THEY MET AGAIN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1989, 2 January 1890, Page 4

THEY MET AGAIN.

Tbey stood together under the waving branches of a mighty elm on the banks of a singing brook one fair, sweet night in June. A calm and holy joy was in her sweet 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; Boft and low were the words she spoke —words no ears but his should hear.

And he ! Ah me, and ah me! Would that I could give to the face and the heart of every young man tho calm, sweet, holy joy that face portrayed, that heart revelled in. He

lived and loved. Life seemed like a summer sea before Mm. Ah me, and ah me! That ever storm should come, that ever rude blast should assail, that ever hearts should break ! "Well, well, and again I say, well, well! Lives and loves 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 Bighed, ber voice like the far away tinkling of evening bells, " and must this be ? Must we, 0, Adelbert, mfst we b© torn apart ? 0, Adelbert, my poor heart will break!"

" Courage, my sweet one, courage," he said, with trembling voice and quivering lips, "it shall not be for long. I go to the golden West to make a home, humble it may be, for my beautiful bride, Hare courage,

my life. We shall meet again! " "Yes, yes, yes," she cried, quickly and passionately, "we shall meet again. 0, Adelbert, if it were not for that blessad assurance I should die, I should die! Heaven b© praised! We shall meet again! " One passionate, thrilling, joyous, manly, burning kiss on her cold white lips and he was gone, leaving her in a sweon on the banks of the murmuring stream under the tender light of the pitying stars. He was gone! "

# # # # And he didn't come back. Various policemen, justices of the peace and county judges know why. The " golden West" seemed one or a dozen too many for him. A man who met him ten years later said he was the toughest looking old pill he ever Baw in all the born days of his life. He had lived in six different mining camps and had married in each of them. The six deserted wives were too glad to get rid of him to make any fuss oyer his bigamistic irregularities. He was free now to go back to his first love now if he would. After fifteen years he thought he would.

And she ? Had she been faithful ? Had her heart broken ? Was she lying under the daisies on the banks of that stream where first she told her lore ? Ah, me! We shall see 1 A woman, a great big woman, is bending over a washtub in a little back yard in an alley running between the streets of an eastern city, She is doing out " a bit of washing " for her nine small children, while her husband basks on his back in the sunshine fey her side. He is smoking ;...«*» is she. Pour dogs h'p »fc her feet. The nine children are " raising Cain " in the front of the house, but she heeds them not. A man is coming through the alley with a two-wheeled, shaky and uncertain cart and a shakier old blind horse. He is crying : " Bot-tels, bot-tels, bot-tels! R-a-a-a-gs, r-a-a-a-gs and bottles to buy ! Bot-tels, bot-tels! " The woman hies quickly away to a barrel in a corner of the yard and fills her apron with empty bottles, mostly beer bottles.

" Here you!.." she shrieks. " Here's " —She stops and looks at the man. He looks at her. There is recognition in both their faces. Heart pictures and memories are never effaced.

" Well, I'll be denied," said he. "So'llI," said she. They bad met again.—Detroit Prae Press.