The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-02
THE WAY
 OF A MAN
By EMERSON HOUGH
Copyright, lgO7, by the Outing Publishing
 Company

Unto the flowers" I added, choking
 "Yes, into the trees and the flowers 50 that when she was dead and he was 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 be a mar riage before God, John Cowles?"
 What had I brought to this girls creed of life, heretofore always so sweet and usual? I did not answer. She shook at my arm. ''Tell me-" she said, but would not tell her.
 Suppose they did not come," she said once more. 'It is true, they may not find us. Suppose we two were to live here alone all this winter, just as we are now, none of my people or yours near us. Gould we go on?'
 "God! Woman, have you no mercyw
 She sat and pondered for yet a time as though seriously weighing some question in her mind.
 "But you have taught me to think, John Cowles. It is you who have be- gun my thinking, so nov l must think. I know we cannot tell what may hap pen. I ask you, John Cowles, if we were brought to that state which we both know might happen-if we were here all alone and nc one came, and if 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? I remember what they say at weddings. They cling one to the other, forsaking all others, till death do them part. Could you promise me in that way? Could you promise me, clean and solemn: Because would not promise you un- less it was solemn and clean and un- less it was forever"
 1t seemed that I saw into her heart. I dropped my hands from my eyes and looked at her strangely, my own brain in whirl, my logic gone. All I knew was that then or elsewhere, whether or not rescue ever came for us. wheth- CT we died now or later, there or any, where in all 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, together or apart, in sickness or in 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 cleanness. 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. I turned to her slowly at length.
 "Ellen,'' I said, do you indeed love me?''
 How can I help it, John Cowles?" she answered bravely. My heart stop ped short, then raced on, bursting all control It was long before I could be calm as she.
 "You have helped it very long," said at last quietly. "But now I must know Would you love me anywhere, in any circumstances, in spite of all? I love you because you are You. not because you are here. I must be loved in the same way always"
 She looked at me now silently, and leaned and kissed her full on the mouth.
 She did rot rebel or draw away, but there was that on her face, I say, which left me only reverent. Her hand fell into mine. We sat there plighted, plighted in our rags and misery and want and solitude. Though I should live twice the allotted span of man, never should I forget what came into my soul that hour.
 After time turned from her and from the hills and from the sky and looked about us at the poor belongings with which we were to begin our . world. All at once my eye fell upon one of our lighter robes, now fairly white with much working. I drew E toward me, and with her still leaning against my shoulder I took up char red stick, and so laboriously I wrote upon the surface of the hide these words of our covenant:
 E q, John Cowles, take thee, Ellen Meriwether, to be my lawful welded wife, in sickness and in health, for bet ter Or'for " orse, till death do us part" :"
 And signed it and made 8 seal after my nam..
 Write" said I to her; write as have written
 Sf1e took fresh brand blackened at the end and in lesser characters wrote slowly letter by letter:
 'I, Ellen Meriwether. take thee, John Cowles, to be my lawful. welded hus- band"- She paused but would not urge her. and it was moments before she resumed-"in sickness and in health. for better or for worse''- Again she paused, thinking, thinking and so con cluded, ''till deat h do Us part
 Ut means." she said to me simply 6 q child. until We have both gone ba, nto the flowers and the trees.''
 I took her hand in mine. Mayh
 ook and bell and organ peal and Vt
 lred choir and high ceremony of 1
 lurch may be more solemn. but
 vho speak the truth from this ve
 .nowledge. think it could not be.
 When you have signed that. Ellel I said to her at last, we two are m and wife. now and forever. here Q any place in the world That is bin ing ceremony. and it endOws you wi your share of all my property. small { large. as that may be. It is a leg wedding, and it holds us with all tn, Iox kox, :e,