The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1893-03-17
crew. I'll they reached the meadow wharf

And linen ne Walkeu nOIne, sun ~ 'H".
dream OF bliss, 10 encounter the doctor and
the minister and Serena at the dying woman's
bedside, and without time for explanation.
expostuIation or refusal, to find everything
taken for granted, slight shspe clinRing to
him in the midst OF sobs, the words being ut.
tered that made himself and Serena husband
aud wife; and then all else put aside and
overshadowed by the death agony OF tne
mother who had waited only for this 10 close
her ewes and be away with all the shadows OF
at ought to be a good match" said the
doctor, for II was made close upon tue euge
of heaven" And he molioned Tor inc women
10 close the blinds and shut out the sup, tnat
Law now on the dead woman's forehead ike
glory. o, = mad
dened. desperate man, II was upon Nicholas,
But there was no help for It, 1t was cruel
fact. The women were calling Serena mrs.
Leay,tt: the doctor bad called her SO to the
peope who came In. He went out IN the barn
and Law with his face hidden In tho Lew,sweet
hay, fighting fight with rate, Iaillng m'ser 'a.
of himself. by the sight OF Serene's pallor
and her effort NJ REFRESHING her grief Tor his
sake: copfessing to himself that ne mad been
n s.oupdrel, that he was properly punished.
and that two women were being punished
with him. lie must not think OF beile. ne
nut the remembrance OF her far rom DIN. lac
could not be brutal to Serena In hsr suffering.
The silence and depression and moodiness
that wrapped Nicholas were all part OF Inc
behavior proper to the time. And while II
soothod Serena to see him apparently caring
so much for her mother, 1t reproved her. TOO,
for the little futter down underneath all Inc
grief in her heart. aud mace her love MIN ana
respect him all the more and turn 10 MN
more tenderly. ~,
Perhaps nothing could bava helped him
sooner than the sight OF Belle Burdens eyes
flashing scorn when he went out, at the III,
neral, with Serena on his arm. IL she cou'd
come there, IL she could feel scorn and anger
instead OF pity for such loss as serenas, such
wretcbedness as his. It made him scornlul
and angry, too. aud Supported MIN nnaH,ns-
", lie decided to take Serena away for rev
davs while the women set the house IN order
and when they came back, he had reconcled
himself to his lot with what grace he could.
He heard, within few months. that Belle
Burden had married wealthy old 1atmer OF
the name OF Rhivcs. on Tabard HUI, some
80 miles away. He could not tell whether the
pang that shot through him was most OF re-
lief or of iGdignalion but he thougpI, rs ne
glanced at bis wife, serena would not nave
done that, Serena would have faded away
and died II had served her SOL" And. grad
ually, as be saw Serena joyous once again.
singing softly as she went and came, trustlng,
innocent, tender. he felt again sometnlng OF
the content that he had felt In the beginning;
and Serena. believing him as happy, was
wrapped herself In gentle happiness lhat IL
seemed no trouble could dissolve.
II was early In the second year or thelr
marriage that Nicholas heard that Belle Eur.
den's husband had had Il stroke. Serena nad
never even heard of the existence OF beie
Burden. 1t was idle for Nicno'a' 10 preteno
not to hear to ask no questions, IN say 10 hlm-
self that It was nothing TO him He did near;
he coniectured everything. The fact grew
and orew and became all the world to MIN,
and the sky darkened over him, the air
around him. He was beset by unrest NJ hau
no words for any one: he answered. serena
with monosylable. II she caressed nm ever
40 SLIGHTLY. ne nut her aside. He saw her
wonder, her bewilderment. her pain II hurt
him that be hurt her; and then he was os1 10,
side his own atmosphere OF plackness, ana
neither knew nor cared for SerenaS hurt, Tor
the sign of tears upon her fair sweet race, ,or
ANYTHING but wild, u2conquera0le longlng
to see Belle Burden ana to know II NE ana
the world held any hope for him. j.
