Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-19

! iook-a queer, witful yearning, heart-sick
look-that was gone in a flash, and left her
smiling content on us.
kept away from the cottage for three dayp.
ana on the fourth, as 1 was leaving the
order room, / came face 10 face with Colonel
| WrOthesley.
He is in the Engineers, and had come down
! 10 inspect the fort 1t took up the rest of the
morning and some time after luncheon. l
listened with nervous interest TO the Colonels
| gentle little stream Of small-talk, hoping
against hope that some allusion to his friends
mere might escape HMM vain. We dis
| cussed Rocksedge, its visitors its merits as a
| seaside resort and as a military station, and
! sun no mention Of his cousins came AZ last
| ly asked:
You were coming down here one day last
| month, were yOu not, Colonel2'
! who? ]? Never rightly knew where the
place was till last week, am ashamed 10 saw"
! was the answer that crushed my last hopes
let TO make certainty more sure persisted.
| 10 You know any lady down here of the
name OF Pierpointt DArsie PierpointY 2"
| "l1erpoint2 No. I've heard the name
somewhere Pierpoint2 There was A PIER
| point-a young fell1w-drowned on his wav TO
INDIA. remember. Nice fellow, engaged 10
MISS Lawler; one Of the Deyonshire Lawlers
/ Is there anyone here Of that name 2"
And all | could do now was u keen him
away from the subject, and the chance of
meeting them. Unfortunately there remained
! tWo hours TO dispose Of before his train left
| We strolled down to the sea, took turn on
the Esplanade, and up the cliff by the old
| town About half mile from Rock.edge lies
fine old ruined church. and the Colonel 10
my unexpected relief, protested himself a bit
| OF an archROlogist and expressed A wish n
| explore II. As it lay on the road TO the sta
t9h, ordered my trap 10 meet us there, and
of we started.
The Colonel had great deal 10 saw abont
ruins and We amused ourselves harmlessly for
some time, tracing ont foundations. ueerinc
! INTO holes and corners and examining yestiges
| OF ancient decorative work He was In the
middle Of explaining authoritatively how the
whole place came to be built, when | felt a
cold thru shoot through me, as a voice [ knew
sounded through She roohess aisle from the
other side Of the Wondering wal q.
Il don want to hurry you. but isn't il al
most time To startY | cried. The Colonel had
turned away, and was digging excitedlv in a
corner with his umbrella.
"Hohan, distinctly Roman ," declared he
stta'ghtsning himself rs not easy TO mis-
take the handiwork Just See here. for your
sell, lTaVers. There has been an inner coat
ing OF cement; L grant you that" (As if
had ever disputed 1t And the voices drawing
nearer aud nearer.) Have that carefully
cleared. and you'll ind very fine example Of
herring bone work. The Saxons inflated il
you know, but they hadn't the stuff to work
"of course they did; there's some nm there "
declared a yellow Japanese paraso ap-
peared at the opening and paused
dragged nun up grassy mound where was
once chance. Another minute and we should
nave descended safely on the far side but as
luck would have It, in tia. minnie Scrap MAYS
dog, espled u.s. and with a social bark came
tearing up to US, and May after SCRAP. She
stopped on seeing Us aud bowed dcmurely.
Who's thaty' demanded the Colonel-as
great a connol7,seur' knew in female beauty
a. IN Roman thing He caught my arm, and |
Mrs PeTp0int stepped into the sunhghted
space IN front Of us.
Ell What = and Colonel wriotheslev sd- |
lusted his pince-neZ in a violent hurry. / saw
the startled look on her face-the det .ctad |
look. saw. with sense Of sickening bumil- |
alton her gIance Of dismay at the sight Of me. |
But all my worst imaginatons paled and faded |
before the shock that followed
"Eh = cried the Colonel at is-no really
Little Mary Agar and-Lady Dorothy Champ |
heys aid ne trotted down the bank with out |
stretched hands TO greet-my godmother.
don't know what the proper bearing Of the |
hero of such dramatic situation should have |
beeni only know what did. | made of "a |
quickly as possible, and without a word. do |
not know what the Colonel thought or how he |
got mo the dog-cart and away to the train. |
heard his wheels roll of as l sat on a frap-
ment OF an overturned pillar in a secluded
angle OF the ruined transept. holding nv head |
IN my hands and struggling with the bewilder-
ment OF TINS most astounding revelation. Lady
Dorothy Champneys Mrs Pierpointl Nv
godmother here, all the time comparing nv
letters and knowing that considered her an
imposter. To whom had | been writing. and
with which was l in love? Both were the
same, of course; but, lifted my dAzed head.
and-tnere she stood
Are yon very angry-past all forgiveness ?"
she demanded, in a soft little voice. "ft
seemed such an innocent little Dlot-and all for |
Mays sake. didn't know how utterly it had
failed TIL your letter reached me this morn
ing"
She suddenly bl1shed red as a rose. kept
pitlless silence.
''Nou seemed 80 set against the NOR cbiId
and wrote so disagreeably and sarcas.ically
about matchmakers and their victims that il
was temptation TO give you lesson; or at
any rate TO determine that May should have a
talr chance-that you should be forced INTO
forming an unprejudiced judgment Of her 1t
was such an opening" she pleaded ave
came home Unexpectedly. l had absolutely
nothing to do, and nowhere in particular 10 |
80, and was just speculating on the possibility
OF taking you unawares at ROcksedge, when in
came your letter, telling me even the train by
which you we're going down there yourself.n
80 the meeting was put-up thing?"
Didn't tell you So" slightly laughing
''And you read all the letters l wrote to you
about yOurselfY'
''What then2"
This You were acting a part for a few
days amusement, while l was unhappily in
earnest-in bitter earnest :"
She stood with her head bent, silent and
confused.
However, am glad Of it," 1 declared.
springlng to my feet and confronting her 1T
has helped me 10 find out something that |
might have gone through my life unknow-
ing. understand you now, Lady Dorothy ~
She lifted her dark eyes affrighted what
do you understand"
That you love me, Dorothy, as l love YOU.
You could not be Dorothy-the Dorothy that |
have known and loved all these long years, nv
darling, and have played your part 10 the end |
II you had not meant the end 10 be-THIs I"
And l caught her in my arms.