Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-06-13

marriage withou; which all the All
Nanccmeut OF the world would be ~
naUght | Lowell her for It, But for
me, say had gone savage, | was at
the beginning of all this. whereas II rc,
uatucd with her as she had lett Il.
"WitntS>CSE' | said Look NJ those"
pointed to the mountains, MARRIAGES.
many ot them. have been made with no
better witnesses than those"
My heart stopped when l saw how
far she had jumped t. her next speech.
Then we two are all the people left
in the world John Cowlcs? When |
am old will you cast nue. OF? When
another woman comes into this valley,
when am bent and old aud cannot
see, Will YOU cast me OF and. being
stronger than | am, viii you 40 and
leave me-
could not speak AT first. I'VE have
talked too much" said to her present
ly. But now il was she who would not
deSiSt
better, for worse hut with man"--
with n Saxon man." | said, 1T is
also for better. for worse. II is one
woman"
She sat and Thought Tor n long time.
suppose" she said, that no one ever
came"
Now with swift remorSe could see
fhot In bnr AVN Inurnvn Shn >IoS fnrl
ing her way, haltmgly, slowly, toward
solution OF problems which most We
meu take ready solved from others,
hut, MS thank God, n Tiny veil, soft
ening. refining, always lay between her
and reality. In her ntentneSs she laid
hold upon my arm, her two hands
claSping
suppose two were here, Il man and
woman and he Swore before those
eternal witnesses that he would not
20 away any time until she was dead
i and laid away up In the trees, 10 dry
away and blow OF into the mir and 20
, back
Into the lowers" added. choking
YES into the trees and the flowers
dead and they were both gone back
into the flowers, they would still know
each other forever and ever and never
be ashamed would that he u mar
rage before God. John CowlcsY"
What had | brought to this girls
creed OF life. heretofore always so
sweet and usual? | did not answer,
| hn nt t'HNIl ~ cha
said, but l would not tell her.
suppose they did not come" she
said once more at Is true. they may
not find us. suppose we two were to
live here alone all this winter, just AZ
we are now, none of my people or
yours near us. Could we go onI"
God! Woman, have you no mercyr'
She sat ana pondered for yet time
as though seriously weighing some
question In her mind.
but you have taught me to think.
John Cowles. 1t IL you who have be
gun my thinking. 40 now ! must think.
know we cannot tell what mny hap
pen ask you, John Cowlcs. II we
were brought to that state which we
| botil hhpN hiRht hhpIN' - Wv 'N'N
here ali alone and no one came, and
IL you loved me-ah, then would you
promise forever and forever to love me
till death did us part-till | was gone
back into the flowers? l remember
what they say ut weddings. They
cling one to the other, forsaking all
others, till death do them part. Could
In TINT xVnV1 t'nIIII
you promise me, clean and solemn
Because would not promise you un-
less 1t was solemn and clean and un-
less II was forever"
1t seemed that ! saw into her heart.
l dropped my hands from my eyes and
looked ut her strangely. my own brain
In whirl, my logic gone. All ] knew
was that then or elsewhere, whether
or not rescue ever came for us. wheth-
er we died now or later, there or any
where In MI the world | would, indeed.
love her and her only, forsaking all
others until, indeed. we were gone
back into the sky and flowers, until we
whispered again In the trees. one unto
the other. Marriage or no marriage.
health-so there came to me the stern
conviction-love could knock no more
at my heart, where once she had stood
IN her courage and her ceanness Rev
erence. ! say. was now the one thing
left In my heart Still we sat and
watched the sun shine on the distant
white topped peaks. turned to her
slowly at length.
Ellen" I said "do you indeed love
mef'
How can help 1t, John CowlesT
she answered bravely. My heart stop
ped short, then raced on, bursting nil
control II was long before ! could be
calm rs she.
you have helped It very long" |
said at last quietly. But now must
! a l.,