Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-01-28

seek Tor nef, ana Sne Deirlenutu nlm IN ne
turn. She was his warm defender whe
any one ceasured his GOODNESS aud misar
thropy. and more than once predicted b
would some day win her for his wife.
Inever thought so, however,. was fiv
years older Than Lucia, and think / ur
derstood her. / felt certain that he must b
very different from Cranston who woul
arouse her heart from its long, deliciou,
dreaming glrlhood and quicken it into wo
manhood's passionate yet steadfast love
II And yet I used sometimes to fancy that h
loved her with mans passion even the
i If she could have returned il how ditferen
might have been the current of his future
Does II not seem as if there were some live
to which Destiny is pitilrss? lips rom which
The only cup in all the spheres which coulc
work their healing is dashed remorselessly
When Lucia Reynolds was sixteen lief
| the place, and for many years | went back
constant correspondence with my sister Bell
and through her was made du coara'at in
all The gossip Of Ryefield.
Two years after left stranger came to
live there-a Colonel EaStman-whose fam
ily consisted of an invalid wife and son,
young man who had nearly finished his
collegiate course. When this latter person
age came hone for his first long summer
vacation after the establishment of The fam
lily, Bells letters were quite full of him
he was so handsome, so gallant, so generous
and grntlenanly Soon she wrote that he
had made the acquaintance of Lucia Rey-
mods. She believed that it was nearly a
case of love at first sight on both sides.
She wrote me thar they were always to-
gether. that they seemed just suited TO each
other. and Lucia was g owing prettier than
ever in her happiness. To one of these
descriptions she added, playiully:
III suppose I'm too bad to break your
heart. brother Harry! | remember your
old admiration for Lucia; but seriously
hope you won't look as glum as Steve
CranSton did when Robert East nan first
crme You would have thought he'd lost
his last friend but he seems 10 have gotten
bravely over it now, and is more cheerful
and good-f fumored than I've ever seem him
before. Indeed, don't know but shall
lay siege to his heart my-eif!'
don't remember that thought much
of What Bell said Of Stevens gIum looks,
bnt did smile at her alluson TO breaking
my heart. | could afford 10 laugh at such
things in those days. loved-uo matter !;
| am not telling my own story. There is a
little whi'e stone in Weymouth church
yard, and it is the sole memorial of the only
dream | ever dreamed of love and woman !
Yet | have not lived a sad or gloomy life
After death comes heaven; and shall find
my virgin bride there.
Ii was early autumn when ] received
letter fiom Bell full of tragic gloom-of sor-
row-of drsolation Young Robert East
man, whom every body liked. had heen
found dead in the Mountain Road, near the
Black Pool murdered, evidently. No
blood had been split, but the marks around
his throat showed that he rad been stran-
glei. He was robbed also, and had doubt
less been killed for the sake of a consider
able. sum of money which he had drawn
from the bank The day before, aud was car
rying home TO his father. As yet, she said.
suspicion was directed to no one !; but it
was /, sad--so terrible-just as he had be-
come engaged TO ! ueia tool 1t would
break her heart; and his poor sick mother
had moi spoken since.
was too happy in those days for the
story of this tragedy TO sadden me as deep
ly as it might have done at another time
still fell il keenly for the sake of Lucia,
my dear friend and school-mate.
From time to time Bell wrote me of the
apprehension Of several persons family sus-
pected of the dreadful crime, but no eri-
dence cjuld he brought against any of them,
and they were all discharged. Ii was not
long before / heard that the poor young
mans motlier had followed him to his long
home in Ryefeld church-yard; and, soon
after, Colonel Eastman, unable to live on
and bear his sorrow in the scene Of his
double bereavement, sold out and moved
away.
Ii was not till three years after, when
my own lift-'s trouble had already cone to
me. that saw Lucia Reynolds again. She
seemed nearly as old then as she does now.
Her mouth was rigid TIE look OF patient
waiting had grown into her iar-seeing blue
eyes. She never laughed, and she spoke
low and seldom.
At The same time | saw Steven Grams
ION. ONtE ullil lOO iiiui pStSScu SpHit iiSA-
pIicable change. More glum. forbidding.
and unsocial than of old he could scarcely
be and yet there was something in his
face, in his manner, which seemed TO say
that, whereas Hope and he knew each
other once, they had parted company for
ever now.
did not see much of him or Lucia after
that until this summer. | came 10 my old
home last June an invalid. | felt that the
free winds blowing over the Connecticut
hills would bring me health and healing !;
and, though my dearest hope is in the Be
yond, still | love life-I cherish 10 misan-
.hropic logging for death. Coming back to
Ryeiield, found Lucia Reynolds aud Ste
ven Cranston the only ones of all my school
mates who were unmarried and in their old
homes You must bear in mind that near
iy twenty-five years had gone by since
Young Eastman's sudden and terrible death.
Lucia had passed all these in Ryefield very