Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-10-30
HERBERT AND lEDA.

"ln afraid, SIR We cannot make {
satisfactory piece Of work unless w
tear down The whole mantle piece
You see il has been loose for years
| There is wide crack at the back thai
must have been there a long time
Herbert Payne looked ruclhlly Al
his table of papers, h'a large book
case, his pictures, bu'ts aud GIN
cracks that made his handsome library
The one room 10 the large house that
seemed truly like home to him.
"Ncry well, he said, "only be sure
you put it up this time so there vii
be no further annoyance"
Then llcrbcr Payne fled from the
confusion to come, and took q trip OF
two weeks absolutely without end N
ain, except 10 csca!e from his dlsor
tcred library,
Mrs. Beach, his housekeeper, took
cure that none of his treasures were
injured, aud when he returned there
was no trace Of the invaders, save
that the falling mantel piece was care
fully and firmly reset. But upon his
table lay sealed envelope, yellow
with age, and directed IN pretty
lady like hand to "Mr, Herbert
Payne"
Every shade of color left the mid
die aged bachelor as he saw this epis
lie. Ills hand, stretched out to grasp
it. ,iembed 30 violently ne drew it
back. Mrs. Beach was within call,
and he controlled his emotion to ask :
"llow came this letter here 7"
The men found i, behind the man.
tel piece, sir, II must have slipped
down the Zig crack"
lie shut the door and bolted it.
No careless, curious eyes should
watch him while he read the letter,
the letter that had been hidden for
thirteen yecrs behind the mantel piece.
Before he touched it he unlocked n
writing desk. evidently seldom used,
and took from it a miniature picture
Of lovely girl of eighteen or nine
teen with large brown el es and wav-
ing, golden hair
A face iulr of sweetness looked out
of the cold ivory, and the eyes Of the
strong man grew dim with tears as he
gaze upon it. For he had loved her,
Not with the wild unstable love OF
youth, bat when he was aiman past
thirty. who had faced trouble and
temptation and conquered both. He
had met her first when she was the
comfort of an invalid father; and he
had been won first to love her by
watching her sweet patience with the
irritable old man, who kept her con;
stantly busy in his service. -
Later, when they were friends, Her.
bert learned that Mr.. Morrison, the
fretful sufferer, was very wealthy
man and that Leda was his only child.
Being himself man Of torture,
Herbert Payne needed but little the
fact that Leda was an heiress, but he
found his whole heart going cut to
her as they grew better friends.
Every day he loved her better, till
he was assured of her love in return,
when he sought her fathers consent
10 his taking her to his heart and
home, his loved and honored wife.
And Mr.. Morrison's plea was this:
81 cannot spare her yet. When |
tell you her story, you may not care
to marry her, but if YOU still love her,
spare her to me few months longer.
| may not-cannot live over another
spring. even in this soft climate, but
when l die, Leda will inherit all my
fortune, though she ia not my child.
/ told you she had history. When
my vile had been married but two
years our first child was born and
died in an hour. Leda--my wife, Le-
da-was delirious, constantly calling
for Mr babe, and the doctor said it
was lite andd death with her to have
u child. So we took the babe who
has grown to be the comfort Of my