Hone of what? Vague ideas of flight, OF
disgrace Ignored. endured. lived down. OF
life TO be spent In rapture. fitted about MIN
without becoming positive; but in the iotle
months plan of action slowly took shape;
and one day Nicholas was gone.
1t was the next day that man Wild cray
hair and eyebrows, and bis race nail n,laen
In thick gray beord, applied for ooara az
the house of Mrs. Rhives, on Isoaro H1il.
some books under his arm and scoop net IN
his hand gave him the appearance OF one OF
the naturalists who sometimss/ EXPLORED the
country; and az be offered IRyneht ~ az,
vance, his request was grsntedno ne neI the
to look about him sirn.lniA We ai'et 'n'
fret eagelfseRe or usrpkEe.
But what a place was this yeslde Seit mas
calm and orderly house-a restroom gorgeous
with tapestry carpet, gilt ePer' cnloinos,
plush upbolstry. lace curtains,Where one coulu
write one's name In the dust; nvlng Ioonl
answe ut, unaired. smelling of all the dinners
ever cooked; wallpaper and ceiling smoked
and stained; child, a miracle OF dlrt, crawl.
Ing on the floor; droollng o'd man Ia hls
chair in the corner. peevishly complaining
and receiving harsh taunt In reply; STAT,
terniy servant maid disresarding OLD man ana
child equally. and flirting at the bacS-door
with a farm hand the mistress of The house
If about her pleasure the best OF the day; the
dishes tossed upon the table. the so,led ana
tumbled cloth awry, the bread sour, me Tea
I've, the butter bitter, tho talk only wrsnSe,
alternating between reproacn ana uenance.
But Belle herself! The stranger looked at ner
over his glasses. and bis heart sweied' nc
saw her as be had seen her-not as she was ;
# took him many days before he recognized
that she was larger, Iedder, coarser, ana tnat
that voice of hers was more Ike a clarion
than ever J..
Rut his thought was that all this would be
different II she were happy; that sue married
| this old man In desperation: tnat sne was
wretched: that she defied circumstance that
| she forgot her misery only When out Oh 'ne
| house. and was reckless when In 1t. IL TOOK
| MANY DAYS again 20 show MIN the truth mere.
! II took many bnlsterous parties of young pee
pile making merry there till iate OF nlghl,
dancing, rude jolity and fun disturoinV we 1e
old man; keeping the neglected cnllu eAleu )
| Belle the noisiest and gayest at night. nsruIy
rising before noon Eext day, crumpled and
| disheyeled. unwashed. uncombed, answer
inc The remonstrances Of her fretful nus.
| band with a ieer, paying no heed to her child
| at all-it took at last the sight OF tne cul!u
sick, and shaken when IT crieo, anu ieit "
what care 1t could get-it TOOK nolsy 4u ,,to
rel and glass OF water daS ,d ny Iu' wake
| into the face of the helpless o!u han-'o ""A'
the sleeper from his dream. 1T,
The gray bearded stranger gatsereu DIS
books and his SCOOP -net, paid niS OIL ano i0i'
! the place. " ,,., >, so;5
III guess he's sick of his bargain, sala
Belle, looking after him. "But ne Won , u1n
| fooling round here any more. lie tnlnks l
JJn,t know him. l reckon he's seen whether
csrew Then She csugat up nef oSoy a"u
washed its face and kissed IT. ,,,,
WHAT was the reason that \ cnoas cou,u
not On home at once? Did be feel as II lie
were a picked bubble and be must hn9 some
hole in The ground and creep into ii! DID he
fee defiant hatred of all womanklnd &c
gether and desire to separate h'mseI lor.
ever from the sight OF them! D'l he ieei tnat
helwas not fit to cross the threshold OF MS pure
and gentle wife? He burned Ms gray uis
guise and went down to the shore anu snippeu
before the mast on coaster oounu sou.n.
! And IN the long watches OF Tue Mus w
deck, kept company by tue stars aud waves
and winds. It NAV be that he wrestled with