The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1916-04-28

LOVES WAYFARERS
BY lola FORESTER.

L ~ DG udlllCQ. ohO q oPo0J N
witness, with Selma, the Swedish
cook, hurriedly routed from slumber
to act as a second one.
The old-fashioned Evangelical church
stood on Brook avenue, convenient to
the railroad station and to the old city
hall. Within its quiet Enclosure was
also the parsonage, built in quaint
Dutch style, of stone with ivy over 1t
and double-peaked roof. There was
a very small study to your right as
YOU entered and here the ceremonies
took place.
But this particular night there was
a different character to the couple
who presented themselves for holy
wedlock, as Pastor Van Kirk liked to
speak of the bonds.
The man was about thirty, good
looking, well dressed, without a trace
of in his manner And
the woman was past girlhood. with
a rather worn face that had been pref
ty once. She had the look in her
face and eyes of one who has gazed
at fear so long that it has lost its
terrors.
When the ceremony was over, and
they stood for the usual conventional
chat before leaving, the mar said sud
denly:
"You don't remember US, do you,
Pastor Van Kirk? And yet you mar
ried us here in this same little room
nine years ago. We came back to you
for that reason. l had not seen my
wife for many years until a few days
ago. You don't even remember the
name, and yet we caused you trouble
and ~notoriety at the time"
And suddenly Mrs. Van Kirk leaned
forward, her brown ayes full of in
terest and sparkle.
Il know, l know now, and I've been
wondering all this time. You are the
rich young man and the little nurse
from Bellevue, aren't your"
He laughed, and laid his arm around
his wife's shoulders, and the pastor
eyed them intently. Theirs had been
the only exciting romance Of all his
years at the parsonage. And she had
been so pretty. 1t was not until the
day after the wedding hat he had
known who they were. Then it was
spread over the front pages of news
papers and the little gray church had
been subjected to notoriety. Names
meant nothing to him. He had not
recognized Spencer Morton as a ia
nous name, he had not known he was
uniting tile only son Of n of New
York's greatest millionaires with Dora
Bishop, a probation nurse at Bellevue.
And when the father had visited
him, all he had made answer in his
proud, calm way. was this:
81 pray God / have brought them
to the gate of happiness"
Now he gazed at the two faces and
asked:
What happened? You have come
back again. What for?"
Because l was a coward" answered
quietly. MY father threat
ened to cut me off without a dollar,
and l agreed to give up my wife if he
would take me into the business as
partner. | believed l could make
good and win him around, but when
I told her what l had done, and went
to the place where | had left her, she
had gone. l did not find her again un-
Ill three nights ago.
Perhaps you remember how we
met. | had been in an accident, and
was taken to Bellevue, where no M
me. / was unconscious and, la
on, delirious, and Dora was my
nurse. When my mother found me
and had me removed, / asked
the nurse to accompany me until
was well, and we loved. That a
III. l did wrong to persuade her to
/ secret marriage. / was a coward.
But for nine years l kept up the search
or her. And all these a while l
AVE been searching for her she has
ived in seclusion, cared for, yes, but
relieving l had died abroad. My ia
her told her this"
Your father?" repeated Mrs. Van
Kirk eagerly. He found her?"
yes, he found her" answered Nor
slowly. HE died a month Ago..
must not speak i'll Of him, but only
his: Believing that she was acting
8 private nurse in a sanitarium out
Vest, she was really a prisoner there.
dy father secured a divorce for me on
he ground of insanity"
He paused. Mrs. Van Kirk, plump
nd impetuous, crossed the little room
nd put her arms around the little
ride and kissed her on cheek and
row.
There are SO many years ahead"
he said. See, Rupert and myself
ave been married forty years."
She followed them out to the side
yalk. A limousine waited at the curb.
"Ah, love, how pitiful wealth is"
Irs. Van Kirk said, as they went back
, the warm little study. Years of
ain just because he feared the loss
( money-all his life he cannot wipe !
lat look from her face"
The pastor shook his head doubtful :
r. ,
She loves him greatly. Did you !
her eyes? A woman's love is of