The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-09-13
to fall in showers against her tiny bay

WINDOW
Had the new owners driven the swal-
lows away from the eaves?-the wren
from her nest in the moldering stem of
the dead and branches locust?
Perhaps they had pulled down the
dear little house altogether and erected
some grander structure in it's stead
Suddenly she stretched out her arms
yearningly. She lifted her sad face to
the cold, unanswering stars.
F" But OH" she murmured, eff
could only rest my tired head beneath
that dear old roof tonight l think
could die content"
A listless, uncertain tread upon the
planks of the bridge at that moment
distracted her thoughts and aroused her
to the imprudence of her position.
She must not re ain there. She
must go.
I But where?
How strange, how pitiful it seemed
that in all the wide world she had no
place to lay her head
The footsteps came closer. With a
half-frightened glance she saw a tall
man, broad-shoudered, roughly dressed,
with a great shaggy yellow beard, and
with pair of piercing eyes which
seemed toll look her through and through.
He had passed and repassed a num-
Der of times, but she had been too en-
crossed with her sorrowful re Election to
notice him before.
He walked directly to her.
He grasped the rail of the bridge
with bolh hands, and she marveled
vaguely to see that he was trembling.
"You are one of the unfortunate the
atrical company! Can l be of any
service to your" he asked her, abruptly.
"Who are your" she cried in alarm,
as she shrunk back from him.
His reply was uttered in a strange,
rapid and vehement whisper.
" am like Yourself" he said. "Some
years ago l had happy home and a
wife l adored. She went away from
me, and since then in hope and happi-
ness | have been stranded"
For an instant she stood as if sud
denly turned to stone. All the life
within her seemed concentrated in her
great, dark, burning eyes.
"You,, Jack? Oh, God is it you?"
she exclaimed at len 9Th. - You, who
used. to be so proud about yourself, sc
pIaNe vi splIlt, Inc tulS!
Do you care?" he asked her.
" Do care?" she repeated passion
ately. 81 care so much that l would
give my very soul if l could undo what
have done. l have failed in my ca
reer, but might have succeeded, Jack
could l have had your love. 1 could dc
nothing without your love, Jack"
She was crying now, softly, hope
lessly, not daring to believe that she
was still dear to him.
He put his roughly -clad arms about
her and drew her unressting head tc
his bosom-against that shaggy, tan
gled beard which with his careless at
tire she had fancied sign of, HEAVIER
knows how much, restitution and vaga
bondage!
"You have always had my love
sweetheart. Do you think could ever
have ceased loving such an adorable
woman as you are, Kate? Our trouble
was all my fault, too-all my contempti
BILE obstiracy," said he.
Oh, Jack, how good you are to say
that, when you know it isn't true" SHE
murmured, with her arms around hi
neck and her lips upon his.
"Well, darling, we will begin ovel
again. have never sold the little cot
tage-l couldn't, because we had once
been so happy there And have made
big fortune in the mines back here
So you shall live where you like ant
wear diamonds and cloth of gold, if 70,
choose. Or, if you would rather stay
on the stage, you can have company
of your own and theater of your own
if you desire. And you need not fea
ever again being stranded"
"No, Jack. Neither of us need fea
ever again being stranded" she an
swered solemnly, and with a meaning
he could not mistake.
But Kate left the stage alto sether
She had talent, aud in time she would
no doubt have succeeded more thar
tolerably.
But" she says, /" it isn't that low
the profession less, it is that l love my
home and my husband more. "-Butal
NeUs.
HUNDREDS of people write "It il
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