Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-12-08

#f.ft tHtl NF WIZ WY HAflA HiiN
hHmsu the truth u was told ta aunt
tf % mutual .Hrnd iaul had been Ia
latc uH his Hle with poor little tcs.le
HouCrs. then teacher of the village
school
Aud when she had discovered
uy fsudupa for hIm She nercpd tH
sacrifice her uff# happiness tI.
Through my wealth he Wilht rr1I.
h.4 uHn great ambition They vu..
a.I known ip meet occasionally I
friend bad nd. aud the girls ttn.
would Be- wet us they parted Ht t'#
pier
was indignant when ! nrst hrHE
the STORY and tried 60 believe ms
faith iu raul unchanged, then be- N..
gan 60 send vprctful little notes hr.
ging o0 from various pleasure tr.H.
which We hud planned. pleading as lis
excuse the urgent need Of working
steadily upon portrait which must
be finished at the given time. As
wns returning alone from the pier oua
day | met the girl who had been point
ed out to me as Bessie Roberts. SEs
dio. and. following an impulse, r..
traced my steps and entered the sunny
little room.
II was entirely empty, but upug
an easel stood a covered picture and
as | raised the drapery Bessie Roberts
pretty face. pictured with unusuH.
beauty. confronted me | ran blnd,t
up the sands 70 our hotel and wrote d
note TO Paul telling him that / was
convinced he desired ouly my money
and refusing to see or hear from him
again" The girls voice faltcred.
III he had not deceived me, 80 she said
haltingly, Il might have found way
TO help them both"
The old keeper aroused himself w,.a
n start His pipe had gone out. lie
spoke husklly.
Il knew Bessie Roberts as did
Paul" he said They have always
been friends-no more. And now she
is married to n rich broker fellow who
came to the point about the time you
did last year. They have big sum
mer home over there, and Paul'S por-
trait of Bessie hangs in the hall The
broker fellow paid him well for paint
ing It. they say, and | fancy it was
one of Bessie's ways of helping her
old friend on"
The girl sat SpecchlcSs. Her face
had grown very white.
Don't you fret, child" the old man
said compassionately. Hell come
back. for I've found that love is like a
light shining over stormy waters IL
generally leads us back to port. and -
bless me-" he exclaimed. I've got au
errand to do over at the other island
II will only take iiGy. See that
black cloud yonder? That means u
breeze and a shower be all over pref
ty soon, but promise me you won't
start out to navigate till get back"
He was already running down the
path TO his boat.
Promise" he called back, and the
girl nodded smiling assent.
The old lady had fallen asleep over
her knitting, so she stood uncertain
for moment in the great stone door
way, then, entering, ascended the iron
steps, which resounded beneath her
tread as she followed the winding way
up and up. coming out at last upOa :.
little balcony with the lake and hil'
stretching far below. The breeze cu.u.
up quickly, tearing ut her skirts urt
tossing the hair about her eyes rs sh'
CROPPED coufuSedly for the handle
the little iron door, but even as ar.
reached to grasp it the door blew shut
there was a metallic click, and So '
knew that in closing the door hast
locked itself
Then in vain she pressed her weigh,
against 1t as the ruindrCpS fell Cusu
her face; then, loauing dizzily o,.-
she tried TO make her voice ryagh
the deaf ears below. The Keeper
wife would think she had gone aw,.
with him, she reflected despairinS.y,
She sank down on the narrow p,.,
form and looked At her watch
o'clock. In au hour or two at the mrs.
he would return to light the lamp
il She could only tight off this StrguS,
gidlineSs till then, ReSomtely Sc.
buried her face in her arms, fcaria
to look down Hours arterward III.
could it have been moments? n.H
heard steps bounding up the stairs. tn,
doorway thrown open, and she mcov-
cred her eyes to look up into paui's
own eager ones.
oh" she cried breathleSsly, u have
been alone So long,
He drew the wet little figure Quic&ly
into shelter.
you'll never DE alone long again IL
l can help it." he said fervently,
And Just then the blue cap ~ the
lighthouse keeper appeared at the tor
of the stairs. and from beneath iis
nrim his eyes were twinklmg.
where did you lind him." the girl
asked ioyouSly. 20 bring him back to
me-"
My light searches out all the hid3cy
places" lie auswerni, with ~ Suh3uct
chuCklc.
And, as they cam" out hand iu hau3
through the stone doorway and stouu
looking far over the darkcning lake,
suddenly across its broad surface There
flashed a ripping path of golden light
q light that led the mariner who h0t
been far from home on the tracklrs.
deep back into a havcn of rest and uf.
ten to those for whom he has Striy,u