The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-11-24

alone. and she bore its smart bravely.
Besides, she and her mother had to live;
the net making and mending must be at
tended to, even though the heart may
ache and the eyes blister with unshed teals.
So two years went by. Then, her
mother having been laid to her last long
rest under the gnarled elms in the church
yard, Hilda went to live with her sister,
Abel Mexon, the cooper wife At this
juncture, hoping that time had salved her
wound, Andrew Copley made bold to of
fer her all an honest man can offer the
woman he loves-his name, his home his
big steadfast heart. His insight was at
fault, for she would have none Of them
In all simplicity, she told him that her
love lay dead with him who slept in the
deep seas; she chose to share the lot Of no
man to whom she could not give herself
heartily, wholly
II knaw yelike me, Andrew, she said
frankly; I've al al'ays knawn it. and |
thank you If ever | come to thing i
that other way, an if l see ye're / the
same mind still, I'll speak first. Don't
ask me any more, Andrew; rnspeak first.
Henceforth, as before, they were friends
close, firm friends but no further Sea-
son after season Andrew sailed off in his
yawl for the white fishing on the Dogger,
returning each time with brain ahame for
the sight of her. And she met him with
mere smile and handshake, in her eyes no
token of change, no glimmer of awakening
affection
Eight years thus numbered away-eight
weary, joyless years-and neither Hilda
nor Andrew had sought to break through
their pact of silence. About this time
Hilda was sore stricken with typhoid, then
rife in the village, aud for an anxious space
she dwelt on the very borderland of here
and hereafter On Andrew persuasion
he stalking his word that the great man s
fees would be forthcoming called in
DR.. Radcliffe, of Morperland, under whose
care Hilda slowly began to mend. 1t was
while Andrew was away at the banks
the doctor comforting assurances for COM
pany-that the truth stripped itself before
Hilda, to torture and afflict her with its
mocking ghastliness.
As yet she was not able to leave her bed,
but lay there with pinched face, her hair
tangled on the pillow, her thin blue fingers
twitching idly at the garish patchwork
quilt, her eyes wandering to the half-open
lattice through which was borne the distant
sough of the waves, and whence she could
see their sun -hecked crests far out beyond
the Fork rocks. Then she would turn to
answer some question put to her by her lit
tie niece, Mary-Abels eldest daughter,
rising ten who had crept into the sick
ROOM Presently the little maid fell to bab-
bling, childlike, of the doings and sayings
of her school friends.
SAY, but ye' Il be gettin' fine scholard,
Mary, said Hilda ''It was guild thing
for the weans when t parson opened school
| wish it had been done long sin. :
1t was our Examination to day, replied
Mary, eager with fresh news. s'Mr Har-
vey heard me read an patted me o the
head.s Out of a newspaper-hard words
they was, too. .
''An' maybe ye can read writin,
Nary
''0h, yes, said she, nowise disposed to
belittle her attainments. when you get
any letters, Aunt Hilda, I'll read them all
through to you-every word. I'm sure [
could.
HWell, I'm going to try ye said IIilda
smilingly. Now open that drawer-no;
the second one--an' bring the little black
box to me- Yes, that is it.
Tenderly picking out the fnery with
which the box was filed, Hilda placed the
various articles by her side on the bed.
Underneath, untouched since that day, lay
the very letter which had told her its sad
tale through Andrew mouth.
Now. what names that, said she,
pointing to the signature.
Mary screwed her eyes into beads.
hung her head sapiently on one side and
spelled the words under her breath
'1B-e-n, Ben; Webb. Webb, she an
nounced at last with ring of triumph.
its main bad writin but
No, nor cried Hilda, rising excitedly
upon her elbow. Not Ben-not Ben
Webb, Are you sure, Mary?
Ben, Ben; Webb, Webb, repeated
her niece
Hilda sent up a choking cry. He said
it came fro Captain Worsley, she eiacu-
lated gaspingly. He lied to me- It'sfro'
Ben. Ben ism deadr Her whole frame
atrembled, she turned to Mary with
Begin at the first, read it all 10 me.
Can ye, can ye?
Mary. at all events, was willing to try,
and although she blundered often and
painfully under the task. between them
they managed to piece the words into
sense
Dear Hilda,. it ran II didn' mean
to say a word, but can't do it without
telling YOU first. Don hate ME, for | did
love you. and do, more nor her Anyways,
you can say didn' tell you all about
Polly Barclay-how we was to be married,
and how it was broke off, Well me and
her have made it up again. Her uncle 5
dead, and left her everything three
houses and G400 in bank You see, l
don have free hand, 50 you can blame
me- Besides, there Andy Copley, only
too glad to have you; and the banns has
been read twice in Grimsby church.
think things are best left alone. and no fuss
made, especially as l don ask the presents
back, nor =
Mary had plodded through the letter SO
far, when HiIda, with loud shrek, drop
ped back upon her pillow Abel and his
wife hastened upstairs to find her again
sitting up in bed, round eyed, and gesticu-
lating with clenched fists 1 might ha
won him back would ha' she cried
shrilly IA lie, Andrew Copleyl Il was
a liel
In this fashion she raved all through the
night and long into the next day. DR.. Rat
cliffe said it was brain fever; and although
he eventually brought her back to bodily
health her mind never recovered its sanity.