The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-06-15

ing appearing of the description /
sought. | began to fear he had then,
not with him.
at is not ALL" i said, deeper and
more sternly than before.
With groan he took out small
parcel.
"All, upon my honor, but this, which
cannot possibly be of any value to any
one but me; they are merely letters
"Allow me to be the Judge of that,
1 answered, crisply. 'lf / can't use
them, | will return them to you in q
safe enclosure. Pit them do,cn"
He laid them down upon the ground
with the rest.
pass on" was my next order; and
he marched on past my wooden gun in
safety.
did not wait for him to get more
than beyond view, before / had the
contents of his pockets in my hat, and
was steering for home by the short cut
and by the longest and swiftest strides
l ever took in my life.
| waited week in some trepidation,
TO see what would chance. Much
CHANGED in that time, but no Rich
Dunkirk, Esq.
Possibly he waited till he tried Mt
his hotel for his little package of let
ters (Which could not possibly be Of
any value to any one but himself) /;
perhaps he felt unequal to meeting
Miss Bonange's clear, penetrating
glance under the circumstances; OF he
might have suspected her of some con
necfion with the robbery, especially as
everything excepting the letters (the
cudgel included) | had caused to be
expressed to him from distant city
Certainly he seemed to have some
cogent reason for absenting himself
from her presence, and soon left town
for parts unknown.
Miss Bonange evinced little won
dering anxiety at his disappearance,
and looked incredulous when l an
nouncedhis departure from that vicin-
ity.
She was sitting in the old place,
half reclining among the cushions she
liked, when | came softly beside her,
and laid the avails of my highway
robbery in her silken lap.
She slipped the cover that bound
them; her beautiful lips quivered, her
face whitened.
Did he give them to you, the das-
tard But better you than he" she
flashed
Tor opcu-or I }ol1 how oil
"And you do not know the con
tents p
Nor wish to"
She began to tremble; her eyes
filed with tears,
Please to read them, Steve Civ
ing them back to me.
do you want to preserve them ?"
asked, taking out match. "Shall l
destroy them p
Not fl have fallen in your good
respect, Steve"
My good respect is nothing to
you" | said. coldly. "If it were, l
would prove to You that you had it,
by telling You over again the tale you
laughed at not so long ago" And l
touched the letters with flames.
Il should not laugh now she said
humbly as a child, and looking down.
while a faint color flickering in her
cheek made my heart give a quick
throb.
"What ,coild you do? p demanded,
swiftly bending to look in her face.
She shrunk little, the color COM
ing in rapid fushes; then she rallied
again, lifted the beautiful eyes to
mine, and said:
Il should say. if you were of the
same mind, two years from now"
You would be my wife ?"
Eyes"
1t is ten years since then. She is
my wife; and though i know what
those letters were about now, | have
never been sorry did not read them.
They were the fruits of one of those
boarding school romances that have
blasted the life of many too magma
tive girl.