Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-19

xmIf conditions. They will not thrive beneath
the gloom and shadow Of pail, and when
the heart is dead no triumphs. however SPLEEN
did. aua 40 reward. however great, can com
pensate for the utter and irredeemable loss.
She never guessed, poor girl. that time upon
time. in the long years TO be, Geoffrey would
gladly have laid his honors down In payment
for one month of her dear and unforgotten
presence She was too unselfish; she did not
think that man could thus prize woman's
love and took il for an axiom that TO succeed
in life Was his one real object-a thing to
which so divine gift as she had given GeoH-
rev is as nothing. 1t was before this Jugger-
naut OF her lovers career that Beatrice would
cast down her life. little knowing tSat there
by she must turn the success, which ne al
ready held 50 cheap, TO bitterness and ashes
At Chester Beatrice got out of the train and
posted her letter TO Godfrey. She would not
do so before because il might have reached
him too soon-before all was finished Now
it would be delivered TO him in the house
after everything had been accomplished IN its
order She looked at the letter; it was, she
thought, the last token that could ever pass
between them on this earth. Once she pressed
il TO her heart-once she touched it with her
lips. and then put it from her beyond recall.
1t was done there was no going back now.
And even as she stood the postman came up,
whsting, and, opening the box, carelessly
swept its contents into his canvas bag. Could
have known what lay among them he would
have whistled no more that day.
She continued her journey and by 3o'clock
arrived safely at the little station next &c
Bryngelly. There was a fair at Coed that
day, and many people of the peasant class got
in here. Amid the confusion she gave up hei
ticket to a small boy who was looking the
other way at the time and escaped without
being noticed by soul. Indeed, things SC
happened that nobody in the neighborhood OF
Bryngelly ever knew that Beatrice had been
TO London and back upon those dreadful days.
Beatrice walked along the cliff, and in an
hour was at the door of the vicarage, from
which she seemed to have been away foi
years She unlocked il and entered. In the
letter box was a post card from her father
stating that he and Elizabeth had changed
their plans, and would not be back till the
train which arrived at half past on the fol
lowing morning. So much the better, sh,
thought. Then she disarranged the clothes
upon her bed. to make il seem as though il
had been slept in, lighted the kitchen fire
and put the kettle on TO hoil, aud soon as il
was ready She took some God. She wanted
all her nerve, and that could not be kept uI
without food.
Shortly after this the girl Betty returned
aud went about her duties in the house quite
unconscious that Beatrice had been away
from it for the whole night. Her sister was
much better, she said in answer to Beatricet
inquiries.
When she had eaten what she could-it was
not much-Beatrice went TO her ROOM un'
dressed herself, bathed and put on clean,
fresh things Then she unbound her lovely
hair, and did it W in acoronet upon her head.
it was fashion that she did not often adopt,
because IL took too much time bur on this
day, OF all days, She had strange fancy &c
look her best. Also, her hair had been done
like thiso on the afternoon when Godfrey first
met her Next she once more put on the
gray dress which she had worn on her jour
ney to London, and taking the silver Roman
ring that Godfrey had given her from the
string by which she wore it about her neck,
placed il on the third finger of her left hand.
All this being done, Beatrice visited the
kitchen and ordered the supper. She went
further in her innocent ca ming. Betty asked
her what she would like for breakfast. and
she told her to cook some bacon, and to be
careful how she cut it, as she did not like
thick bacon Then, after ne long, last look
at the vicarage. she starte for the lodging OF
the head teacher Of the school, and, having
found her. inquired as to the days work