They Met Again.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 160, 28 August 1886, Page 5

They Met Again.

They stood together under the wavingbranches of a mighty elm on the banks of a singing, brook one fair, sweet night ia June. A calm and holy joy was in her fair young face - the joy that comes to a maiden loving and beloved. She looked up into his handsome face with such a proud» tender, trustful look. Her hand rested confidingly in his ; soft and low were the words she spoke— words no ear but his should hear. • And he ! Ah me, and ah me ! Would that I could give to the face and heart of every young man ihe calm, sweet, holy joy that face portrayed, that heart revelled in. He lived and loved. Life seemed like a summer eea before him. Ah me, and ah. me ! That ever storms should come, that ever rude blasts should assail, that ever hearts should break ! Well, well, and. again, I say, well, well ! Lives and lovea end every day — lives and loves like these. Lovers part to meet no more ; hearts break, and are for ever sad. She spoke— " Adelbert," she sighed, her voice like the far-away tinkling of evening belle, " and must this be ? Must we, O, Adelbert, must we be torn apart ? O, Adelbert, my poor heart will break !" " Courage, my sweet one, courage," ho said, with trembling voice and quivering lips, ". it shall not be for long. Igo to tha Golden West to maka a home, humble it may be, for me beautiful bride. Have; courage, me life. We shall meet again." "Yes, yee, yes," she cried, quickly and passionately, "we shall meet again. O % Adelbert, if it were not for that blessecl assurance I should die, I should die • Heaven bo praised ! we ehail meet again." Ono paseionate, thrilling, joyous, manly burning kips on her cold whice lips and he was gone, leaving her. in a swoon on the banks of the murmuring Ptream under the teuder light of the pitying stars. He wasgone! And he didn't come back. Various policemen, justices of the police, and country judges know w hy. The Golden West seemed one or a dozen too many for him. A man who met him in Leadville ten years later .°aid he was the toughest looking old pill he ever saw in all the borne days of his life. He had Jived in six different mining camps, a 1 id had married in each of them. The six deserted wives were too glad to pet rid of him to make any fuss over his bigamistic irregularities. He was free to go back to his first love now if he would. After 15 year? he thought he would. And she?, Had she been faithful? Had her heart broken ? Was ehe lying under tho daise3 on the banks of that stream where first she told her love? Ah, me We shall see ! A woman, a great big woman, 13 bendingover a waehtub in a little back yard in aa alley running between the streets of an eastern city. She is doing out " a bit of washing" for her nine ?m t ill children, while her hu=band basks on his back in the Funshine by her side. He is smoking ; so is ahe Four doga lie at her feet The nine children are ''raising Cain " in the front of the house, but i-he heeds them not. A m&n is coming through the alley with a twowheeled, shaky, and uncertain cart, and a ehakier old blind horse. Hs is crying : — " Bot tels, bot-tels, bot-te's ! 11-a-a a-g?, r-a a-a prs, and bot-tels to buy ! Bot-tels, bot-tels !" The woman hies quickly away to a barrel in a corner of the yaid and fills her apron with empty bottles, mostly beer bottles. " Here you '" she shrieks " Herd's ' She stops and looks at the man. He looks at her. There ia recognition in both their Lices. H-ejirt pictures and memories are never effaced. "'Well. I'll be derned." said he. " SoU I," said she. They had met again. — "Detroit Free Pi ess."