Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-03-27

stand me. may seem trifer but, were
the woman ! love To love me IN return no
smile would be t0 me go sweet Is hers, no
presence half so dear"
Mollie had been watching the couple on
the sands, going slowly back and fora, -
the moonlight; now she lifted her SWEET
young face and looked at him with IA sort
OF wondering pity.
"Do we all wrong You then ?" she
asked gently. Have you failed in your
wooln,yf Can you not win where you
His face flushed a little at her words,
and she, watching il, was struck by its
strength and beauty. How did it chance
that she had never noticed either before
g am not left the chance TO WOO or win
her." he said, slowly; "she is another's
promised wife"
All" she said, pityingly and she gave
him her hand in n sweet, wOmanly sym
pathy, never for an instant connecting his
words with herself He lifted the small
hand reverently to his lips, and, drawing
1t through his arm, turned toward the
beach. As he did so he found himself
facing Ned Tremaine and Laura Lowell,
who were coming in from the moonlight,
and he noticed that the young mans faco
was quite white while there was half
scornful smile on the lips of the fair belle OF
the seaside. But the two couples passed
each otherin silence, the one going down to
the stretch of glittering sand, the other go
Ing In to the dancers.
A week later, and Mollie had Just come
In from a long hour, peaceful and calm,
| spent with Lee in quiet nook among the
rocks that Overhung the ocean. He had
/ been reading to her there some OF the
sweetest poems given to the world by
| genius. Her heart had thrilled AZ he read,
and new, strange feelings had stirred 1t.
| When he closed the book he had looked up
and found her eyes filled with tears. And
now in her own room she was asking her-
| self how it was that what she had but
| commenced for the purpose of annoying
| Ned had in one brief week slain all her
| old resentment against Miss Lowell and
| made her thoughts turn constantly. not To
| Ned Iremainc, who was her alhanced nus
! Dand, but to Lee Stone, who was termed the
| greatest male tiirt at the beach. Whas
was changing In her life When she now
| met Ned and Laura it did not pain her as
1t used. Was it because a handsomer
face, a stronger and nObler face than Ned'5
was constantly near, ready to turn to her
with devotion, readyto light ifshe smiled?
| A servant broke her pJnGerngs by bring
| ing her two mctSAgeS-one bouquet OF
| white flowers with few feathery sprays
| OF fern among their whiteneSs, ana one
| crimson rose cleaning red from their cen
| ter and in it was note from Lee, asking
| her to go for a drive with him by moon
| light: the other was Il few angry lines
from Ned, asking if she remembered that
she was betrothed to him while she al
lowed every gossip at the hotel to chatter
OF her Irritation with Lee Stone.
have been patient, waiting an oppor~
tunity of speaking to YOU" he wrote,
but you will not give me one, 80 write
to ask you If you wish our engagement
broken; to all it would seem So"
She trcmbled little as she read bud
her sweet face changed color; but she
| RI n fro orn lstft
; he had ever sent her, fOrmei them and his
ring in package and wrote him the fol-
| lowing note:
at was who was first taught patience,
| while my existence was forgotten for ore
who was what you bade me become
society character Why should | fancy
that you wished an interview with me OF
late 1t is not so long since you could not
| spare moment for Inc from Miss Love-,
| DO wish our engagement broken? Pes
haps we both wish it, Ned !; at Ieast let uS
break 1t, since SO displease you. send
you your letters and ring"
Then, although a choking sensation was
in her throat, she penned Il brief note to
Lee.
Il will be pleased to go with YOU" that
was all; and in the starltgfrt-the moon
rose late-she went with him out over the
beach and far along the country.
Was it strange that he noticed she no
longer wore Ned's ring? Was it strange
that he told her of his love, and thut she
listened silently, beiieyingly, with Il
strange fiutter at her heart? Was lit
strange that when he drove back, linger-
ing beside the sobbing ocean, another
bond should lie upon her life Well,
two others walked upon the strand. two
whom the gossips CALLED lovers; and yet
when it was tod that Mollie Annes was
to place her happiness in the keeping Of
"the tlirt of the beach," one man who
heard it turned white as death and shrank
from the sight of the beautiful woman be-
side him, although men called her fair,
and many said she had won him from his
faith yet Mollie was too happy to regret,
although she still sometimes remembers,