
Mildred looked up with sudden interest. 4 wedding.
That would be something o tell Edith about. The bride
will probably be dressed in that dreadful hot pink and
have paper roses IN her hair. and YES sir the
minister.
r ires, ha, been great 'ss setting ready 70. it,
nearly all day 1t beats all how interested women
IN a wedding,
Hall An hour later Mildred found herself in the little
church. with its uupainted walls and and
pleasant piney odor. II nearly filled with excited
looking women with here and there apoosctc-loo
Evcrgreens banked the windows and wrea,hed
around the atarra and them punches OF roseberries
1t is pretty" Mildred murmured to herself Il
wonder who thought OF the color scheme But the bride
will probably spoil all
The behind her talking Mary won't
see white woman until the spring anyway and they
will only get their mail a month. But she'll stand
it all right. Mary Will She's good stuff like her
mother. She may get lonesome. but nobody will know
Poor Mary" Mildred thought. This isn't we'd
ding-it's a tragedy
the aisle. very small and young. and
Mildred saw that she was dressed in brown. and then
den rush of Poor Mary! Poor Maryi
They were passing her seat now; Mildred looked.
1t honest face strong. nvincble. and was
shining with light ineffable-thc face of man who
feat with equal cales because there would be one a,
his side who believed in him. trusted him. loved him.
sire! The hail and the frost might blight his crops
The storm might overwhem his focks, poverty and
fail.
In sickness in health for better for till
death do part; the air was still resonant with the
words that in them much of lifes meaning-its
unuerabe pain and sorrow. its richest JOY and bless
edness.
A strange feeling stirred in Mildreds heart The
glory in the young mans face smote her with
OF loss of DISAPPOINTMENT and defeat Toms face had
glowed like that the morning. long when they
had walked together down the softcarpesed aisle She
could smell the chrysanthemus she heard again
from the little organ-loft above her the wedding march,
that had seemed then breathe them in pillows of
exquisite sweetness Its joyousness had intoxicated
The people around her hastily preparing to fol-
low the bridal party. but Mildred sat moonless. The
snowhakes scd against the windows and the shadows
deepened in the little church. Outside there talk
ing and laughter and janse of seishbells. but
never ending. glorious. triumphant, ''>'
! When Mildred went back to the station the snow
whrlng around the elevators: the above her
head. The wind cold down the little white street.
but she loved TO feel II on her hot checks.
their faces were boaed and bo,ched and one of them
about the late Ins,inctvey she thought of
Ion,,the elear-eyed the wholesome the best on earth
and the pride of possession thrilled her.
She went into the waiting room; There was tRe
chatter of many voices. The little bride stood the
h,~h>.
far away the fields in that little farm
house that had been her home and which she would
more. Mildred took her hand
Don't be afraid. little girl she said gently "You
will be Lonesome sometimes, and homesek and tired:
often and often. and maybe you'll cry little too. and
you'll want your mother so much: but you'll never be
sorry really-hes worth il all-he's worth everything"
Midreds eyes sparkling with love and Joy. The
little bride looked up with womans quick UNDER
standing.
Il know" she whispered softly.
When Tom reached his lonely little house the
river bank. he chilled to the bone blu, he pa,
his horses and made them comfortable for the night be-
He could cat The house seemed desolate. bare
and empty. Every corner of it called for Mildred, Blu,
her home The bcyishness had gone from Toms face
as he sat staring into the FIRE: he thinking bitterly
away He flung back his head with a gesture Of
despair. He might as well admit II. he thought-Mit
dred had back him. and then the tears that had
road to his eyes. and he laid his head the little OIL
eloh-covered table and cried aloud
The station agents prediction came true and the
storm came with the night The snow was sitting
dreariy against the windows and piling higher and
higher around the little house. He did hear the
sleigh driving up the door The frosty creang Of
the door reused him from his gloomy thoughts and he
stared in wonder Mildred. white with snow.
stood before him.
tom. I've come back. I've come back home she
cried. Il found that / could leave you dear
Didn't ] promise something about leaving all
others and cieaving only TO you, That family in
Toronto very dear people. ard love them very
much. but they Of the whom agreed 70
leave"
She had slipped off her snowy wraps as she spoke
and stood smiling before him. Her eyes sn.~ki;ng:
her beauty dazzled him
Then the light broke over hrs face!