Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-08-22

offered to support him, fearing that he
would fall, but he repulsed me and led
Janet away. 1 could hear him mutter-
ing to her of "Poor girl, my Janet 70
And then he kissed her, weeping. How
he loved that girl
When 1 went back to the college
town, the Harrisons were already es-
tablished there. Bert and were class
mates. He took me to see Rosalind,
and she straightway cast the old fatal
spell over me. loved her passionately
when was with her but when was
away 1 longed for Janet. I longed to
hear Janets voice, to feel The touch of
her hand. L thought of Rosalind by
day, but dreamed of Old Janet by
night. 1 had been at school only few
weeks, when a peremptory summons
came, bidding me home. The message
was given in such terms that feared
serious illness was at the bottom of il,
and fled homeward like the wind.
Janet was not in sight. A servant led
me up to my grandfather's room. He
was sitting alone, majestic gray figure,
by the table. fastened forward to
greet him, but he suddenly stretched
out his hand and repulsed me with a
gesture so stern, look so pathetic and
dignifed, that I stood as if rooted to
the floor.
"Don't speak! don't touch mel" he
said, "until you have read that, and
explained it." He pointed with long,
lean finger to an open letter on the
table.
took it up; it was the history of
my intercourse with Rosalind Harrison
from beginning to end-terribly precise,
terribly truel 1 felt the blood surging
hot and dark into my face under those
piercing, needle-like gray eyes that
watched me as 1 read the horrible
treachery.
els it true ?" my grandfather asked
but [ could not reply. els it true,
sir?" persisted the pitiless voice and
then I forced myself to look up.
I" It is true, in part, I am afraid.
But, o, grandfather for PHYS sake,
listen to me let me speak one word
for myself. L am not SO wholly base,
or to blame, as this says -"
"Stop!" my grandfather cried. 81
will not lear another word. The one
one fact that I wanted be assured of
before l condemned you, is true. You
have confessed it. You have been false
to my Janet. Janet Janet p The
pathetic old voice, breaking out into
this strange, sad cry, rung through the
lonely passages and reached her,
wherever she was. She flew into the
room, and, bending over him, without
look at me, kissed his white hair and
withered cheeks, soothing him tenderly.
Janet, my girl-my brave girl it's
all true. You and I are left to love
each other alone, Janet" he said, cling
ing to her hands.
And we are quite happy, grandpa
pa" answered her sweet, clear voice
".quite happy, you and I 4! Cheer up
cheer up, dada !"
l stood apart, listening, as if on the
other side of great gulf. Neither OF
them looked at me.
" Forgive me !" pleaded, for once
i'll humbleness. eff you are thus de-
termined to cast me out of your hearts,
let me, at least, hear you say that you
forgive me before I CO."
why should we bear enmity against
a stranger, Janet p said my grand.
father, with cruel distinctness. "Let
him go in peace. Those whom he took
in place of us to be his friends have al.
ready played the part of Judas and be.
trayed him."
What could say? For it was Bert
Harrisons hand that, unskilfully dis
guised, had penned that miserable
epistle in the hope of forever separating
me from Janet Fentonsleigh. Was he
not Judas So I left them without
another word. And at that last hour
knew the truth. My grandfather had
never cared for me except for Janet'f
sake, and when he fancied that I had
ceased to love her, he hated me.
L felt like ruined man-stunned
reeling-as stepped out into the oper
air. A great blank suddenly yawned il
my life. I had always depended OF
Janet's love. Whether 1 was apparently
true to her or false; whether I laughed
or sneered, or smiled at her, I expected
her to love me. I felt it impossible fol
her to be false. GA mans courage, {
mans will, and mans sense of honor
added to woman's tenderness :" how
then could Janet cast me off, possessing
these qualities? Sometimes I pishet
and ieered and told myself all this hat
come from the mans training Janet hat
received. She would have clung to mt
in spite of everything, as a woman
ought, had she been reared by women
After all, preferred to think that sht
loved me, even then, in spite of tina
iron old man ; so | whistled Rosalint
Harrison's memory down the wind, and
now that my Old Janet was lost to me
hugged her dear image closer than eve
to my heart.
1t was soft, dark day-still, horri
bly, still, with the calm that follows o.
precedes a tempest. Now and then th,
heavy plunge of sliding masses of snow
was heard as I walked to the station
and great flakes fell from the clouds a
long distances. Our train laboret
heavily along. The wheels clogged, the
rails creaked, and thesullen air seemed
to be thrilled with forebodings of dis
aster. To add to our gloom, heavy
fog settled about us. The sheets O
black vapor which at stated interval
roll up from the Thames and max,
London like the cities one sees il
dreams, vague and terrible, would hav,
been but silvery mists, compared will
the thick curtain that wrapped us ant
crept as we crept onward.
1 was startled out of my disma
reverie by horrible sense of falling
sickening crash, as if the world hat
been shattered; then came insensi
bility. When my Jared senses returned
I realized that was lying among deat
and wounded at the bottom of a rook,