Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-09-27
A STRANGE MEETING.

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"Somehow. cannot believe it will
ever be-" Widow Endicott, only mus
ing, finished unconsciously aloud.
at will be, and sooner than you
think" interrupted voice beside her.
"I see YOU have not heard the news
"The news?"
"John Renniman is dead"
"Dead, Jacques, do you say?'
eyes; he died of fever on his way
home on the Scotia. You know what
that means, of course; the smoothing
of all difficulties for Rame, and, though
he will mourn his cousin most sin.
cerely, the easy fulfillment of his
hopes"
All interest, they went on discuss
ing, as did many family that day in
Little Haven, the unexpected fortune
which had befallen Raymond Renni-
man with his cousins death. 1t was
nothing to them that the girl in the
window bent each moment deeper
above her work; they did not note even
when suddenly she threw it aside and
crept out Of the room.
She was not supposed to have any
interest in the Rennimans, alive OF
dead. A smile flashed, with the
thought, on the girls pale face as she
went on down the hall. So well she
had kept her secret from Aunt EnGi-
colt and Jacquesl Even in the start
ling fate of this fresh hour she realized
there might be more.
Still smiling, she stepped out on the
little balcony which fronted on her
chamber. 1t was so pleasant to re-
member now what until now she had
quite regretted-that there had been
sharp words, even, between them and
her because she would not marry Ray.
mond Renniman; that they, in their
secret hearts, were this moment be
moaning that she might have been all
in all where now she was
Nothing at all
The night was fair; the pressure of
the thought showed suddenly in pain
full plainness on the fresh, strained
face. Nothing at although, but for
her own denying, she would have been
the wife Of this man she loved SC
fondly; never SO fondly, so eternally,
it seemed to Renie Endicott, as this
moment she came, for the first time,
truly to realize it might be-never.
At least, his wife. The truth flashed
clearly, but truth, this little moment,
had lost its sting; she clasped her
hands and at the shining sky looked
up with a mad regret for what she had
done 1t was nothing to her now what.
until now had been everything-that
In Raymond Renniman's heart there
was no love, there could never be any
love for her; that his seeking her in
marriage was but the fulfllment of a
promise made to dying parent whose
affection she had won. There was one
his soul worshiped, well she knew, bat
she did not care; it were enough to
have been his wife.
At least, his wife. Moon and stars
seemed to laugh at her for her folly;
suddenly she realized the strange
fancy she had almost unwittingly
cherished, that, since that day of his
calm proposal, his fate was linked to
hers. Despite Elsie Croydon, despite
her own firm rejection, she had hedged
1t closely through the months, never
yielding the odd hope that all would
yet come right between them.
Until now. Nowp John Renni-
man was dead; his cousin was his only
heir, and the entire wealth Of the dead
descended to him. The sole barrier to
his marriage with proud Adam Grey
don's daughter was removed as
Jacques had said, it would be soon er
than they thought.
Now? 1t was a hard little moment
for Renie Endicott, but she quickly
realized its folly and struggled with it.
She bent her thoughts determinedly
yward John Renniman. She had
never seen him; she had heard Of him
only as a strange, grave man, with
some mystery in his life-a mystery of
woman's dealings which they said
would follow him to death. And
death had come, and-since Life was
death, she supposed, nay. she was sure,
that he had not cared.
The moon lit up bit Of river just
beyond the roadway. She shivered as
she looked over it; she forgot herself
quite in the tender pity that arose in
her heart for him. After such life,
to die in this sad, sad way 1t were
hard for any, but to him surely life
owed some little recompense of love
and honor before it ebbed away.
A pity--a pity. Many loyeless
night. looking out over the waters. she