St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-06

ana mangled mass, came over her. fresh
IS ever, though some years had passed
nince that terrible sorrow.
1--WE are in good hands, mother, let
the omens say what they like, mur-
INJURED Robert very softly, turning once
more to his books, while Jim shrugged
+ his shoulders alike at his mothers
superstition and his brothers words,
and Gladys silently departed to her own
little room.
A strange, nervous awe oppressed
her, vet wild eXultatiOn mingled with
1t. Now she was quite, quite sure
Robert loved her: what did anything
else matter in all the wide world? And
long after. all the house was still, in
waking dreams her heart beat fast in
time to loves old happy tune.
CHAPTER III.
In the fair April sunshine Gladys had
wandered across the fell and thrown
herself OH the short green grass ami 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
DUIHuou, ana tue place Hau 1OE Her no
painful associations.
1t was pretty little sheltered nook
she had chosen. the cliff left by the
wrought-out stone rising sheer above it
fer several feet, till at the top mass of
furZe and broom encircled an oYerhahg-
ing boulder.
The larkS were singing overhead right
gladSomely, the sky was blue, specked
by clouds ofpurest white. while springs
magic touch was Weakening into vivid
green the barren vegetation of the fell,
and bits of golden, almond-scented
bloom lit up the furze here and there
like speckS of light.
Life was good, and the girl threw
aside her hat and let the fresh, sweet
wind play with the tangled little curls
about her forehead. and brighter light
came into her eyes, and deeper rose
bloOmed on her check, for hope was
whispering 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 prOUationer could no longer re-
SiSt their will.
He threw himself on the sWard by the
girls side and drew her near him. Few
though his caresses had been, the love
between the two had been recognized so
long that eYeh now he scarcely put it
them. All the best and nob!est and
sweetest within her sprang to life,
and she leaned her bonny head on his
shoulder, and stole her little sun
Drowned 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 pour out against the
wicked in his pulpit deliyerances, 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 grow
ing recklesSness.
How it touched the girl this new ten
derness, and made her feel righteous
ness beautiful, lovable thing after all!
A little nearer she crept to him and
raised her sweet face to his, innocently
as child might have done pleading for
pardon.
"Oh, Robert dear, 1 will try to be
good now" she whispered, and his
arms closed round her as he kisse and
kissed the lovely trembling lips that
were not withdrawn from his own.
What was it that made the girl con-
scious of some Earring influence
her loose herself hastily as she started
to her feet? Looking upward she saw
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
dunno and paralyzed with horror, then
she threw up her hands, and piercing
cry rose to heaven, cIashing diseord on
the lark's glad song with which the air
was full.
ooh, God! God! My Robert. my
Robert
A crash, arush of stone and binding
dust, 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 iii awe-stricken helpless
ness, only half-sobered yet by the hor-
rOr he had wrought,