The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-04-03

"No explanation" cried the
wounded man. keep it from her
Give her the aower-and-and my
love" Aud be tainted.
II was not until the next morning
that Jean, the guide. stood before
Lady Bertha, with the snow-blossom
in his hand He found his task very
hard.
an ldemoiselle,n he said, "the gen.
tleman, Sir Herbert, has sent you
this flower with his love. He bade
Ine declare to you that be picked il
himself. He did. | saw him made.
moiselle."
"Why did be not bring it to me
himself " thought Lady Bertha,
taking the rare blossom in her
hand
Aloud she said: "Many hanks to
Sir Herbert. But be has also re-
turned 2"
"No. mademoiselle.,'
"IIe is coming r.
II think not, mademoiselle lie
bade me say be had gone on"
Gone on! You mistook."
Jeans task grew harder yet
"No, mademoiselle. He said he
has gone on with my father and
brother Pierre. / think be is not
coming back"
Then he fairly turned and ran
away
The Lady Bertha became red as a
rose, then pale as the snow-fower
that she held.
"Ah, she understood now" she
said to herself. This was a punish
ment for her. She had permitted
him to risk his life to win her love,
and now he told her plainly that her
love was not worth the risk, though
be was too brave to shrink danger.
1t was repetition Of the old story of
the lady who threw her glove into
the lions den, and bid her lover to
bring it to her; he brought it, but
only to fling at her. So Sir Herbert
had, as she believed, punished her
In bitter wrath Lady Bertha flung
the snow blossom TO the earth and
trampled upon it
Meanwhile father and son, old
Jean and young Pierre, bore the
sad and nearly lifeless burden toward
Bergen.
A year had passed. Lord Charles
and bis bride had been travelling all
this while his sister with them.
No news had reached them of Sir
Herbert no letter, no message. He
was not in England or they should
have heard. Ada had whispered to
her husband that she fancied Bertha
somehow at the bottom of his sud
den departure, so that the other
young man found the matter easily
eAplainable.
Bertha has refused MIN, silly
girl" be said. "Sbe should be
proud of such a lover that is the
sort of girl who throws herself way
at last upon rascal. | have no
hope for her."
And Bertha? All, poor Lady
Bertha was unutterabIy wretch
ed. She had loved Sir Herbert, and
she had lost him by her own silly
act. She was BUNDLED by her own
vanity. And now she knew how
dear this man had been to her, and
how empty her life would be without
him.
They were in England again, and
friends hocked about them.
Welcome home" cried one gan
tleman, shaking hands vigorously,
welcome home. | am glad to see
you with whole bones after so much
mountain climbing There have
been accidents without number. One
or two have been killed, and, of
course, you know about poor Sir
Herbert. He was with your party,
wasn't ne ~
About Sir Herbert"
Each looked at the other.
"We know nothing, except that he
lett us without any adieux." said l. a.
dy Ida.
"Ab, it was after that, then !
Well, they brought him home last
week-a mere wreck. Spine ipjur-
ed, they say. Fell down one OF
those horrible precipices and you
did not know ?"
Lady Bertha waited to hear no
more. She erept out Of the room,
and found her way to her own, where
she might indulge her emotion with
out restraint. Those few words told
her the whole story. She knew why
he had not returned to the inn. She
knew no the cost of the snow bios.
som on which she had trampled.
"Oh, Herbert, Herbert !" moaned
tie proudes. lady in all England.
Herbert, darling, will my whole
life atone in any measure for what /
have done? II it may, you shall
have it."
Then, with trembling hands, she
attired herself for a drive, and or
dered her carriage She knew that
Sir Herbert Vane would be found at
his mothers residence. and she drove
thither at once
at is Herbert that | wish to see,
not Lady Vane," she said to the ser
va Mt, who stared at her in astonish-
ment. "Give him my card. know
be is an invalid, but he will see me. ,"
In ten minutes more the door of
the darkened room was opened, and
she crept in.
A figure lay motionless on couch,
aud two eager eyes looked toward
her.
"Come closer" said faint voice
Il am unable to offer you a chair or
even my hand. Perhaps you have
heard that ! have met with severe
accident"
"You brave, great-hearted man"
she said, you refrain from taunting
me, from telling me that | bade you
bring the snow.blossoml Oh, Il