Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-11-12

her and spoke.
..Senor Derwent,7 she exclaimed with
a start II did not know that you were
here"
"Could | be in better placer" he
asked, in voice that trembled little
from emotion. Il came here to thank
God for my escape from sudden and
violent death. And, having thanked
God, senorita. will You now let me thank
yous Thank youl All, what word
that is to express such adebt. If could
only utter what l feel-if there were
only words in which might venture to
utter itt'
She lifted one hand with slight, 81
lencing gesture as she turned her face
toward him. There was still light
enough from the blue sky overarching
the court to show him that it looked like
a pale, beautiful cameo in the setting of
the soft, black drapery of China Grape
which surrounded it. Yet, beautiful as
it looked. Derwent was almost shocked
to see what change the last few hours
had wrought. 1t was not only the pal
Tor Of the skin and the purple shadows
under the eyes-those shadows which
come so quickly in sensitive organizs-
ton from Illness OF mental pain-but
the very features looked chiseled and at
tenuated, as if BY suffering.
''Do not thank me. senor,H she said,
with grave gentleness. "Thank God if
you win, and as you truly should, thatI
was there in time. But how could |
have helped doing what did? 1t was
no merit ON my part. / saw and fired.
The two things were simultaneous.
There was not an instant to be lost.
stepped down upon that path-ah, how
lightly how unconsciously!-and some
instinct caused me to glance up at the
hillside. The rest was like fash of
! lightning- | saw the sunshine reflected
on the barrel of that gun, / saw the man
leaning over the rock and taking aim at
you SO iutently that he did not perceive
me. To see was TO act. | had still in
the pocket Of my habit the little pistol
we used yesterday, and do You think it
was an accident that had not taken off
that habit: felt one thrill of passionate
indignation as | saw You sitting so
quietly, so unsuspiciously and that cow
ard drawing his gun upon you behind
your back on the very soil of Mirafloresr'
he saw the fash that came into her
eyes at the recollection. Il fired, and I
was glad TO see him drop Yes; could
not have believed it'll had been told Of
it beforehand. but | was gladl The Lor-
ror Of what had been forced to do did
not come over me until | saw the poor
creature bleeding to death. Then-oh,
then it was awful. / do not think l
can ever forget the sight.H
AS she lifted one hand, with an invol-
untary gesture, to her eyes, as if to shut
ont the memory, he took the other and
kissed 1.-THE hand that had saved his
life-so gently and so reverently that it
was like offering homage.
what can say" he exclaimed 'sTo
spare You such pain would have done
anything. Wonld to God l had never
come to Mirafores, since my coming
was to cost You what you have suffered
todayg'
She withdrew her hand and looked at
him with very sweet and pathetic re-
gard. You must not think that" she
said. Il should be very sorry if you be-
lieved that | regretted it. How could
that I've possibles 1t was great priv
lege to be allowed to interpose to save
the innocent from the guilty. But that
| am little unnerved is surely natural
The peril was so awfully near. In an
other instant it would have been yod
who lay bleeding, dying, before me.
The piteous sight IF the other helps me
to realize that And then. while l thank
God that 1t was spared, the picture of
the poor wretch yonder in the hospital
comes before me. and | shudder at the
thought that he is suffering. that he will
die from wound inflicted by my hand
He saw that she was indeed thorough
ly unnerved. Something in the tragedy
had certainly stirred her nature to its
depths. The fire that he had suspected
was there; he had seen it blazing in her
eyes as she stood with the uplifted
weapon that had struck the destroyer
down, but how soon it was quenched by
gentlest pity and divinist compassion!
His heart melted within him in the stress
of his love and sylnpathy.s Yet what
could he say or do? Never had he felt
more keenly how wide were the barriers
between them than as they stood alone
together in the soft twilight and the
cloistral quiet
Il feel for you more than can or
dare express" he said Il understand
what a shock it is to have had such a
necessity laid upon you. and to have
seen the result with your own eyes. It
is vain to repeat that would have done
anything anything whatever-to spare
You. But we We're both powerless: it
was the work of fate
NO" she interposed, lit was the
mercy of God that sent me there and
placed the duty before me. That being
20. what reason have for regret None;
believe me, none. If shndder at the
of what | have seen, am never
theless very grateful-grateful beyond