Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-07-23
SEQUEL.


THE CHARACTERS BEGIN To DISAPPEAR.
! am beginning to regret that | did not
call this a Circular Novel; which, beside
being "A title that might have raised public
curiosity immensely, would have pointed to
one of the most remarkable features of the
production. For the mathematical reader
will know that it is the property of a circle
no matter bow vast il be-that if YOU pursue
its circumference patiently YOU must at last
reach the very point from which you start
So here, reader, have YOU and | been com
panionS now for six months, and on the best
of terms, trudging without a murmur the
round of this novel, and now June finds us
in that very dining room, with its mingling
lights, from which at first we started. For
the dining room was Egerton Doolittle's. and
among the company were not Sophia only
but her husband Percival Brent. And now
let us ascend to the drawing room and reioin
the ladies, and with the evening our novel,
too, shall close
One ponderous figure we miss. Archibald
Goldmore no longer moves in the Kettlewel
society Fifteen long years ago that leviathan
paid the great debt of nature. The grand re-
serve which had hung around him all his life
long was never, even to the last, rutiied by
one fold. Responsible he was, just, good, in
his own way; but Syhil never got very near
to him The pair had not quarrel in their
lives; partly because she stood in awe of him.
partly because he never medded with her
partly because each was impassive and cold
partly because they never loved each other.
Love, my reader, is grand ingredient in quar-
rels. The husband and wife walked apart
through life, and never exchanged one cordial
confidence Even when Goldmore was seized
with what he felt sure was to he his mortal
illness he did not communicate his foreboding
to Sybil. This was not because he feared
frightening her, but only from his way of
keeping things to himself Before long, how
ever concealment became impossible The
doctor entered the house: the end was in
view.
"Sibyl,' the old man said one day, when he
was rather better than usual, II wish to say
word to you" He drew himself up little.
with "A faint remembrance in his air of his
famous testimonial style "You have been to
me IA loving and an honorable wife. When
die you will find that | have recognized all
that You will not be hampered by any
foolish restrictions | desire to return YOU
my thanks'-as if he had been speaking at a
public dmner-"for your unvarying consider
alton and attention to all my Wishes
He paused, and she stood beside him and
did not speak, nor show any sign of feeling
She only regarded him fixedly; and he, after
waiting to gather little strength, added in
the simplest way:
God bless you, my dear, and watch over
you when am gone"
And then, although her face moved not n
whit, he saw one tear come out and stand ON
her eyclash and roll down her check 1t was
| the only tear he had ever seen her shed Per
haps from her it siEniied more than floods Of
weeping from an ordinary woman 1t was
! sincere, anyhow, not assumed; and Goldmore
! knew it. and the sight comforted him before
! he died
Liberty and fortune ne certainly left her:
and at the time of his death Sibyl was in the
| very height of matronly beauty Her figure
was full and rounded, her hair as fresh as
when she was twenty, and her movements
fun Of grace and dignity She was by no
mems young; but hers was style of lcautv
| which Time finds il hard to destroy, and we
| al! expected HAT she would have married
| again. This expectation was the NOR, reason
able because ,he maintained her more Youth
| full habits But five years went by. ton.
! fifteen, and still Sbyl Gollmore did not
chnn0e her name. And now there appcarcd
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