The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-08-12
A Craven Image.
"Abscnce makes the heart grow fonder.

chapter, and, folding his gown arount
him, sank back into his seat, casting Il
the choir resigned glance, which seemed
to say, Now do your worst The ten
or had just begun to praise and acknowl
edge the Lord, In the style OF Sir Leo
lines mastif, with sixteen short howls ;
Mrs. Hassan braced herself in the corne
of her pew to endure that long dscouuect
ed noise to which the choir Was wont II
we'd the noble words of the TIE Deum,
when her attention was diverted from tn,
weekly agony by an apparition which hac
at least the good effect of closing her ear
to the hows, roars anu shrieks, which tn,
four musicians above thought proper tt
attribute to the prophets, apostles anC
martyrs.
This apparition was pretty woman IL
half.mourning, coming up the aisle with
Mrs. Vale and her daughters, who came
in late, as was their custom.
A chill, and then glow of anger, raj
over Mrs. Hassap, and her husband won
dcrcd what it was that brought such 0
sudden flash into his wife's eyes. | an
afraid that Mrs. Hassans mind, during
the prayers and sermon of that morning
was not in a Christian frame. Every one
in Mepango was in the habit Of exchang
ing greetings going out of church but
to-day Mrs Hassan slipped away from
her friends, and went to her bible elias;
in the Sunday y-school room.
The girls wondered why she spoke SC
emphatically about the duty and Difficult
ty of forgiving those who, having injured
us, never think of needing or asking for
giveness but girls are creatures given to
curiosity and conjecture, and fear their
minds were rather occupied with guessing
at Mrs. Hassan's personal experience than
n making practical application Of the
lesson.
What's the matter, Cassy?' said her
husband, as they walked home together
Mrs. Ilassan's hand trembled on her
husbands arm, as she said in low voice :
I've seen a ghost!'
That is nothing. Ghosts, as you
know, run in the family; out they do no
harm
But it's not that sort, James. I'd
rather have seen every spirit that ever
walked in a churchyard, or even a she.
wolf, than that woman who came into
church this morning with the Wales
She was a pretty woman enough said
Mr.. Hassan. What is the matter with
her p
She is Mrs. Armer. She is widow
cow she was Anna Clayton
Mr.. Hassan looked as If he we're going
70 whistle. But, being in the street, he
efrained. apd only said:
The deuce she is - which was perhaps
no Improvement on FIRST intentions.
i suppose, Of course, she knew Syducy
was here, said Mrs. Hassan, bitterly
She might be satisfied with the mischief
she has done, and let him alone
DO you think he cares for her yet?'
He cares for her so much that he can
not care for anything else. She ruined
his life. 1 can't understand it; | can't,
said Mrs. Hassan, quite passionately.
AS to that, can you understand what
makes any one care for any one else ?
What made you care for me p said Mr..
Hassan, trying to comfort his wife.
You! You!' returned Mrs. Hassan,
in most unwonted state Of excitement.
james As if there were any compari-
son Sheis cold hearted and coarse mind.
ed. aud utterly selfish
And Sydney, being the exact reverse
of all this, devoted himself to her. and
loved her with all his heart and soul
He didn't love her. He loved the
image in his mind which he someway
managed to pin upon her personality
and now shouldn't wonder il he married
her after all, and was utterly miserable
and there is no war for him to 60 away
to now.
Mr.. Sydney Devine was Mrs. Hassan',
only brother. When quite young mar
he had thrown away upon Miss Anna
CLAYTON love as sincere and intense al
any man ever gave to a woman. Why
he did it | cannot explain, for Anna Wi
all that Mrs. Hassan pronounced her tt
be and, at nineteen, was as worldly, a
selfish, and as calculating as though sh'
had not been blessed with pretty figure
6ue eyes, and a pink and white skin.
Sydney, so to speak, put all his egg
into one basket but Miss Clayton, lik
a prudent young woman, preferred t.
have two strings to her bow. While sh
had been engaged to Sydney she had beeI
CARRYING on Irritation, by letter, with
gentleman old enough to be her father
a good man, who was no wiser i'll hi
love than if be had been one-andtwenty
Matters had gone SO far between Mis-
Clayton aud Sydney, that the expectar
bridegroom had ordered his wedding sui
Miss Clayton went down to New Yor
to make her last purchases, married NJ
Armer, and wrote the day before he
wedding to break off her engagement wit
Mr.. Devine.
1t is to be supposed that Mr.. Arm'
never knew of Mr.. Devine's existence
and Anna did not at all mind the tai
which she occas:oned, but rather enjoye
her notoriety.
A few weeks after the war broke ou
and Sydney threw aside his law practic
and went into the rank aud file. /
went from one end of the struggle to II
other. He won his epaulets, aud rose
be colonel. He was conspicuous for rec
lessness in the field, and did his duty Ill
a man. He was iu sixteen pitched ba
tie, aud never received a scratch al
fever and disease passed him by unharme
so many are taken who have ever
thing to live for he said once 'b
nothing happens to me- 1t was almC
the only allusion he ever made to t