The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-02-13


divided by u tangled mass of wild
gIape-vines festooned from the slender
branches of few silver birchcs--two
other persons-Paul Fordham and
Laidec Raymond.
The Color died away from Bertha's
somewhat flushed cheek, rs she paused
TO listen; rs they, too, had paused
where two roads separated.
I'VE must not walk any farther to
gcther," said Paul's voice. Nobody
Is to suspect anything yet, you know
We will surprise them"
tating laugh.
1T seems like dream, Mr. Ford
ham"
But you will find it, hope, a happy
reality" he said, looking tenderly down
upon her bowed head. you do not
regret trusting in me?
ooh !" she murmured, II never
dreamed that earth had so much happi-
ness in store for me yet And owe it
oil you
And then Bertha could hear his foot
steps dying away in the distance; she
could see Mrs. Raymond standing mo-
tionless for moment, with her tiny
hands clasped, and then gliding softly
on, her scarlet scarf glimmerin & through
the dusk like the wings of Ceylon
bird.
-"Falsei faithlessp niuttercd Bertha,
under her breath, with her white teeth
set closely together. And she! how
dare she?"
The storm OF hot, unreasoning fury
that ragged in her breast seemed TO shake
her slight frame as leaf is shaken be-
fore the equinoctial gale; her face was
whittier than monumental marble, and
her eyes literally blazed with blue, bale
full fire. At that instant there was muir
der in Bertha Wyman's heart.
She hurried down the twilight glade,
the thorns tearing her dress, the briers
wounding her delicate flesh, but she felt
them no more than II they had been
rose petals blown toward her by the
evening breeze Some strong, savage
purpose was maturing in her mind
some oyermastering passion held her
whole being in its grasp.
She knew that to strike into the right
road Zaidee would ere long take the Sc
cluded path she herself was treading.
Her sole aim was to reach the tiny foot
uiiuSc WhUhfeiosScu the haiioN iNei
first.
And she. succeeded. II was quite
dark-the fragrant, starry darkness of
q midsummer night-when she hurried
down the deep, shelving bank.
"The planks are old and ruinous,"
she murmured. "They shook and
ratified under my feet as passed over
to-day. Zaidee Raymond shall come
between me and my plighted lover no
more"
As she crossed she deliberately
stopped, tearing up plank after plank
behind her, and throwing them into the
river with dull, splashing sound.
They were not large, but had they been
twice, nay, three times their size, Bertha
Wyman would have torn them away
from the Wondering beams, so super
natural seemed her strength in that
instant.
There" she said, half aloud, paus-
ing to look down into the peaceful
stream where the planks fioated amid
| the faint reflection of innumerable stars.
Long ago, when was child, man
| was drowned here. The water is deep,
and the spot is very lonely"
The next moment she was gone, hur-
rying madly away, as If some unseen
presence were following close upon her
footsteps.
you're late tonight, Berthay'
Paul was looking out for her from
the piazza steps and came pleasantly to
meet her. E.SS.s {SS,s
hair away from her forehead, where the
,,al1 49,. .,xI - la ,a lx,x
way from Redcote farm, and IL did
not walk very fast"
Come and sit by me, Bertha, I"
said Paul; Eve got a long story to tell
you"
what is it2" she asked, mechani-
cally.
tits about little Zaidee Raymond.
She's not a widow, after ALL
mot widow
mo; and how do you suppose l
found 1t out2 Clifford, my cousin Cliff,
ford, wrote to me from India, and he is
her husband You sec, there was some
misunderstanding. some absurd quarrel
between them before the honeymoon
was over. He was jealous fool, and
she was passionate, and she ran away
and left him. He somehow heard that
she was in this portion of the country
and wrote to me. OF course the minute
got chance to speak to her knew II
was Zaidee.' And she is the happiest
little creature in the world to think he
really loves her, and next week she S
going out to him. I've managed 1t oil.
Don't you think I'm pretty good
diplomatist?'
His face was fairly radiant with hon
est pleasure as he fooked down into
Bertha's face. She did not see the gaze;
her eyes, wide open and dilated, were
fixed ON vacancy and her face was
deadly white,
Merciful God Of heavenl What had
she done, in the wild unreasoning mad
ness of her jealousyl Was she muir
deress2 Was the blot of Cain upon her
brow2
Alas! for the wild remorse that
gnawed at her heart all the slow, creep
ing hours of that dreadful night. Had
the wealth. of hundred worlds been
hers, she would have cheerfully given
it all to undo the work of those few
maniac minutes on the lonely bridge
Nay, she would have died herself, in
all the bloom of life and hope and
beauty, to wipe out that brief half
hour Of her life, -
When she rose the next morning she
looked as If an illness of months had
passed over her head
"lIow i'll you look, dear" said her
aunt, "Pm afraid that walk was too
much for you yesterday, And it's 50
strange that Zaidee did not come home
last night"
"Strangel" AS Bertha closed hel
heavy eyes she almost seemed to see the
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