The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-08-24
No34.
however weak he might have shown
himself in one thing.
A,,,l x,,lot x.,on r A. l. u Hrzli.s.y

And what was to do NothingY
Nothingp When 1 and I only real
lied the nature of the blow that was
about to fall 7 On the one hand, there
was the true Reginald Gervase, my
more than friend, brother and father,
who had plainly been able to free him
self of the old shadow, trusted, honored,
loved by all the world, whose whole life
was growth in goodness and useful
ness, and whose loss would be public as
well as private, and felt, none. could
guess how far round his home. There
was the wife, who believed in him as a
hero and who loved him with her whole
heart and soul. There were his young
children-what need L say of them
On the other hand, there was ruin,
scandal, the dock, the prison cell, a
wife's broken heart, and four children's
lives blasted for all their days and only
because worthless woman had not
died. The thing looked too hideous to
be possible; and dreamed of such a
word as-nothing Well, thank God
that he was not at st. Moor's. Every
day delayed was a day gained, if only
for thinking what could be done.
L was walking along the narrow coast
guard path overhanging the sea, which
was the shortest cut from Spendrift to
the nearest market town, when L was
met by lad who acted as rural post
man, and who stopped me with letter.
took it with scarcely a word of good
evening, and opened it absently.
"Dear Lambourn"-I read without
even taking heed of the handwriting
One line in haste to say that we shall
all be home tomorrow evening, almost
as soon as this reaches you. Every
things all right, but Jenny would rather
be safe at home just now and SO would /.
Look me up for a weed, there's good
fellow, about nine, and we'll have
good big talk about the drains. | feel
like school-boy off for the holidays.
r. G."
1t was like destiny. He and his wife
yes, l would still her so-were hurry
ing back full sail into the storm. L
knew what their coming back sooner
than usual meant; it was one of Ger.
vases crotchets that all his children
should be of Foamshire, and of their
home bred and born. Well, that made
matters worse a thousand times. He
was coming where that woman-I could
not call her his wife-was waiting to
lay hands upon him and to destroy him
more terribly than even she could
dream. 1 was not to see her again till
hn I Il r. ,t,axo
she was to be found. L suppose 1 had
acted stupidity; but 1t is hard to keep
ones presence of mind where ones
heart is concerned too deeply. How
could meet Gervase this very night
with this terrible secret upon me? 1
could not. And yet what right had i
to leave him in his FOOLS paradise for
single avoidable hour? 1 tried to ask
myself what should have done had L
been simply his lawyer instead of his
friend. And 1 could find no answer 1t
seemed strange that the thunder of the
sea, as 1t rose higher and higher with
the advancing tide against the cliffs, did
not change its tone.
The letter-carrier could not have left
me many minutes-long as they seemed
when he came running back breath
lessly, shouting and pointing behind
him with his arm,
"Mr. Lambourn ~ he painted out,
"there be some un down yonder on the
Carricks as lone as lone, and not half
an hour o. tidel"
l was startled out of such thoughts as
even mine. knew every inch of that
coast as well as If had been a smuggler
of the old times, and nobody who knows
the cliffs about Spendrith needs telling
what being alone ON the Carricks means
within even an hour of high tide. The
Carricks are point of rather low rocks,
projecting something like the blade Of
scythe, or rather like the pointed ram of
an ancient galley, from the base of the
cliff, easily to be reached within about
two hours of the highest tide; but,
after that time, breaking the calmest
sea into rage, and entirely cut off from
above or below. At absolutely full tide
the most shoreward of these rocks was
full two fathom under high-water line.
The cliff, itself promontory, rose up
sheer from the rocks for some distance,
then bowed out over them, and then
finished its course Of some hundred and
fifty feet to the overhanging path on
! which was standing. All these meant,