Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-30


now, to your disgrace and my own ruin,
which love. Oh, don't be cruel, Theo,
for am going to my ruin, though he
has my heart. Forgive, if you can, the
most miserable creature upon earth"
An hour afterward Theo crept out of
his dishonored home into the holy calm
of sunset. The mighty storm which had
swept over him had left him broken, bag
gard and well nigh crushed. And that
storm was not yet over There was a
giant of murderous vengeance wrestling
in his meek heart for leave to wreck its
will on the vile thief who had stolen his
love, his honor, his home.
He stood on the bank of the pond, with
his hands clinched hard, and his blood
suffused eyes glazing up at the house on
the hill, where the smoke curled merrily
and oh! how the wish tore at him to go
up and cover that guilty hearth with
coward blood!
Harkl tiny voice calling out: "Oh.
hoI Missar Tho'pel l see 'oo!''
Little Maysie running down the slope
and across the plank which spans the
narrows in needless haste to reach one
who had ever been kind to her. A mis-
step, a scream, splash in the water, the
of two little hands for help.
Tom Winston's baby slowly whirling
down to death at the fume.
Tom Winston's baby! Talk of ven
geance-what more keen than this?
Theo stood transfxed, the veins knotted
on his brow, Satan mighty at his heart
to make him evermore Cain-heaven
battling for this wavering soul with
| Of, CT IF
Death or ife-which?
A smothered cry as the terrified little
one swept past him, her eyes starting
with alright, her baby face stricken and
pale, her innocent little hands thrown
up to him for life
Theo's self came back; with one bold
plunge he was at the throat of the heavy
waterfall before her, holding on fiercely
by the slippery log. and as she eddied
around before the death descent of
twenty feet to the fume he caught her,
with superhuman strength wrenched her
from the current and tossed her upon the
bank.
Then battling for dear life for full five
minutes, he got away at last, and clam
bered, bruised and beaten, up the bank
! to the child
She was senseless; perhaps, after all,
dead, and taking her to his desolate
home, he laid her ON his own bed and
rubbed her cold limbs. Pulling off her
dripping clothes he wrapped her in
Lucy's warm shawl, and at last the blue
eyes opened and Maysie smiled.
Then Theo fell on his knees and
thanked heaven for its great mercy in
saving her life and his soul
GLOW could | think to do it, baby?"
he gasped clutching her close to his
heart and gazing down into her wonder
ing eyes.
While he was drying the little ones
clothes and his own around the stove,
and with her on his knee was feeding
her with warm milk and bread awk-
wardly enough, but very lovingly, the
door opened and hasty feet crossed the
threshold
What was this?
''Theo!' sobbed Lucy, dropping at his
feet, selling his hand, kissing it, weep
ing over it, clutching it hungrily to her
bosom: ''take me back. I've come
come back to you! couldn't leave you
after thatl"
She pointed to the child with pas
sion of tears.
Lucy" faltered Theo, very pale, but
mild, ''have you repented of the evil you
would do?"
Eyes, yes, yes--a thousand times yes.
| know my heart now. 1t was my mis-
cradle vanity, but never love. Oh, my
own husband, forgive, forgive, and let
me be the meanest thing in your house.
"Tom| asked Theo, trembling SO much
that he had to hold Maysie with both
hands
He is in the. porch" whispered the
frail wife, hiding her shalned face, 'full
of remorse and waiting to ask your for
giveness."
"Whatr' calculated the miller
This was far too wonderful to be un-
derstood at once. He looked at his wife,
hum bled, repentant, we'll nigh crushed;
at the child, radiant with Godgiven
life, which he had preserved; at the
dusky figure in the porch, so very like
his enemy; at his own heart, once so
dark and full of sin, and in a rush came
his great deliverance over him
Toni he shouted.
And his enemy obeyed the voice, with
bent head and the red tint Of shame on
his dark face. Speak he could not, but
he took Theo's proffered hand and wrung
it hard.
"Oh, manT cried the miller, with a
gulp of thankfulness; what we've es-
capped this dayI Tom, here's the child.
Heaven be thanked, didn't let her go in
my angerl'
Tom Winston grasped his baby in both
arms, and while his face fell on her neck
something like a prayer-the first but
not the last-came from his remorseful
heart.
And Theo, with tears raining down
his cheeks, raised up the erring wife
and kissing her whispered:
The old place, wife, and honored as
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