Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1888-09-29

certain sweet excitement that affected him
as be rose to his feet, much less the cause of
1t; and he laid it to ordinary masculine van
ity that he paused moment before mirror
before he went out. D. r
1t was not the same face he used to see in
the glass. His black moustache had crown
heavy and completely hid bis rather unar-
tistic upper lip, but it was not that had
changed him so much. His forehead had
some new lines in it and there was, somehow,
a tir1ner look about the corners Of his mouth;
the youth and freshness that had lasted for
twenty-six summers had given place on the
twenty-seventh. There was self poise and
suggestion of reserved force in him now that
stood for some very rapid development of
character 80
As Philipwent up the hill, his quick eyes
caught a glimpse of woman's dress by Mr..
ElIingSworJh'S gate, and in few steps more
he could see it was the shade of blue Bertha
loved. Why might it not be Bertha, why
not, except that he was so eager it should
beF tie hurried as much as lie dared-how
strongly his heart wss beating She might
turn any moment and so into the house. He
tried to think of what he could say to her if
it was she.
Yes, it was Bertha. Her face was turned
away, showing him only the perfect Greek
profile and the uncovered coils of her wonder
full golden hair. Her hand rested on the gate
as she looked Off on the hills. How grand her
thoughts must be to harmoniHe with the su-
perb dignity Of her face Philip felt guilty
at disturbing her, but it had been so long.
He came quite near SO near that The mag
netic thrill of her presence touched him more
deeply, more tenderly, he thought, than of
old, but she had not turned. He saw the path
of careworn lines across her forehead that
had been as smooth as marble. There was a
faded look on her cheeks, less full than they
used to be, and tEeir exquisite color less
evenly spread. Her hand was whittier and
showed its blue veins almost painfully His
heart ached over her, his proud Bertha. Why
could not God have spared her!s He would
rather have died and saved her the care and
suffering that had stricken her loveliness
Then she turned at the sound of footsteps,
and great wave of tenderness swept over
his soul He looked at her so eagerly, so
gently that it seemed her face might soften
little, but it did not, nor was there any mark
of startled surprise at his coming SO suddenly
upon her.
at is you PhilipTr Even her voice was
changed, there was q new hardness in it. She
reached out her cold white hand to him.
For moment he did not speak. 1t seemed
as if his heart would break, there was such
stress upon it, And then he was afraid she
might be ashamed before him, ashamed of
the terrible injustice she had done him,
ashamed of the blot that had touched her
name. BIT whatever she might have felt,
there was no sign of any emotion on her i'm
passive face.
''And you are the mill owner now," she
said. Glow odd it seems" She smiled
graciously, but still he could not speak He
could only look down at the thin, blue
veined hand he held, and keep back the sob
that trembled on his lips for his lost love-
And that smile and such words as those
were all she had for him at last He had to
look away for strength to speak. He must
think of some commonplace that would not
startle her repose All! there was the door
way where she had given hila the first ardent
caress of his life the last time he had talked
with her, the night she forsook him. Did
she remember, he wondered2 He looked
buck at the cold, beautiful eyes, and the
amused smile yet fingered on her lips.
"Yes, it does seem very odd"