Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-20
"I am going away Miss Burnett. to

stay. VIII you Dlu me gOOu-Dy
Still she did not look up or speak.
He persisted gently.
"Have | offended you beyond all
hope of forgiveness ?"
She gave him her hand at that.
"No, but
"But you are sick, Miss Burnett p
as he saw in her face plainly. "You
are really sick. What can I do for
your"
She tried to smile.
at is only a headache have had
it all day, and touch of fever with
it perhaps. Nothing more"
"You have been sick all day, and L
have been aggrayating the life out of
you," he said remorSefully, in his earn
estness down on one knee beside her
chair, with a half bold, half easy
grace; II have troubled you constant
ty, not to-day only, but ever since you
came here to teach. What a brute
you must think me. 1t was unmanly
and cowardly to act as l did. No,
you must let me make full confession
now," kissing the hand she laid over
his mouth to stop him. "But, Miss
Burnett, you are very ILL.," seriously
alarmed now at sight of her white
face and closed eyes; for the self con-
troll maintained by main force all day
and up to this moment, had given
away suddenly, and weaker than a
child she sat there, her breath coming
in little short gasps.
Unused to woman's moods and
ways, he was at loss what to do
He had an idea, though, that when q
lady tainted, cold water was the thing,
50 he sprinkled her face with the cup
standing on the table within reach of
his hand, and, manlike, he drew her
head down upon his shoulder.
She was not altogether unconscious,
for she made a weak movement to
withdraw herself from his arm, but he
whispered, Trust me, and lie still,
will you not, till you are better p
conscious the while of an odd pleasant
thrill at his heart, as her face lay so
near his own that he could have touch
ed it with his lips.
If he had been a dozen years old
er, he would most likely have yielded
to the temptation aud kissed the ro-
ses back to her checks, but there was
just the least bit of boyish timidity
yet about him, and besides, he could
not forget that he had neen the cause
Of this very illness, and his heart
smote him regretiully every time he
looked at her.
She sent him away By and-by-as
soon as she was able to sit up with
out support. She would not let him
go home with her, either, though he
begged her to let him Go so; she
would do better by herself, she sald.
But seeing the troubled look in his
eyes as he turned away, she relented
so far as to say:
81 trust we part friends"
He came back to her at this, say
ing earnestly:
Can you be my fricad after what
you have known Of me for the past
two months ?"
al can bel am sincerely your
friend"
Thank you for that. Knowing it,
| shall not carry such a sorely troub-
led conscience away with me"
All! he never guessed that, instead
of troubled conscience, he was car
rying Olive Burnett's heart away
with him.
1t was seven years before they
looked upon each others faces again
Such q long, long interval. Those
seven years had changed Scott Gold
rick into a successful business man
steadily amassing his thousands, anc
alive to the brilliant, courted young
widow, Mrs. Logan.
She had grown heart-sick of teach
ing, and one day in a desperate mood
, gave it up and married Paul Logan
the rich land owner. Scott Goldrick
hearing of it in the distant city where
t he was living, said, "Such a pity Sht
was one woman Of a thousand. ant
deserved a better man than that"
5 "Well, Paul Logan was bette
e man than Scott Goldrick'S word
: would seem to imply, and better still
: his gold brought all comforts to th
;, helpless mother until she died, and
i home with all the advantages Of wealt
to the little sisters. And now wit
her husband two years in his grave
y Mrs. Logan went freely into societ
once more.
"Such a lovely woman" men a
= ways said when speaking Of her; an
y Scott Goldrick endorsed the verdiC
. . when he met her at reception on
} evening, and the hostess, supposin
! them to be unacquainted, presente
! him.
= 1t was the Olive Burnett of seve
gears ago who smiled up at him, 6
! she said to Mrs. Lake, "Mr. Goldric
:, and | are very old friends"
" "You remember me, then," he sal
- as he led her away.
a a Il shall never forget" was tt
,s sweetly grave reply.
a But somehow, even with this fla
m tering beginning they did not seem
As make much progress in the renew
ar of their old acquaintanceship. Nee
nt ing often as they did at party al
b. ball receptions, at concerts and the
BIT ters and operas, there was always {
indefnable something, a distance b
to tween them: and it was quite at Il
10 close of the winter that calling OF
he morning on Mrs. Logan to make
q adieu before leaving town, Scott Col
# rick fingered a moment as he bow,
or over her hand at parting, to say h;
to jestingly, but yet in earnest too:
m ado you remember the old schot
IS house"
he "Yes, l remember. | am goi
I'd out there on purpose to sec it tt
coming summer"
ia "And | too. Who knows but VIII
ro we shall meet ?"
,la 1t was in the midst of the Augr
at heats that Mrs. Logan, paying f
be ing visit to Ryefeld procured the k