Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-05-07

lndJ L WAS Denl On before breakfast
stroll. bore rapidly in the direction of
Seventeen street, and sauntered past the
scene Of the nights exploit, corrubOral ed
my recOllectiOns by the sight Of u modest
brownstone house with Il door-plate, Cue
daila.
In the course Of the ensuing week |
summoned my audaCity and, not, it must
be acknowledged, without considerable
trepidation, pad my party call. Unspeak
Die was my relief when | saw that they
dld not know me for an interlOper. Be
sides, the discovery of several mutual
friends tended to dissipate any inward
doubts that they may have entertained.
OF course lavshed most of my attention
upon Bertha; and recurring to the topic
of our former dialogue, NO." she said,
II cannot yet remember Nor is the feel
ing of familiarity with it as pronounced
1t was. Indeed, most likely 1t was mere
delusion Such mistakes are 50 very com
mon.
How after that called again; how
slowly won for myself footing of init
macy in the Guedalla household how day
by day became more and more irretrlev-
ably in love with Bertha; how as the re
ward of long waiting, | began to discern
sparks of responsive sentiment IN her
own deep eyes and how finally one sum
mer evening we dared to confess our
love, have neither the space nor the
disposition to record. Eventually | pre-
scented myself before Mr.. Guedalla in his
study rs sutton for his daughters hand.
lie listened attentively, encouraging me
by numerous mods and cOnlirmatOry III
tcrjectons and when had at length pull
ed the rein upon my tongue, he shook me
warmly by the hand and said You have
spoken nObly, Mr.. Morton, and | thank
you | could not wish Bertha "A better
husband than she will have in you. You
have spoken also with trankness which
| ,tr,I1 triV tn a al
nothing back, nor shall !. There is some
thing about Bertha's history of which
even she herself Is ignorant, but which
feel that you have a right To know"
The eXaSperatlng gentleman suspended
his discourse just at this trying passage,
and consumed an eternal interval in roll
ing a cigarette. Blowing a stream of
smoke through his nostrils, he continued,
"YOu must know, Mr.. Morton, and con
tide it to you in the most rigid privacy,
that Bertha is not our own daughter she
is adopted"
ed me as if to reckon the consequence of
his tidings.
Indeed ~ answered. "Well?"
"Ah, you take it manfullyn' he cried.
81 was sureit would make no difference.
You love her just as well ~
Better a thousand times better as
sured him eagerly. Nov that she has
no father or mother, the tie between us
will be more binding than before"
"Ah, pardon me-" he interpOsed, but
she has IA father and mother. We are hers
as truly as though we had given her birth.
She must never know to the contrary.
Remember, pledged you to secrecy be
fore | spoke"
"For that matter, sir, my desires coin
eide with your own. 1t would only pain
her to know the truth"
"Precsely. But to resume. Bertha is
now one and twenty. Sixteen years ago
my wife and | were in Vienna. one day
we visited the imperial protectory in the
suberbs. There we We're impressed by the
extreme beauty of one of the little girls.
We questioned the guardian about her
parentage, but he could give us no salts
faction. A few months since he said, the
police had found her wandering in the
/ streets. Their best efforts had been fruit
less to trace her antecedents. My wife 5
interest grew so strong that we ended by
| paying the ransom eXacted by the Aus
trian law and taking her away. We
named her Bertha for our own child who
had died We have educated her, and
she is ours by every right save that OF
/ blood"
And does she remember nothing of the
| life she led before you found her
Nothing detinte-only stray scraps and
euds-not enough to piece ont Il whole
fabric. OF the actual facts she has not Il
surmise."
"Wen and good, Mr.. Guedalla | am
| grateful for your confidence, and you may
| trust me not to abuse it. Now
"Certainly-NoW you may rejOin Bertha
and inform her of my consent"
We were married a few months later.
A the reader is aware, when, in Obed
fence to Bertha'S wish | dscreetly wound
it up at a juncture prior to my meeting
with her in Sixth avenue horse car
| During the term of our courtShip deem
ed it unwise to breach the sequel. But
after we were safely welded, and she wa:
mine beyond any peradventure or dispute
decided that the moment had arrived
for me to tell the rest. SO one day i'll oul
cosy little sitting-room, | opened my
mouth and spoke without reservation.
Bertha looked very grave, and did no
volunteer comment even when had nm
ished.
WELL" ! said, "what do you think o
it, Bertha Is it not weird ?"
"Oh it is horrible, horrible" she eX
claimed earnestly, Il wish you had no
told me-"
"Why, Bertha" urged, You mus
not take it so seriously, nothing Is horrible
that turns out 80 happily"
But to think" she rejoned, ito thinl
we have to thank that hideous fetch TO
all our happiness. 1t seems as though
there were something wrong, something
unreal, in our union, if it is due to tn
instrumentality of that thing. Oh.
makes me shudder"
} | pleaded with Bertha. attempting I
lay the affair before her in more cheerful
light but to no avail
"At least" she concluded, eve mus
mend the evil now by getting rid of tn
idol-or by destroying it. suppose we pu
it into the fire ~
"What - cried BURN it Burn thi
miracle of microscopic carving 70
| don't know what you are proposing, 20
/ don't realize how rare, how valuable, 1t Is
1t would be criminal to burn such Il plec
J of workmanship, not to mention the II
, gratitude of the proceeding. Better tina
that we might present 1t to some mt
scum"
mo, shall never be contented until
is out of existence. | shall never feel ST
I, cure from its influence. " hat, " she contlI
r ued, "did you say the translation OF tina
, inscription was of that inscription on II
back 80
| quoted the legend which l knew b
. rote.
"'Not until my heart be pierced wi
nv notency he uuQOne ~ repeated Bertha