Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-05
her old doubts returning with added

her old doubts returning with added
force.
Agatha, however, understood the stu
alton, and sought to make the most Of it
by cultivating Mr.. John Baird, as she
affected to believe him. In this she
made but little Roadway. Meanwhile, it
became notorious through the hotel that
Mr.. tom" Baird had rambled away to
a village down the river, and had thence
gone to the city, ~telegraphing for his
valise Some credible people had seen
the dispatch, and it was quite as well
known that O valise had been sent to Mr..
Tom Baird at his city address. These
little incidents, though perhaps not en-
tirely convincing, at least gave Kate and
Milly IN excuse for treating Tom courte-
ously-a liberation of which he made the
most, e~ndeavoring, by every attention,
to reinstate himself in their good graces.
The fact is, Tom was desperately, hope
lessly in love with Kate; and she was so
far interested as to remark, without
seeming offended, several little inconsist-
encies in his story.
II observe, Mr.. Baird, said she, that
your friends, when speaking in haste,
are quite as apt to call you Tom as John.
Doubtless they confound you with your
unfortunate brother. You must be very
like"
Thereupon Tom makes some incoherent
answer or observation in a panied, re-
proachful way, and changes the subject.
At length there was a revelation which
Kate could not overlook if she desired to;
for Agatha, jealous that her arts were
vain, and hat Tom should be monopo-
Lied by her rival, at last said: ''How
long, Kate, are you going to keep up
that stupid farce9 Why, l knew all the
time how it was, even on the boat;
Harry Bishop told me. Deaf and dumb,
indeed!-Tom Baird deaf! What a joke
l presume, however, you regret that he
is not"
''And you knew and did not tell us!"
said Kate. slowly, and with deliberate
scorn. ''You teach me the value of your
friendship, Miss Vine; you knowingly
witness mistake in order to further
your own selfish ends"
She turned away proudly, passed down
the long porch and slowly away through
q winding forest path. Her self control
was superb. Yet at last, when far from
the beaten track, in the heart of the
woods, she seated herself on a rock,
buried her face in her hands and shook
with sobs which she could no longer re-
press-sobs born of bitter modification
at her mistake and the notoriety which
1t must soon obtain. Suddenly her name
was spoken, and Tom stood before her.
She sprang to her feet, her eyes blazing
with fire, her face queenly in its scorn.
"How dare you, sir, intrude again
upon mel Again dishonorably, like a
spyT
Miss Norman" said he, with a quiet
earnestness which commanded her atten-
ton, Il stand on the brink of q cliff; it
is perhaps a hundred feet down to the
rocks below. A few words l must say
to you, and then, unless I have won your
full forgiveness, I will swear an OATH
and he spoke with dramatic intensity
''to throw myself down this precipice as
some poor atonement, the only repara-
ton left me, for my folly and for your
tears"
What woman could be insensible to SO
much earnestness? What woman that
loved2 What woman could ask q man
to jump a hundred feet down on Jagged
rocls2 A handsome man, a man with a
million-a man who, as he told her,
loved only her, and offered to prove it by
jumping any time she gave the signal.
As, at last, they walked home arm in
arm along the Swallowed, sinuous path,
she said: tom, how dared you swear
you would jump if ! didn't forgive youi
Would you have really jumped91
'+Oh, that's a leading question, my
love-" was the reply. II probably should
have jumped, for 1 felt Thoroughly
wretched at the time, and hated myself
for having caused you such pain. Then,
too, my dear, you may also bear in mind
that / did not really swear I'd jump. ]
said in effect that l would swear, which
Is quite a different thing. Again, my
dear Kate, the cliff is not quite as high
as ! stated in my excitement"
You said one hundred feet, Tom
one hundred feet to the rocks below"
'+Oh, did II Well, SO it doubtless is
my dear; one hundred feet to some o.
the lower strata, perhaps-not to the up
per ones, however. One more kiss
Kate, just one; that Is really the las
chance. Around the bend We will be il
plain sight of the hoteL"-M. NJ. Cass
Jr., In Frank Leslie's.