Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-10


me twice IN this way y
Some instinct, or some feeling
which she could not define or re-
sist, led her to the window. She
glanced out, and as she did So
caught sight of a man hurryine
through the gloomy archway op
posite with a slight girllsh figure
at his side.
1t was Lancelot Wynne.
Fired with hot indignation
Bertha Weaver sat down to he;
desk and wrote a brief, naughty
note OF final dismissal to her lover
From that moment she saw him
no more
A year passed by, and Bertha
Weaver was sitting, pale and ab
stracted, on the Esplanade at East
bourne, when a low, earnest voice
accostcd her.
"Bertha ~
She started as if a voice from the
tomb had struck upon her ear
Lancelot Wynne was standing at
her side, very white, with COM
pressed lips, and stern, reprOach.
ful eyes.
"Do not rise, Bertha-do not
strive to avoid me-" he said, grave
". "I insist upon having au ex-
planatiOn - l consider IL due to
me. Why have you thus discarded
me without giving reason or ex-
cuse ? Why have you returned
my letters unopened? Why do
shun me so persistently ? Bertha,
I demand a reason -
"Resson " she repeated bitterly.
"Well, since you insist that l shall
express IN words what your own
conscience must long since told
you, l simply ask you whether
your fair friend of the arcbway
still preserves her high place in
your regard 7"
Her lip curled haughtily, and a
scOrnful look shOne IN her brown
eyes.
"Of the archway?' he exclaimed
growing paler as he listened
"Bertha - Bertha Weaver lis il
possible that you saw me enter thai
place had hoped, ! had be
lieved, that no mortal eye wal
upon me them
81 suppose So" she rejOined cold
ly. at IS unfortunate that / shoult
chance TO be the one who was the
witness to your guilty secret"
"My secret, Bertha !" he ex
claimed, passionately. 81 had in
tended never to have breathed thi
to living soul, but your SCOTT
wrings it from me. 1t was you
secret--or rather your brothers.
Bertha listened, apparently de
prived OF speech, while the bloc,
grew chill around her heart.
"You did not know, Bertha, an
could not tell you, that Richard
sick with the longing to visit hi
native land once more, had rashl
ventured here with his young wifi
He was recognized in the street b
one who had vowed never to Civ
up pursuing him until be wa
lodged in pr son. In this enc
gency your brother came to mi
| contrived TO secret them both tC
day or two in the old RUNE
building behind the archway. U
the evening when We we're to 20 I
the opera, | received a telegral
that the ship on which / had Ell
gagged passage for them under
felgned name, was to sail a da
earlier than we expected. Richar
dared not leave his hiding plac'
and Feiice, under my escort, mad
all the hurried preparations.
went with them and saw them o
with what a thankful heart
need not say. Afterwards, whe
l returned to tell you what befoI
| had not dared to breathe, lear
ed that you had left town, an
then received your cruel nOte.-
Bertha, was this kind - was
Just 7"
She bowed her head penltentl
"Oh, forgive me, Lancelot
never even dreamed of this.
fancied-I believed"
"In short, Bertha" he smile
"yOu were a little jealous. Are '
friends once more ?"
Her happy tears answered BIZ
Just one month afterwards th
were married, and Bertha h
never distrusted her husbal
, since. philadelphia Saturday Er'
ing Post.