The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-10-24
CHAPTER II.

In the fair April sunshine Gladys had
wandered across the fell and thrown
herself on the short green grass and soft
moses which clothed disused part OF
the quarry, in another portion of which
Jim occasionally worked.
1t was in this quarry that the elder
Dodd had met his death, but this had
been before the girl came to the neigh
borhood, and the place had for her nc
painful associations.
1t was pretty little sheltered nook
she had chosen, the cliff left by the
wrought-out stone rising sheer above il
for several feet, till of the top a mass OF
furze and broom encircled an over hang
ing boulder.
The larks were singing overhead right
gladsomely, the sky was blue, specked
| by clouds of purest white, while spring
magic touch was wakening into vivid
green even the barren vegetation Of the
bloom lit up the fufze here and there
like specks OF light.
Life was good and the girl threw aside
her hat and let the fresh wind play with
the tangled little curls about her fore
head, and brighter light came into her
eyes, and deeper rose bloomed on her
cheek, for hope was VIII hisperiDg in her
ear as she heard mans footstep In the
path, and saw Robert drawing near.
Youth and love and the sweet spring
time are potent forces, and the hour had
come when the young probationer could
no longer resist their will.
He threw himself on the word by the
girls side and drew her near him. Few
though his caresses had been, the love
between the two had been recognized 50
long that even now he scarcely put it
into words, and Gladys did not need
them. All the best and noblest and
sweetest within her spraDg to life, and
she leaned her bonny head on his
shoulder, and stole her little sun-browned
hand into his.
With all her love to him she felt she
had never known her lover till that hour.
Nature had conquered his rigid theology
and the tender heart Of the student was
sweet as that OF little child.
Instead of the awful denunciations, he
was wont to pur out against the wicked
in his pulpit deliverancc, his soul seemed
full of deep, wistful yearning over
every human creature the big world
through, and his eyes grew moist and
his voice husky, as he spoke of his own
brother Jim and his growing reckless
ness.
How it touched the girl, this new ten.
derness, and made her feel righteousness
a beautiful, lovable thing after all A
little nearer she crept to him and raised
her sweet face to his, innocently as a
child might have done pleading for par
don.
"Oh, Robert dear, l will try to be good
now" she whispered, and his arms
closed round her, as he kissed and kissed
again the lovely, trembling lips that
were not withdrawn from his own.
What was it that made the girl con-
scious of some jarring lnfuence-made
her lose herself hastily, as she started to
her feet Looking upward. she saw u
face working in convulsive passion, and
strong familiar hands that tore at the
earth and furze by the brink.
For brief second she stood stricken
dumb and panalyze with horror, then
she threw up her hands, and a piercing
cry rose to Heaven, clashing discord on
the lark's glad Iong with which the air
was full.
"Oh, God God my Robert, my
Robert"
A crash, a rush OF stone and binding
dust, a moan or two of pain, and Gladys
with all the strength that frenzy gives,
was trying to lift the heavy boulder that
lay on her lovers breast. Vainly ,vainly
did she try, while a miserable, terror
stricken wretch stood looking on his own
work in awe-ptricken helplessness, only
half-sobered yet by the horror he had
wrought.