Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-02-14

room once, twice, and then stopped OPP
posite her. "You didn't really meal
what you said? Mother--oh, mother
The appeal was almost like cry, bu
In vain
Il aid mean II, and do.
"Then, mother, IL Is no use our talk
ing together any more. Good by"
"Good-by."
Roderick he'd out his hand, but she
did not take 1t. His voice was tender
sad-nay, almost heart broken; bu
hers was cold as a stone,
u
Roderick stayed day in London, o.
q hotel, the address of which he ha.
carefully written out and left upor
Mrs. Jardlne's dressing table, waiting
vaguely in the hope of some bes cd
telegram that might change his mis-
cradle journey into happy one. Then
no started; and when he found himself
drifting away from Dover pier under
the cold clear winter stars, he felt as
II he had cut the cable OF his life for
ever.
Reaching the hotel after his long
journey, the familiar faces and the
bright Swiss welcome warmed his
heart. 1t was SUNDAY m rning during
that miserable week he had almost lost
count OF days-and all the good people
OF Neuchatel were gone to church;
doubtless also the Reynier family.
Still, he colld not rest. lie thought
he would just 90 and sec the outside OF
the house, perhaps hear she was well,
and then hover about for q glimpse OF
her, till he could speak H. The profess
sor, her nominal protector, and ask
permission, after the fashion OF the
country, formally to offer his hand.
For he was determined no respect, no
decorum should be wanting in any
thing he did, down to the commonest
outside convenances, toward the woman
he adored.
His hand almost shook as he rang
the bell OF Professor Reyniers door
for after all he could not pass it-and
his voice failed, and his disused French
seemed to fly away from him when he
faced the little bonne, who at once
recognizing him, aud breaking into
the most courteous Of smiles, showed
him in quiet like "un ami de la
famille."
They we're all well--they would re.
turn rom church neutrality-suspicious.
sieur must allow himself to watcher
master would be charmed to see him.
Would monsieur repose himself in
the salon? No one was there, she be-
lieved.
And for the first moment he believed
So too, and sat down, looking tenderly
round on the familiar room-the Para
disc whore his Eve had appeared to
him that first matchmaking ever
afterward the whole world n3w. The
dear, silent, empty room Empty? No!
something stirred in recess; some
person, sitting there reading, rose
with low, listles5 air, came for
war;, suddenly stopped.
The slender figure, the black dress,
the fair, clustering curls! Roderick
star ed up. The whoe thing was so
sudden, so unexpected, that there was
no time for any DISCUSSES on either
side. l. esides, both were so young;
and 1t Is in later Ii that love learns
concealment. AS they stood, these
two Young creatures, face to face and
quite alone, no human power could
have concealed the Joy of both.
Roderick advanced q step. "Me
voicil je suis revenu, was all he said,
speaking in French, as seemed most
"Oui, oui, oui" and with glad cry
Silence clasped her hands, the first i'm.
pulsive gesture l. o had ever seen her
use; "oui, il est re emu"
The minute afterward-he knew not
how; in truth, neither ever did know
he felt her in his arms, gathered
close to his breast sheltering and shell
tered there as If it were her natural
refuge. He did not kiss her-he dared
he touched her soft hair as
it lay on his shoulder-he pressed her,
oil shaking with sobs, to his breast he
called her by name-hrst ma cousine,
and then silence" An instant more,
and putting her a little acart from
him, so that he could look down into
her eyes, he breathed, rather than
spoke, another word an English word
My wife"
Silence shrunk back for one mo-
mont, trembling violently, dropped her
face, al scarlet, and then lifted it up
with strange pathos of entreaty, al
most appeal, Us if she had but him in
the whole world.
Your mother" he whispered; your
mother knew it all. "
Roderick drew her back again close
i L l..
lips upon hers. In that long, silent,
solemn troth-plight the two became
one-forever.
Immediately on the family's return
from church, Roderick asked for an
interview with M. Revnier, and ex-
planned everything, while Silence did
the same to Nine. Reynier and the
girls. There were due congratulations,
both formal and fearful, from the sim
pie affe ltionate Swiss househo d, and
then the thing was an accepted fact
and the young people we're fiances and
treated as such, according to the fash
ion Of the country, which holds the
bond almost as sacred as that between
husband ana wife.
A week went by, and still he heard
nothing, had told her nothing of his
own people, except briefly answering
her innocent questions, that his mother
was quite we'll and his sister married.
This might have gone on still longer,
he shrunk so from the cruel task of
giving pain to his innocent darling,
had it not been for letter which came
one morning the very morning when
he took her to look at the new white