The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-11-30

glri, young enough 10 Ot Ills udusu'
ter, could not possibly find in hin,
iany attraction save his wealth |?
But poor Hetty, since her father
died bankrupt. had experienced
enough of poverty's ills, and heard
enough from her mother and sister
to learn TO look upon riches as the
KEY that could open to her the gold
en- stores Of lifes pleasures.
Lloyd could give her comfort and
Icompetenee, but as Mrs. Frisbee she
could have an elegant city residence,
carriage and servants, balls in win
ter ard watering-places in summer
with everything else that she might
desire.
/ Not that she was light and frivol-
Ious. or longed for mere worldly
pleasures but, for the time being
the picture had dazzled her. and in
her present angry and resentiul
mood against Lloyd, what wonder
that she listened to all that Mr.. Fris'
bee had to say, and before she reach
ed home had accepted the rich wild
overs proposal :.
! And yet somehow Hetty felt in
her own heart that this was the
most miserable evening she had
ever spent.
As the days went by Hetty grew
no bappier in the contemplation ol
her brilliant prospects. She turned
with species of loathing from the
man she had promised to marry,
and her heart went out more and
more to the lover whom she had
discarded.
They sometimes met, but he was
distant and proud, and it was not
for her to make advances. So she
decided to let her engagement be-
come publicly known, and one day
wen. over to Mrs. Sutton's and ask
ed Sue Sutton, Lloyd's cousin, to be
her bridesmaid.
"You ought hardly to expect it Of
me, Hetty," Sue said, with some
spirit. 81 think you have treated
Lloyd badly"
"How SO p
Because | know he loved YOU
and | used to think you loved him.
You certainly did behave in a man.
ner to encourage him."
Perhaps we were mistaken In
fancying that We loved each other. !
.'If you were mistaken, Lloyd
wasn't. have never seen person
so changed and unhappy" said Sue,
with tears in her eyes.
"He didn't appear to be unhappy
last evening, flirting with Josephine
Willis"
@Oh, that was merely put on
She flirted with him and he humor-
ed her. as a blind. l know Lloyd
how proud he is, and that he would
never allow anyone to suspect how
he suffers. But when we all came
home from the party-where he had
heard from Mrs. Carter that you
we're really engaged to that Mr..
Frisbee-oh, Hetty, he looked Sc
w-etchedly, and We heard him walk
ing up and down his room for hours,
and tossing ABOUT on his bed I'm
certain he couldn't have slept a wink
all night"
Where is he now ?" asked Hetty,
a little tremulous.
Il don't know. He went out be-
fore breakfast, and haven't seen
him since. l believe his heart is
broken, and that he will pine away
and die, or perhaps take his own
life" said Sue, with tears in hei
eyes. And he had been looking al
your portrait, Hetty, for | found il
on his table, propped up against a
book
"My portrait ? Why. he sent ii
back to me"
"Did he ? Then this must be q
copy. Wait moment, and will
get it for you to see"
She was hardly out of the room,
when Hetty heard well known
step in the hall. and the next mo.
ment Lloyd himself entered. In.
stinctively she had drawn back, and
the great bookcase screened her
from his view. He did not, howev.
er, look around, but throwing him.
sell ia chair, leaned back with clos.
ed eyes, and seeing him thus she
was struck with the change in his
appearance. His face was pale, and
bore unmistakable traces of suffer.
ling, repressed by the strong will
which she knew he possessed. Blu.
now, alone as he thought himself,
the strain seemed relaxed. He
bowed his face in his hands and
lgroaned.
Hetty's heart beat fast and the
tears rushed into her eyes. Oh, il
he would bend from that stubborn
pride. she would give up Mr.. Fris-
bee, wealth, everything in the world
| for his sake! But for her to make
advances-never!
LLOYD rose from his seat and walk.
ed across the room to the bookcase
Hetty shrank more closely into her
corner, and the high-backed arm
chair hid her. She heard him rum
maging about behind the books on
the shelves, and then she saw his
arm extended TO the light, holding
l up two glass vials. So near was she
that she distinctly read the labels.
one of which was "Laudanum.
This he thrust into his breast-pocket,
and seizing his hat turned to leave
the room. But at the door he paus-
cd, went back to the table. and
scratching a few hurried lines on q
sheet of paper, left it lying open and
went out
Hetty, almost as pale as her lover
instantly sprang up, and seizing the
paper glanced oyer it, murmuring
brokenly as she read:
DEAR MOTHER Can no longer
bear-agony-seek relief-home-
tell Johnny-take good care of you
l-go before you-meet you in"
Hetty was trembling all over; but
now a great light, as if a sudden re-
Iselve. dawned upon her pale face,
and without a pause she rushed
from the room. crossed the lawn,