The Van Buren press., 1871-08-15
I" dare SAY" =" said Bertha, turning alb. |

out here, | think 1 will go back to the Ii
biary."
Paul stared at his companion in utter
beNiderment.
Il suppose that means she doesn't want
to talN ANY more about Zaiies RAYMOND
We'll, OF all incomprehensibl creatures.
woman is the most incomprehenslble !!
| They are leagues and leagues beyond my
penetration-the whole race Of them. /
supposed she would be interested and
here she snaps my head of before get
out dozen words.
And Paul followed Bertha to the libra
ry, confused, and not altogether pleased
at the arbitrary decislyeness OF the beau
tifal blonde.
1t was about week afterward that
Bertha Wyman was coming home from a
long walk to distant farm house, where
an old schoolmate Of hers resided. She
had refused Paul Fordham's escort,
probably because she had seen him walk
my up and down the long hall with Mrs
RAYMOND at his side that very morning,
and now she felt little wearied, some
what lonely, and very cross. The sun
had been down about half an hour, but
the west was still illuminated with a belt
Of orange brightness, and the winding
river, tangled along the shore with starry
watcr-liles, reflected the warm glow Of
the sky like second armament.
As Bertha descended into a little hol
low, fragrant with wild roses--tor she
had avoided the thoroughfarc, unire-
quented though !. was, and chosen IN.
stead a shaded By y-path-she became con.
scious that two other persons were stroll
ing along the road itself. from whom she
was divided by tangled mass Of wild
grape vines festooned from the slender
branches Of few silver brches-two
other PERSONS Paul Fordham and Zaidee
| Raymond
The color died away from Bertha's
somewhat flushed cheeks, as she paused
to listen, for they, too, had paused where
two roads separated.
ave must not walk any further to-
gether," sal Paul Foriham's voice
Nobody is TO suspect anything yetyou
know, We Il surprise them.
And then came Zaidees soft, hesitat-
ing laugh.
But YOU will find it, hope. a happy
reality, he said, looking tenderiy down
upon her bowed head You do not re
grtt trusting in me-
Or she SAID, II never dreamed
that earth had so much of happiness III
store for me yet And owe it al! 10
you"
And then Bertha could hear lil foot
steps dJ Jing away in the distance; she
could see Mrs Rayman standing motion
less for moment, with her tiny hands
cluspcd, and then gliding on, her scarlet
scatf glimmeriug through the dusk like
the wing OF a Ceylon bird
False ialhIess!" murmured Bertha
under her breath, with her white teeth set
closely together. And she how dare
she -
The storm Of hot, unreasoning fury
! that ragged in her breast seemed To- shake
| her slight frame as leaf is shaken h.
the cquinoctial gale, and her eyes literal
| Is bazcd with blue, baleful fire. AT that
instant there was murder in Bertha Wy
mans heart
She hurried down the twilight glade,
the thorns tearing her dress, the briers
wounding her delicate flesh, but she felt
them no more than il they had been rose
petals blown toward her by the evening
breeze. Some strong, savage purpose
was maturing in her mind-some. me.over'
mastering passion held her whole being
in its grasp.
She knew that to strike into the right
road Zalee must, ere long, take the Sc
cluded path she herself was treading.
Her sole aim was TO reach the tiny foot
bridge which crossed the narrow river
first.
And she succeeded. It was quite dark
the fragrant. starry.darkness Of a mid
summer nlght--when she hurried down
the steep, shelving bank.
"The planks are old and ruinous,
she murmured. "They shook and rat
tled under my feet rs passed over to.
day. Zaiee Raymond shall come he
tween me and my plightcd lover no
more y
As she crossed she deliberately stop
ped, tearing up the planks behind her.
anil throwing them into the river with
dull splashing sound. They were not
large, but had they been twice. nay,
three times their size. Bertha Wyman
would have torn them away from the
mouldcring beams, so supernatural seem.
ed her strength at that instant.
There. she said, half aloud, pans
ing to look down into the peaceful
stream, where the planks foa,ed amid the
faint reflection Of innume-abIe stars
Long ago, when was chil,l, man
was drowned here. The water is deep
and the spot is very lonely"
The next moment she was gone. hur
rving mldlv away, rs il some unseen
presence were follnwing close upon her
| footsteps
You are late to night, Bertha
Paul was looking out for her from the
piazza steps, and came pleasantly to meet
her.
II know it, " she said. putting the hair
| away from her forehead, whore the coll
dew stool in beads. It's long way
from Rcdcote Farm, aud IL did not
walk very fast "
| Come and sit by me-, Bertha, said
| Panl I've Il long story to tell YOU
| What is Il p she aske IN -chanical-
| ly.
Its about little Zaidce Raymond.
| She's not u wi low, after all.