Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-10-09

leine, said Cecile. She laid her hand
on her throat, as if to press back the
physical pain Of speech, and her next
words came with effort Il have been
thinking of it tor"-oh. what voice
was this la long, long time. Maddie.
and-and / can give Philip up" A long
pause followed His love was the sun
shine and dew and all the bloom and
glow of life to me. 1t is dead. he does
not love me any longer. He is not mine.
now. Maddie."
"Glve him up ?" said Madeleine. when
she must speak. in voice unnatural and
cold. "You do it very easily. it seems.
Why should you give Philip up? oecile.
you are H."
Cecile made no shadow of an answer.
She forbOre even to turn her eyes upon
her, lest the mere look might have con-
veyed reproach.
Now happened one of those chances
that occur often enough IN life, but seem
unnatural in fiction. Philips step sound
ed on the staircase. red surging
blush, hot and painful. stained Made
leine's cheeks; but not tinge of color
passed over the quiet face turned out
toward the dying daylight. Yet an in
describable change was visible the pal
lor seemed to increase, and the calmness
was that of death.
He was too Indifferent. The last week
or two had left its mark upon him. There
were incipient lines upon his forehead /;
his eyes had the harassed, hunted look
of man pursued remorselessly by trou-
blesome thoughts.
''Cecile, he cried, bending down to
take her hand-"Cecile, how i'll you
must have been And you have said
nothing to mel l could not come before.
| have been busy"
81 am not i'll, Philip" said Cecile,
Withdrawing her hand quietly. To-day
have suffered with headache. but it
is gone now. l am very glad you have
come. / have been wanting you"
'And you did not let me know |
would have permitted nothing to detain
me. Cecile."
philip, | have something to tell you. :"
she sa1d-.No MadaIaina snn't e.,
please. | had rather you would hear it,
too She stopped minute to gather
calm and strength but her tone was
very soft, natural and emotionless when
she spoke again. Il want to ask you,
Philip, if you do not think it would be
better if our engagement should end.
! am not saying, you see, that it must
be SO, but only do you not think it would
be better ?''
"YOu are the best judge" he said.
hoarsely, at last. And. strange as ii
may seem, a sense of injury. sudden
anger, caused the color in his cheeks to
deepen, and warded off both shame and
pity. "lt is rather singular that you
have not intimated such a wish before
Was it for this you wished to see me p
'.Do not be angry. Philip" pleaded
the girl. Il was in the room the day
the day that you and Madeleine were
walking. Philip. was here when you
came home. Neither of you saw me. fol
the room was dark | ought to have
spoken. but could not speak. heard
what you said tried to tell Made
leine then-oh why could 1 not But
Madeleine. you were not quite ignorant? 2
, There was no answer, nor did an,
sound disturb the silence for Eve Ions
minutes They had called her chill,
in their hearts, and comforted themselve
with thinking that if she felt grief. j
would be but light and easily forgotten
In simplicity. in truthfulness. in swee
and trusting confidence. she seemed in
deed child. But Lot IN the shalloV
natured insensibility that refuses to SUI
fer. or in the elasticity that rebound
from pain-not in these things, if thi
) white face might be taken in eyidencs
{ whose ashen pallor eontrasted 50 pitiful
: ly with its yet round contour. and. NOR
strangely still. with the glowing re
r gold hair. that caught the last CLEAN
r Of daylight. deegening them into spal
kles with its own living hue. Philip b
e ried his face in bis hands.
: ..Cecile. ! am not worthy 20 speak
you. he said at last. brokenly. "Yo
1 will not believe what am going 70 "a,
G and / can't blame you. II docs DOT el
cuse me either; but. as God is my vi
q ness. 1 meant to be faithful TO sou. Ii
r til that evening. if Madeleine knew
J loved her. had not told her . Bl
d you heard everything. I struggle
against it-forgive re. Cecile-and
II meant to tell you; bat how could
e can ask you to pardon me. bat don
e blame Madeleine. Il was BOT her faEl
a nor mine. God knows could not be
> IL"
D. She held out her hand At this; b
ID just then the dim fOuns in tbs ros
Ct swan around her. 3 dazzling. sgonizil
to light struek across Der aching eyebal
As and all the world vanished suddenly.
al one blows out a candle, into dark Dos
, Z I .euuAea