Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-02

 among whom her exquisite beauty and her incomprehensible avoidance of the young baronet were prolific themes ot wonder and discussion, and among whom her gentle, courteous sympathy was given in just the way they liked best.
 "Am in time with letter ?" she asked, feeling in her pocket slowly, and looking around her with strange eagerness literally burning in her dark eyes.
 eff the bag had been sealed, Miss Chester" said the woman, as she brought forward chair, cit should a ben in time for you. I'd undo it myself if the master 'adn't adone it.
 "Thank you" replied Lina-"thank you very much but I'm glad not to already sorting, see, <" she added, glanc- ing with painful intentness at the letters which the old man had been dividing by the light of the candle on table under the window"
 "Yes, miss and I'll sit down again, if you'll excuse me, he answered, push ing his spectacles down to their place on his broad nose. "I've only Ave minutes more."
 "Go on-please go on," entreated Lima, quickly, "while I sit and rest for few minutes, as-as don't feel very we'll. Here's my letter" It was a commonplace-loo looking letter enough, addressed to Miss McMullen, No. Conduit street, London but yet the hand which laid it on the table trem. bled so that the fingers could not be trusted to place it on any certain heap; and the voice which said, (Which are the Lon- don letters?" was but 6 weak and un. steady whisper.
 "Here, miss. Thank you. Them's tine London letters, but I s'pects I've more here."
 And Lima, watching breathlessly and with throb of pain as each letter was read by the poor light, could yet join in the running conversation which the old woman required all the time.
 Miss Chester Good mercy me, Miss Chester what's the matterT
 "Tm faint" gasped Lira, pushing with both hands the thick, dark hair from her temples, and raising pair of wide, wild eyes to the woman's face "I'm faint. Can you-can you-get me little brandyp Quick. please"
 "Go, go l" cried the woman, shaking by the shoulders the poor old man, who sat by the table, alarmed and bewildered. "Go into the public and get it. We can settle for it after, only be quick. Oh, Miss Chester what shall we do You must be so awful ill"
 "Is he gone?" asked Lima, still gaz- ing at the woman, as if her sight was de- serting her. Is he gonep Will he be long?"
 old woman said, soothingly, longing to put her pitiful arms around the slight, dropping form.
 "Will he be quick?
 "Yes, he'll be quick, my dear. He is sure to be quick" she said, coming lit tie nearer, in her great pity, and slipping one arm around the girls shoulder to support her.
 "You are very good, whispered Lima, still with the miserable bewilderment in her eyes, livery good; but would you be kinder still? Would you go and hasten him They will keep him. Oh, do go and hasten himl"
 1T don't like to leave you" said the woman, softly, while her eyes filled.
 "Please go 1" cried the girl, in in tense eagerness, clasping her hand un consciously.
 And the old post-mistress, unable tc meet the entreating gaze of Lina's eyet 80 unnaturally big and dark to-nigh in the white face-turned away at once
 "I'n go, my dear," she said, comfort ingly; 1T won't be minute"
 Slowly Lima Chester rose when sh
 was left alone, trembling in every limb and supporting herself by the table
 One hand, shaking helplessly, moved tn
 top letter from one of the heaps, ant
 took away one that lay next below it replacing them all evenly without this
 More and more the slight white fin r gers trembled as she put this letter int , her pocket; and the face, white an , scared and guilty, that met her in tn } common glass that hung beside the win
 dow made her start back as if bloV had struck her.
 . "I am i'll" she murmured to herself ] speaking in that tone of self-pity an
 self-vindication which only the utterl , desolate ever use " wish-oh, how . wish that was all p
 They came in then with the brandy i l tumbler, and Lina-instinotively re 3 coiling from it-had yet to sip it whil - they stood and watched watched her 6 ! if they feared that when she put th
 glass down she would fall. :, In quiet, broken tones she thanke @ them but, when she turned to leav' @ the good old woman followed her oI : HUG GHe OhIA AlGbIe StAIuon dAO VOOA IN 0 hand to link within her sturdy arm. '- "In not leave you, miss, I couldn't
 so please don't say it. ," ,, So they walked from the village t l gether in the darkness, and in fe }, minutes the mail-cart rattled alOng u 't road behind them and the bag was p1
 in.
 Ie In the light of the lamps at the pa A0 catas Lima stood to thank and disni "a the old postmistress. Then, her st, S still weak and slow, she passed aga at along the silent avenue. But, instead os entering the house, she hurried on aero VA the wide, still park, and came out in h the dense darkness, among the elms .s Neither Lane.
 - CHAPTER XIII. ss Fitz Spendir, stopping over his wo pr at the cottage window that evenin l ukorNvoaI hio oIaar xyl.SSklspnr