News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-03-17
G. r. PAGE, MorrisYille, vt.

so much good with her boarded
wealth-and all about man who
had Tilted her! 1t was wicked and
shameful, said her critics; and like
ly enough they were right.
But Rachel did not hear them; and
II she had, she would not have cared,
for IN her own way her life was or
dered carefully and methodically and
her money was not boarded nor
wasted; but, being peculiar, as usual
she chose to live in her own way, and
to do that which she felt she ecould do,
IN the manner that best suited her.
The poor, the sick and the suffering
knew her we'll They did not think
/ her life a wasted one. What
1 this poor, embittered, disappointed
woman felt in the silent depths of her
own reticent, intense nature, she hard
ly knew herself; for she shrank from
formulating her own thoughts even
to her own mind, but something in
the outside world seemed to shape
them for her. As, for instance, one
morning when she suddenly found
herself gazing at an old woman
she met in her morning walk-a
wretched woman, her face scanned
with wrinkles, her hair an unkempt
frowze of gray, struggling locks, her
clothes tattered and torn, though
well hidden by an old black shawl
that draped her head and fell in folds
about her a most painful and un-
lovely sight in the morning of an
early, cold March day
"Shall l ever look like that %
thought Rachel. cold, withered,
broken hearted poor old woman !
Perhaps if could know her story l
should learn that some man Tilted
her in the sweet springtime of long
ago. Being a poor, gentle, feminine
creature, she didn't die, though her
heart broke; and as the burden of
life grew too heavy to bear, she began
to drink-at first, to forget, and then
to keep warm"
The tears that seldom rose to Ra-
chel's eyes for her own woes, over
flowed for the imagined sorrow of
this forlorn old wreck of humanity
The woman was quick to see, and in
!
hand, in which Rachel placed liber-
al donation.
1t was this incident that paved the
way for an unexpected but far more
important encounter. AS Rachel,
walking quickly, and eyes still wet
with tears, and heart wildly throb-
bing with newly quickened feeling,
turned the corner of the street, she
rushed directly into the arms of a
young man who was coming toward
her. He was pale and wan; he
stopped under the weight of that eX-
perience that is more aging than
years; but Rachel knew him in in
slant, and as his arms involuntarily
closed about her and held her for one
moment to his breast, she cried out,
as if he had thrust dagger in her:
! "George-George Murray
4 "Rachel," +" he said, softly, "forgive
me. | did not mean to touch you.
1t was so sudden"
Yes, yes; know. 1t is my fault
II didn't see you"
And she wrenched herself from his
hold it was, indeed, from his en-
brace; for he clung to her as if he
could not again let her 60. But see
ing her face, which grew like marble
ut sight of him, his arms dropped
away from her.
"Oh, can you forgive me?' he
cried. "It was all a wild dtlirium-a
madness! | never loved but youl
Can you not forgive me-can younot
even try to forgive me?'
Il cannot even try" she said, and
her voice was like the knell of hope; /;
and, with a gesture of unspeakable
contempt, she waved him aside, and
passed on. How she reached home
Rachel Landorne knew; but some
hours later she was aware that she
was in her own room, the door
locked and all the world shut out.
How long she had been there she
! didn't know, but she remembered
that when she came in she had sunk
upon the sofa halffainting; but now
her heart was beating wildly and ev-
ery pulse thrilled as if with some new
life-a feverish, delirious ecstasy such
as she had never known before. She
glanced up and saw the reflection of
herself in the long mirror opposite,
and wondering, doubling her own
eyes, she rose, went over close to the
F looking-glass aud stared.
Was that Rachel Landor, that ra-
diant vision of brilliant, gracious
womanhood? The years seemed to
have rolled back she looked ten
years younger than she had looked
, when she went out that morning. A
/ Joyous excitement glowed in ergreat,
, deep, dark eyes, her cheeks and lips