Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-06-04
BEAUTY'S SECRET
y ALAN NUT
Author Of "Vanily Hardwars, TO Gsa
GirlSS Ec.
BOOK ONE.
Commenced sunday, May 81
81 ALAN NUT
BOOK ONE.


prayer book; Tie little medicine chest, with 8
book. under the guidance Of which you could
heal yourself Of any disease; down to needles
and thread-astout thread for buttons
her account of it read like a shopman's cata.
logue. She grew 80 interested in her clever
ness and forethought that she half forgot the
impending parting. Bless the heart OF
woman. how it lives in the present, and will
not realize the future, be it ever so nearl
Then. blushing, she told him Of one particu-
lar little pocket in one particular little leather
case, which be was never to open unless he
happened to want money very badly. He
might have lost everything, and not be able
to get back to England. In that case let him
open that pocket. He might be very IL, and
have nothing to pay the doctor. In that case
let him open the pocket In any capital and
inextricable difficulty let him open that
pocket. Poor Sophial the savings Of thrifty
years, and the better part Of her allowance
for / don't know how many more t~mortgaged
to Car and SibyD had gone into those boxes
and that pocket.
All this time, while she chatted on, trying
desperately to be cheerful, he had said little
or nothing. At last he took out his watch,
and looked at it, gathering strength.
II must 60 now he said.
Then in an instant, like a frail hut swept
away by a sudden hurricane, all her little
cheerfulness was gone. Her steadiness, her
heroism was worth nothing at all. She casS
herself on his breast-he was to sustain her
~now-crying, caressing him, clinging to him,
as If she could not let him go.
HPercy,' vas al she said-"darling Percy!"
= - --kLs-- a. kLs., IL, -.o.1l
ness enabled him to do: he kept silence. But
not a word could he utter.
at is the sea between us" she said, sobbing.
aSuch a distance Of sea! such a length Of
timer
He only clasped her to his breast
HBut | shall not forget you; you won't for
get me; promise itp'
No sound came from his lips; but somehow
she understood by his clasp that, with an I'M
uttered vow, be was binding himself to her
forever.
~Promise me again" she murmured.
Still he did not make any audible reply.
"Promise me once more" she whispered;
and still without any speech, she was satisfied
that he replied.
There followed a moment of silence. she
offering up a prayer for his safety; and in
what shrine so fit could she offer it as there
on his manly breast! Then she felt his arms
gathering round her in an embrace stronger,
it seemed, than death II was as if a giant
clasped her; she was like a willow wand, and
his were arms Of steel. Could such an en-
brace ever be unloosedl Yes; in a moment
she was standing alone on the floo-, he was
passing out of the room, she cast herself help
lessly on the sofa--and they were parted now.
All the time he had never spoken. But the
silence Of his farewell was more to her than
any language could have been. He could not
speak for grief. The intensity of his VOW
was beyonda all language. Sophia often looked
back with a sort Of sorrowful pride to that
silent farewell.