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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1889)
V.' evening, singing a low lullaby, though tin blue eyes were already rinsed in sivp;and gazing lovingly down into tin- iink dimpled (,uv, Some line h ntl tin- door softly and Mililrcil km it was Max. Slit- held tip warning linger. Quietly In drew a rliair tn her side, stooping to kixx nut- dimpled baby hand, lie wrmcd unusually silent ami by ami by she noticed it. "An- you very tired to-night, Max?" she asked suddenly. " Yi n, Millie, I am I inl, wry tired." " What have ymi ltii doing to-day ?" "Just w hat I have Urn doing ho long, Millie, Mailing, waiting !" She gave liim a quirk startled glnmv. ' Waiting?" she interrogated. " Yen, and oh Millie ! I am ho tired. 1 have loved you and waited f,,r you mi long. Tell me, oh tell me, timet I wait forever?" lie pauxed ax nhe turned her fair away ami grew deadly pale. Presently he re HUined ; " do not want to hurt you, Millie, I know your heart in xtill xorc, and that you w ill never care for me iih you did for Tom; hut I am willing to take what little heart you have to give and truxt to time for the n ut, only give me the right to .are for you and make your life brighter. We might he very happy Vet, y , T, t and I." Again he pauxd Uking wixtfully toward her, and mill nhe did not xjruk. " Ar. you angry, Mildred ?" e never naid " Mil dhsl" nave when terribly in earnext, and then' wan a tn inor in hi Voice, t m i She turned Hr fmv toward him, and he nan that her eyi H werv full of unxhisl tears. " No, I riii not angry Max, how -ntild I,. wit, ,v l.-nt and truest living friend ? Knowing (he p,,xt asyu do, and knowing I,.,, that rtl, h,.V(,r V" if yu Htill want me to L.ine your wife, I will." "(i,x l.leMV.ni Mildml. I'll take the risks" A f. w w.,1. later therv wan a grvt wedding i the U-arding hou. jrlor, and among the flM lo ,.r ,.. gratulalion. was M, Vl lt.1(k fruu Mason', detaining hand. rush., Uward , x. lau.ir.jj : " II'V. 'oil Vt li,,,,,,,,, ,rt, ,r h(i, )o rt n , ((; up iv 'ou Me fM 'uM f-i I sorry." nhe added sing t. m in Mildred', rv. x. she Lnt t ki .r T. rvst of the time nhe nat n, tnumph o., M.1X' ....iil..-r Mr. M...,i cnld not Uar to U- .,,,,,.,, frii li.-riMily daughter, and . tl. nillil(, ,m ( ( M .i Mtlr on a farm i V.U ri, Ong,,,, ,. N,M lHr,.U.v lSa., Francis.,,, and with her yarid vomiiit., tM ln M.ldn, wa. very happy i.,M r new hn,e, , her husband..,, learned th Jh. U uUtli( ,riiU,. hr irvrr M..kr ,.f T.m. and , ilt) ' tics mint' into her life she thought of him only oa t sweet, sacred memory. Ah for I'd, nhe was the joy of their home, the light of every eye, and it moat exquisite little beauty. When i fourteen years of age Max and Mildred felt that they ; eoiild teach her no more at home; nor could she learn ; anything in the school near by, and us she was to lie ! educated, they sent her to Salem, bringing her home ! for vacations. Iee was in business in that city so it i was " most as good as lieing at home," she said. She was most devotedly attached to the whole family. At sixteen she was quite an accomplished musician at least in the eyes of the home people and indeed her talent in that direction was quite remarkable; es jiecially was she an adept on the violin. It was (lie last time that av brought her to the farm that he sur prised her by telling her he wanted her to lx his wife, that he had loved her ever since she was two years uli (they had always reckoned her to have been that when found) and had waited for her. She would scarcely have Ixrn more surprised at such a declaration from I'ncle Max, she said. She had looked ujHm I,ec as one of the family and loved him accordingly; but as for 11 ,,l,,r "he 1'?H him with tears not to mention it. UenieinlK.riiig that Max waited long for bis sister he took heart; knowing that if I'ct did not love him she was still fancy free elsewhere. But his complinvnry was short-lived, for when Mrs. Mason's sister from the i'hhI, w ho was sending the summer at the farm. I-,-.,! t" take the girl home with her for two years, Max and Millie put their own Mings aside and consented. "She's lost to me now," groaned, "she'll fall in love with some snob out there with neither money, brains nor heart." As for I'ct, she was not anxious to go. it was t.x, far front " Auntie," and the leave-taking was pitiful enough. Mrs. Dnqx r was a wealthy, worldly woman having 'l"glitcr. and hut one son. She had honestly fan ' ,,,,HU,ifl11 voting crvnture, and felt that to "Hl heru,,,Hm "bring her out," would be a real pleasure. " Arthur," xhe remarked to her son the day after "ramval home. "I have brought this pretty child " re, hut 1 wan, lm ummm of course you must l"T alx.ut Home; but no falling i love la-cause she pretty face. You are to introduce her as your cousin, Mihx Mam,,,, ntj ,hl unfrlunutl, of f ,N'1" ""'""'.Vp child-a mert. waif cast up bv .s, an w "; ' Is- tncntioniMl. I hvt. ,aik(Hl this'inatter "I'Kand though I had quite a time to in ; m' her t., uxe the name Mason instead of Itrownir g. I overcame her m nip at hist." -Jhur Dnqnr iHt..l to , tH-r rati.-r ''"Ktl'yMnarkswithaqUiHit,a H,uile. rn. f,.rm' they say. So I ,n,t i i