The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-11-02

ihhtaAio 0do ouCn stll uuuoudl one,
that Vincent's heart gave a sudden
bound. Surely he had come at last
upon clue which would enable
him to find the person to whom his
grandmother had made the loan.
As soon as he could gain Judge
Lorrimer's ear he told him of his
discovery, and his reason for being
so much interested in 1t. The
Judge listened with attention until
Vincent had concluded his story.
Then he said:
Even if your surmises are cor
rect, my opinion is that you can do
nothing about it. Mr.. Zenningt On
has been dead many years, and his
heirs are abroad. They were two
grandchildren-a boy and a girl
and as their fathers friends were in
England, after their mothers death
they were, as matter of course,
sent to their natural guardians.
They must be grown up by this
| time."
1 A client entering stopped the con-
versation, and it was not again re-
sumed. Some months after Judge
Lorrimer invited Vincent to din
ner party.
"Be sure and come and bring
your sister with you" he said. ~
am expecting some pleasant friends.
and | would like you to meet them"
i 1t was quite an event in the lives
of the brother and sister. Their
daily duties allowed them but little
recreation. So when it did come
they enjoyed it all the more.
] Among all the guest gathered to-
gether within the judges stately
home, none looked fairer or sweeter
than Gertrude Tracy in her dress of
simple white, and her breast-knot of
velvet-leaved, golden-eyed pansies.
Vincent, too, compared favorably
with any of the gentlemen present.
Straight and broad shouldered, with
an expression in his clear, dark
eyes which told OF dauntless spirit
and of a hopeful sunny nature,
which is one of the most precious of
gifts within fortunes power to be-
stow.
He was seated at table beside a
young girl who was introduced TO
him us Miss Montague. As he
glanced at her he could think of
nothing but modest white rose.
She was of Il fairness of complexion,
with faint pink upon each dim
pied cheek. Her eyes were as blue
as me-nots-though their col
or was rarely visible, so persistently
did the white lids shut them in.
At first she was very shy, but after
a time Vincent succeeded in draw
ing her out, and the two chatted
away as confdentially as though ac-
quaintances of years instead of
hours.
Gertrude was equally wei! enter
tanned. Her vis-a-vis was a courtlv
hammered youth. who had evident
ly seen much of the world, and his
descriptions of continental society
half humorous, but without q
touch of maliee-held the girls
pleased attention until the party
broke up.
The brother and sister were very
silent as they went home, and strange
to say neither questioned the other
as to the cause of the unusual ab-
straction. But the truth was each
was recalling the music of the pleas
antly modulated voices which had so
lately entranced their ears, or were
seeing again in memory the witching
glances of bright eyes.
What was Vincent's surprise and
pleasure, some days later, when the
Judge came into the Office with the
two young strangers, who were
brother and sister, and introduced
them again to his protege but this
time he added turning to Claude
Montague
Mr.. Tracy is the young man of
whom l told you, Claude and then
Vincent found his hand teken in q
firm clasp, and heard earnest words
of gratitude poured forth.
Benjamin V. Bennington was
our grandfather, NJ. Tracy, and
once, when his fortunes were at an
ebb so low that ruin stared him in
the face, noble-hearted friend gave
him help. We knew of this debt of
gratitude, as in after years he used
to talk about it. But we-my sister
and I-were so young at the time of
his death that the name of his ben
efactress escaped our memories. So
we have never cancelled the debt"
"And we can never. never repay
it." said the soft voice of Blanche
Montague; ''for money alone would
be powerless to do so. All we have
in the world is indirectly owing to
your grandmother's assistance
As Vincent met the frank gaze of
the soft blue eyes be thought how
pleasant it would be to cancel any
debt in that direction by asking for
a very precous gift--herself. But
as he did not put his ideas into
words Blanche was none the wiser,
although if eyes could have spoken
this ardent look would have soon
told his secret.
This discovery at once placed the
young people on the sure footing of
friendship and they were thrown to-
gether very often, as matter of
course; and need l tell my discern
ing reader that at last the heirs of
Mrs. Graham and b. V. bennington
became joint possessors of both es-
tates by entering into that mystic
alliance which is for better or for
worse?
| 1t is remarkable what little bites
a woman takes when eating in the
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