The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-07-05
CHAPTER III.


people who simply needed the change of a
bracipg climate went there to spend a few
months and came away wonderfully bet
ter for the mountain air. This Is what
Bernardine Holme hoped to do. She was
broken down in every way, but 1t was
thought that prolonged stay in Petershof
might help her back to reasonable
amount of health, or at least prevent her
from slipping into further declipe. She
had come alone because she had no rela-
tions except that old uncle and no money
to pay any friend who might have been
willing to come with her But she proba-
bly, cared very little, and the morning aft
er her arrival she strollcd out by herself,
investigating the place where she was
about to spend six months She was drag
ging herself along when she met the Dis
agreeable Man She stopped him. He
was not accustomed to be stopped by any
one, and he looked rather astonishcd.
You We're not very cheering last
night she said to him.
Il believe am not generally considered
to be lively" he answered as he knocked
the snow off his boot.
Still, / am sorry spoke to you as l
did, she went on frankly. 1T was fool
ish of me to mind what you said"
He made no reference to his own remark
and was passing on his way again when he
turned back and walked with her.
II have been here nearly seven years,
he said, and there was a ring of sadness in
his voice as he spoke, which he immedi-
ately corrected. If you want to kncw
anything about the place, 1 can tell you.
If you are able to walk, I can show you
some lovely spots, where you will not be
bothered with people. can take you to
snow fairylald If you ere sad and disap-
pointed, you will find shining comfort
there. 1t is not all sadness in Petershof.
In the silent snow forests If you dig the
snow away, you will find the tiny buds
nesting in their white nursery. II thet |
does not daz-'e your eyes, you may always
see the great mountains piercing the SIX.
These wonders have been happiness to
me. You are not too i'll but that they
may be happiness to You also.
Nothing can be much of happiness to
me-, - she said half to herself, and her lips
quivered II have had to give up SO much
all my work. all my ambitions"
''You are not the only one who has had
to do that" he said sharply. "Why make
fusss Things arrange themselves, and
eventually we adjust ourselves to the new
arrangement. a great deal of caring and
grieving, phase one still more caring and
grieving, phase two; less caring and grie~-
ing, phase three no further feeling what
soever, phase four. Mercifully l am ut
phase four. You are at phase one. Make
quick journey over the stages
He turned and LETT her, and she strollcd
along, thinking of his words, wondering
how long it would take her to arrive at his
Ia h,J ,1x
Indifference as paralysis OF the soul, and
paralysis meant death-n0y, was worse
than death And here was this man who
had obyiousl- suffered both mentally and
physically telling her that the only senoi-
bic course was to learn not to care. How
could she learn not to care? All her life
long she had studied and worked and cul-
tivatcd herself in every direction in the
hope of being able to take high place in
literature, or, in any case, to do something
in life distinctly better than what othel
people did. When everything was coming
near to her grasp, when there seemed "a fair
chance of realizing her ambitions, she had
suddenly fallen i'll, broken up 50 entirely
in every way that those who knew hel
when she was well could scarcely recog
nizc her now that she was ill. The doctors
spoke of an overstrained nervous system
the peStilence of these modern days. They
spoke of rest, change of work and scene
bracing air. She might regain her vitali
ty. She might not Those who had played
themselves out must pay the penalty.
She was thinking of her whole history
plying herself profoundly, coming to thu
conclusion after true human fashion, thai
she was the worst used person on earth
and that no one but herself knew wha1
disappointed ambitions were-she wa:
thinking of all this and looking profound
ly miserable and r"artyrlike when some
one called her by her name. She looked
round and saw one of the English ladies
belonging to the Kurhaus. Bernardin,
had noticed her the previous night. Sh'
seemed in capital spirits and had three o.
four admirers waiting on her very words
She was "a tall, handsome woman, dressed
in superb fur trimmed cloak, a woman
/ of splendid bearing and address. Bernar
dine looked contemplate little piece 0
humanity beside her. Some such impres
sion conveyed itself to the two men VIII
were walking with Mrs. Reffold. The.
looked at the one woman and then at tn
other and smiled at each other, as men d.
smile on such occasions.
II am going to speak to this littl
thing" Mrs Reffold had said to her tw
companions before they came near Bernar
dine. Il p'ust find out who she is an
where she mes from. And, fancy, sh
has come quite alone have inquired
How hopelcssly out of fashion she dresses
and what "A hat!'
81 should not take the trouble to speak
her." said one of the men. ''She may fas
ten herself onto you. You know what