Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-15

Rivers 20, they could not for his srm
was badly broken, and II was all they
could do 10 get home with him beioFe
he tainted, Aud for SONS sis NsiAs hs
remained under the protection o Jadge
Dumdon, whom few 10 that par o ihs
eOnhtIJ dared 10 challenge,
fhefe was ! 0 need that Laura Should
exert herself, II was enough ior hiH TO
lie aud look At her, later 10 hear her
singing, and then 10 wander Ia the clear
evenings between the high ,bcs hedges
In the garden, close beside her, HeioIe
he went away, he told her that the night
that night Of the sweet Virginia early
spring - when he saw har standing
against the dark wood, with the moon,
light oyerlaying her, she had seemed
like An Image OF some beautiful late
hls fate, indeed,
"An evil fate" she answered him,
i0r his manner said more iheh his
words, "ii you can not forget H."
~ never can forget H." he cried,
holly" "neyer And rather w1nld !
die between prison walls than forget
IT,
she laughed lightly. switching the
braueh OF roses that she held, Why
did she like 10 hear IN Why, when
other men had spoken 30, had II hlled
her with repulEioHf Why mus. she
fight II onS
lie turned ard faced her with an I'm
patient ciy, "WNy laugh At meY he
exclaimed. "a Jest OF what 10 mo 10
lile or dpath-a Jest, when | toll you ]
love you, when | implore your love In
return, when ash you to beeome my
wilcp
"No," she said. "i will not make
Jest Of II, Twill answer you plalaly, !
will not become your wiie II | loved
you, would not so wrong my father
aud brothers who have trusted me, Aud
how do yOu think Il should be possible
for me, Laura Dnrndon TO love nv
country's enemy9 NeyorW And she
fang her branch OF roses upon the path,
turned away, and fastened into the
house m II blown by an III and angry
wind
That night Col. Rivers announced
himself well enough to leave tho hos
pihlity he had found, and was escorted
by tho old Judge aud his sorvpnts to tho
spot he indicated. but before he left
lc went down tho lyg yeranda, at
whose end Laura stood alone in tie
starlight, leaning her forehead against
the pillar clustered with honey suckles,
GOOD by" ho said. al have staid too
long, ore clso not lcpg enough. Bu.
mover think ] give you mp, II there Is
help in heaven, | mean-l mean to mar
ry you yet"
at is impossible" she began, in n
munlcd voice,
Nothing IL impossible" he cried.
"I never have failed in anything, |
never will !" lnd directly ho had her in
his arms, aud had kissed those proud,
forbidden, ouiyoring lips with n kiss that
took her breath away, and was gohe.
Thoy We're dismal aud interminable
days and weeks and months that fol.
lowed People came and people went,
but they moved before her like shadows,
And her old spirit Ind gono she was n
pale, still shadow herself.
What was she TO waste away for an
enemy's love when the land reeked
with blood and tears, whea homes were
desolate about her when two brothers
had fallen in the front Of battlel How
base it was OF herr She wished that
she had sunk that night, that fateiul
night, in the black miro.
Bu. still there seemed to be nothing
to- live for; she grew q little sOdder
little stiller, every day. "You had bet
ter had gone with the young Federal,
Laura" said her father, ethan have
come to look like this"
The winter had passed at last, with its
long, long dreary days, AMI the year
had come round to fall. There were
already frosty nights and mornings, and
in one of the mornings sho had ridden
over with her father to Chaunceforth
hall, on one Of their frequent visits,
finding there, however, party that she
hardly felt equal to joining.
Il was Col. Tufts, with the scar Of
healed but still reddened sword cut on
his cheek, who thrust himself forward
to help her from tn. saddle. DO you
,emember," he said, carelessly, "the fel-
low who got you out of Marshmallow
Bog last year? He was a desperate dog
had the satisfaction OF making him my
prisoner one day, half dead with his
wounds. I have heard since that he has
died in Libby"
The world was black and reeling
round her. She could hardly think it
was herself, walking straight and steady
into the hall, speaking mechanically,
and only sinking on the floor whea the
door was shut on her in her Cousin
Martha's room.
"Don' know for sho' was dis yer come
ober Miss Laury, chile" said Aunt
Cherry. Gus d ter ride dat sinful
Kickup bareback, an now she can't des
trot ober from der place widont drap.
ping in heap. Spec she's gwine des
er way her nav did, honey"
But Laura was only feeling life ebb
away from her, and longing that it
should, and let her go where he had
gone before her. "Oh, why did send
him away2" she moaned. ".f I had
gone with him it might all have been
different" And, after the unreason of
her kind, sht began to doubt and dread
and hate the cause that had cost her
this. And when in two or three days
she was about again, to feel herself one
Of its martyrs, although everso uncrown.
ed, unpalmed. ut can be no wrong to
love him after this" she said to herself
81 shall be with him soon. And oh, |
love him, do love him now!" And she
would grow cold as clay with the wild
cessation of her pulse as she recalled
that night so long ago, the kiss OF that
mouth, that face brilliant and beautiful
in the starlight just above her own, that
one clasp OF dear arms, dust nowl dust
now!
But if love is as strong as death, pride
is stronger than love. Laura Durndon
guarded her secret as the ore guards its
jewel; and she glided about silent and
white, but playing dance music for the
dancers, singing her songs to those that
wished them, and listening to the voices
of her lovers, who might have been
talking in some other planet, so far
away she felt.
1t was gay in Chaunceforth hall on
the night OF that October holiday. The
spot was sort OF neutral territory