The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-06-10
MIDDLEBURY, VT. JUNE 10. 1881.


terfield had written and was expected t
arrive at the hotel by o'clock.
1t was then half-past four. Fathe
Benwell decided to wait the return q
his friend.
He was anxious to deliver the packe
intrusted to him. The re-seaIed packe
was safe in the pocket of his long blac]
frock-coat. His own future proceed
ings depended, in some degree, on th,
course which Winterfield might take
when he had read the confession of tn,
unhappy woman who had once been hi,
wife.
Would he show the letter to Stella. n
a private interview, as an unanswerabl,
proof that she had cruelty wronget
him? And would il in this case be de
sirable--if the thing could be done-sc
to handle circumstances, as that Ro
mayne might be present, unseen, and
might discover the truth for himself
In the other event-that is to say. 4
Winterfeld abstained from communi
eating the confession to Stella-the re-
sponsibility of making the necessar,
disclosure must remain with the priest
In his present uncertainty he could
'nly decide to pay another visit to Ter
Acres Lodge, and discover how Penrost
was prospering in the all-importsnt mat
ter OF Romayne's conversion.
Father Benwell walked softly up and
down the room, looking about him will
quietly-observant eyes. A side-table in
a corner was covered with letters, wait
ing Winterfeld's return. Always ready
for information Of any sort, he ever
looked at the addresses on the letters
The handwritings presented the Gus.
tomary variety of character. All but
three of the envelopes showed the Lon
don district postmarks. Two of the
other letters addressed to Winterfield
at his club) bore foreign postmarks; and
one, as the altered direction showed,
had been forwarded from Beaupark
house to the hotel.
This last letter especially attracted
the priests attention.
! The address was apparently in q
woman's handwriting. And it was worthy
of remark that she appeared to be the
only person among Winterfield's CORE
spondents who was not acquainted with
the address Of his hotel or of his club.
Who could the person be? The subtly.
inquiring intellect of Father Benwell
amused itself by speculation even on
such trifiing problem as this. He little
thought that he had personal interest
in the letter. The envelope contained
Stella's warning to Winterfeld to dis.
trust no less person than Father Ben
we'll himselfi
L. aoaiIy iiair-pusS n,v ss---
quick footsteps were audible outside
Winterfield entered the room.
"This is friendly indeed" he said.
Il expected to return to the worst OF
all solitudes- solitude in hotel. You
will stay and dine with me? That's
right. You must have thought I was
going TO settle in Paris. Do you know
what has kept me so long? The most
delightful theater in the world-the
Opera Comique. 1 am so fond OF the
bygone school Of music, Father Benwell
the flowing, graceful, delicious melo
dies of the composer who followed Mo-
zart. One can only enjoy that music in
Paris. Would you believe that waited
n week to hear Nicolo's delightful 'Jo-
conde' for the second time. I was al
most the only young man in the stalls.
All round me were the old men who re-
membered the first performances Of the
opera, beating time with their wrinkled
hands to the tunes which were asso-
ciated with the happiest days of their
lives. What's that I hear? My dog
I was obliged to leave him here, aud he
knows I have come backl"
He flew to the door and called down
the stairs to have the dog set free. The
spaniel rushed into the room and leaped
into his masters outstretched arms.
Winterfeld returned his caresses, and
kissed him as tenderly as Ia woman might
have kissed her pet.
"Dear old fellow it's shame to have
left you; l won't do it again. Father
Benwell, have you as many friends who
would be as glad to see you as this
friend? I hav'n't one. And there ore
fools who talk of dog as an inferior
being to ourselves This creatures
faithful love is mine, do what I may.
might be disgraced in the estimation
of every human creature I know, and hs
would be as true to me ns ever. And
look at his physical qualities. What al
ugly thing, for instance-I won't SO,
your earl will say, my ear is. crumpled
and wrinkled and naked. Look at tn,
beautiful silky covering Of his ear
What are our senses Of smelling ant
hearing compared to hisf We are proui
| Of our reason Could We find our wn,
back, il they shut us up in o basket an
took us tos strange place away from
home? II we both want to run down
stairs in hurry, which of us is secures
against breaking his neck-I on my poo
two legs or he on his four? Who is tn
happy mortal who goes to bed withou
unbuttoning, and gets up again withou
buttoning Here he is. on my laE
knowing 1 am talking about him. an,
too fond of me to say to himself
What fool my master isr"
Father Benwell listened to thi
rhapsody-so characteristics Of tn
childish simplicity Of the man-with a