Tensas gazette., 1916-03-24
LOVES WAYFAREPs
BY lzoLA FoRREsruR.

witness, with Selma, the Swedish
cook, hurriedly routed from slumber
to act as q 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 inclosure was
also the parsonage, built in quaint
Dutch style. of stone with ivy over It
and double-peaked roof. There was
. very small study to your right az
you entered and here the ceremonies
took place.
But this particular night there was
. 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 q trace
OF nervousness in his manner. And
the woman was past girlhood, with
Q rather worn face that had been pret.
ty once. She had the look in her
face and eyes of one who has gazed
at fear 30 long that it has lost its
terrors.
When the ceremony was over, and
they stood for the usual conventional
chat before leaving, the man 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. 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 eyes full of In
terest and sparkle.
Il know, 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 that he had
known who they were. Then 1t was
spread, over the front pages of news
papers sand the little gray church had
been subjected to notoriety. Names
meant nothing to him. He had not
recognized Spencer Morton as q IA
nous Hame. he had not known he was
uniting the only son Of one of New
Yorks greatest millionaires with Dora
Bishop. probation nurse at Bellevue.
And when the father had visited
him. all he had made answer in his
proud. calm way. was this:
Il pray God I have brought them
to the gate Of happiness"
Now he sazed at the two faces and
asked:
"Wtat happened? You have come
back again What for?"
BECAUSE was q coward" answered
Morton quietly. my father threat
ened to cut me of without dollar,
and ] agreed to give up my wife II he
would take me into the business a.
. partner. ! believed l could make
good and win him around, but when
I told her what had done, and went
to the place where had left her, she
had gone. did not find her again un-
til three nights ago.
Perhaps you remember how we
met. I had been In an accident, and
was taken to Bellevue, where no one
knew me. I was unconscious and, Ia.
ter on. delirious. and Dora was my
nurse. When my mother found me
there and had me removed. asked
for the nurse to accompany me until
/ was well. and we loved. That was
all. did wrong to persuade he. to
. secret marriage. I was q coward.
But for nine years kept up the search
for her. And all these years while I
have been searching for her she has
lived in seclusion, cared for, yes. but
believing l had died abroad. Ny far
ther told her this"
Your father?" repeated Mrs. Van
Kirk eagerly. He found herf"
"Yes. he found her." answered Nor.
ton slowly. He died . month ago.
/ must not speak iii Of him. but only
this: Believing that she was acting
- private nurse in Q sanitarium out
West, she was really prisoner there.
Ny father secured divorce for me on
the ground of insanity"
He paused. Mrs. Van Kirk. plump
and impetuous, crossed the little room
and put her arms around the little
bride and kissed her on cheek and
brow.
There are 20 many years aheed,"
she said. See. Rupert and myself
have been married forty years"
She followed them out to the side
walk. A limousine waited 1t the curb
"Ah. love. how pitiful wealth ID.
Mrs.. Van Kirk said. - they went back
to the warm little study. Years Of
pain Just because he feared the loss
Of money-all his life he cannot wipe
that look from her face"
The pastor shook his head doubtful
~.
"She loves him greatly. Did you
zee her eyes? A woman's love II OF
God. all pitiful, all forgiving, al heal
ing. They win md peace f,rst togeth-
O. and then Joy"
He drew Q chair to the old-fash-
toned heater, and drew the shades. III