Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1889-06-20
LOVES VICTORY:
Or. the Fortunes Of Il Frivolous
Girl.

1t was the strangest engagement IN
the world, so every one thought around
town, when such IN arrant Alrt as Belle
Brandon became engaged to quiet, or
derby young lawyer like BERTHE Moore.
He was so staid and quiet that the
gossip had long ago decided that he
should wed the minister's daughter,
Miss Traxley, who visited the poor and
spent most of her time making petit
coats for women or writing juvenile
tracts.
No one was at all surprised that this
i'll assorted couple should quarrel and
part just in the manner all the wiseacres
said they would do. What did sur
prise the gossips was the change in Belle
after the engagement was broken. She
gave up all frivolous amusements, made
friends with the minister's daughter
and led most sedate and order y exist
ence.
The fact that Belle was just begin
ming to find out that she thought good
deal more of the man she had parted
from than she had imagined. She was
beginning to know what love meant.
Meantime BERTHE Moore worked hard
at his profession, which he said to HIM
self was his only object now, and meyer
so much as looked at another girl, not
even at the excellent and uncomely
Miss TraxleY.
Belle is so low spirited. Make her
90 down to Uncle Carver's. They al
ways have plenty of fun going on there
and it Will cheer her up So advised
Bellies grandmother, little guessing
what she was advising or how the visit
would end. AndBelle caught at the idea
of a Journey, and went off on the express
train with her Old Man Of the Sea. A
few hours after, terrible rumors swept
through the town-rumors that all too
soon became certainties. The express
had collidpd with another five passen-
gers were killed and twenty wounded.
The engineer had met the usual fate
One conductor lay silent beside his side,
another had lost an arm.
Names followed that terrible list Of
killed and wounded. Belle Brandon S
was among them. She was brought
home Just breathing and no more, but
she was young and utterly healthy. BY
and by they knew that she would live.
Soon the worst fears were over; the
scars vanished from her round white
arms, and she was able to sit up again.
But how her mother cried when that
delicate, polished crutch was brought
home Her pretty Belle-hcr Belle,
who danced so beautifully, who walked
so daintily-was that for her? 1t was
to true, and the surgeon gave no hope
that she would ever cease to need it.
Six months after the accident Belle
went out alone for the first time. She
h ad promised Miss Traxley to attend Il
certain afternoon service. and she took
her way along the quietest paths, dread
ing to meet any one. 1t was such a
change, such humiliation, this slow
progress, and Belle had no idea how
pretty she was still.
Halfway to the church, in the mid
die of the tiny bridge that crossed the
mill stream she paused to rest, and act
ualIy thought that she should like to
end all her troubles in the broad, calm
mill pond was in her mind. The tears
rose to her eyes, she crushed them back
but they fell upon her heart. Must
life all be like this p she sud. 'All like
this to the bitter end :?
The words did not pass her lips, but
they were so close to them that it al
most seemed us though she had spoken
and the color rose to her cheeks It's she
heard the sound Of Il man S feet crossing
the bridge. She stood still, poor child
looking into the water. that .hls strang-
er might 90 by without seeing her face,
But he did not 60 on. lie paused-ap-
preaching her. His hand resting on
the railing of the little bridge, his head
bent low. He spoke, and what he said
was: Belle, my darling! And Belle
knew without looking up that it was
Bertje Moore.
They We're ali alone. The mill stream
dubbed below =; the great, CLASSY mill
pond reflected the red mill, the long,
blue flags that grew near ITS margin and
the brown klne grazing hard by birds
sang in the nearest tree one came and
pe:ched upon the feaee and looked at
them with its head on one side. And
there, under the sweet SUNNI, n sky,
Berthe Moore took his llttle hurt dar
ln,r 10 IL, Lra,ct and l., c.1 bor ,u :,