Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-12
NO. so.

aud cngs to the sides. "No!" he shouts.
II don't care what You say don't believe
you they are all in there they are, tell
you, they are-they are !"
10 a second he is in the constabls's strong
grasp and being dragged, struggling violent
ly, to the gate, when q soft voice, q woman's,
intercedes for him
"What ia the matter? Oh dant-don't
be so rough With him, poor creature" it cries
pitifully.
I'm only eKercisin' my duty, num-" says
the officer; 'he wants to create a disturb
ance ere"
mo, cries Wilfred, che lies only want
to get into my own house. and no one seems
to hear me, You don't think anything is
wrong, do your
1t is lady who has been pleading for
him as he wrests himself from his captor
and comes forward she sees his face, and her
own grows white and startled. "WiIfred :"
she exolaims
why, you know my name!" he says
Then you can tell him IL is all right. Do |
know your You speak hke-is it-E hel 2"
Yes" she says, aud her voice is low and
trembling ~ am Ethel"
He is silent for an instant then be says
slowly, "You are not the same--nothing is
the same it is all changed-changed- and
oh, my God, what am l ?"
Slowly the truth is borne in upon his brain,
muddled and disordered by long excess, and
the last shred Of the illusion which had Dos
sessed him drifts away
He knows now that his boyhood, with such
possibilities Of happiness as it had ever held,
has gone forever. He has been knocking at
door which will open for him never again,
and the mother by whose side he had meant
to spent the evening died long years ago
The past, blotted out completely for an
hour by some freak of memory, comes back
to him, and he sees his sullen, morbid boy
hood changing into something worse still
until by slow degrees he became what be is
now-dissipated degraded, lost.
At first the shock, the awful loneliness he
awakes to, and the shame of being found
thus by the woman for whom he had felt the
only pure love he had known, overwhem
him utterly. and he bows his head upon his
arms as he clutches the railings, and sobs
with grief that is terrible in its abandon
ment
The very policeman is silent aud awed by
what he feels TO be a scene from the tragedy
of life, though he may not be able to describe
it to himself by any more suitable phrase
than rum start. "
"You can go now, policeman" says the la
dy, putting money in his hand. you see
know this-this gentleman. Leave him to
me; be will give you no trouble now"
And the constable goes, taking care how
ever, to keep an eye occasionally on the cor
ner where this has taken place. He has not
gone long before Rolleston raises his head
with husky laugh his manner has changed
now he is no longer the boy in thought and
expression that he was a short time before,
and speaks as might be expected from his
appearance.
Il remember it all now," he says You
are Ethel Gordon, of course you arc, and
you wouldn't have anything to do with me-
and quite right too-and then you married
my brother Lionel You see I'm as clear as
a bell again, now. So you came up aud found
me battering at the old door, Ell Do you
know, got the fancy l was boy agalu and
coming home to-bah, what does all that
matter to your Odd sort of fancy though,
wasn't it? Drink is always playing me some
cursed trick now. pretty fool l must have
made of myself"
She says nothing, and he thrusts his hands
deep in his ragged pockets. Halo what's
this I've got p he says, as he feels something
at the bottom of one of them, and bringing
out the box of soldiers he had brought half
an hour before he holds it up with a harsh
laugh which has the ring Of despair in it.
do you see this'?" he says TO her. You'll
laugh when tell you it's a toy bought just
now for-guess whom-for your dear hus-
band Must have been pretty bad, mustn't
l? Shall give it to you to take to him
no? Well perhaps he has outgrown these
things now, so here goes;" and he tosses the
box over the railing, and it falls with a shiv-
er of broken glass as the pieces of painted
tin rattle out upon the hAg-stones.
And now I'll wish you good evening"" be
says, sweeping off his battered hat with mock
courtesy.
She tries to keep him back. mo, Will
fred, no you must not go like that. We
live here still, Lionel and l, in the same old
house." and she indicates the house next
door; ''he will be home very soon. Will
you" (she cannot help little shudder at the
thought of such guest) you come in
and wait for him p
Throw myself into his arms, eh ?" he
says. "How delighted he would be I'm
| Just the sort of brother to be credit to a
highly respectable young barrister like him.
You really think he'd like it No; it's all
| right, Ethel don't be alarmed l was only
| joking. l shall never come in your way, |
promise you. I'm just going to take myself
off,"
Don't say that she says (in spite of her
self she feels relieved) tell me is there
nothing we can do-no help we can give
you?"
Nothing" he answers fercely 81 don't
want your pity. Do you think l can't see
that you wouldn't touch me with the tongs il
you could help it It's too late to snivel over
me now, and I'm well enough as l am. You
leave me alone to 60 to the devil my own
way it's all ask of you. Good d-bye. It's
Christmas, isn't il? haven't dreamed that,
at all events. Well, wish you and Lionel
as merry a Christmas as l mean to have.
can't say more than that in the way of enjoy
ment."
He turns on his heel at the last words and
slouches of down the marrow lane by which
he had come. Ethel Rolleston stands for q
while, looking after his receding form till the
fog closes round it and she can see it nc
more. She feels as if she had seen ghost
and for her at least the inclosure before the
deserted house next door will be haunted ev
er more-haunted by forlorn and homeless
figure sobbing there by the ratings
AS for the man, he goes on bis way unit
he finds a door which is not closed against
him.