The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-01-02
A POSSIBLE LOSS.

ooh, Mr.. FansiItart, she cried, what
shall do? My husbands out in boat,
ever 50 far away, and the winds rising,
and the boatman says that it's awfully
dangerous when there's a storm, and y
/ tilted my hat forward and scratched
my head
u don't see what you can 90, said
] cOmpassio1lGtely. l had sat next her
three nights ar table d'hote and liked
her extremely.
Look at those treesi oh, how it
blows! And seei Great wavesH'
THE wind is certainly getting up," l
admitted, sitting down on garden scat.
"Oh, Mr. Vansittart, suppose lie
should be drowned
Suppose he:''- / paused. The idea
was new one TO me. l turned 1t over
in my mind. "Well, suppose he should?'
! said at last in an inquiring tone.
and we've only been married a
yearr'
.Yes, yes, said I thoughtfully.
Your love is still fresh:''
''As fresh as the day when
Your romance has not worn of; the
day Of disillusion has not come. Your
husbands memory would be the sweet
est Of consultations 10 you.
But, Mr. VansiJ''-
There would be no alloy in your rec
objections. You are young, your life
would not DO spoiled, bat it would be,
as Is were, hall0wed by sweet and not
too poignant regrets. In the course of
time the violence of grief wonld wear
of. -
She sat down on the bench beside me
and dug the end of her parasol into the
path
''You would feel, - / pursued, THAT,
sacred as these memories were, precious
as they were, you would not be justi-
fed in giving your whole life to them.
And at last it may be that another
would come who
'Oh, I can hardly imagine that, Mr..
Eansittart -
Try" said encouragingly. Zone
who, though not perhaps the equal in
all respects of him you had lost, could
yet shelter you from the world
Il should want some one, shouldn't
T."
And give you an honest. enduring,
unwavering affection. -
1t wouldn't DO the same thing" /"
said she
Depend upon 1t, y Ireturned earnest
lv, lit wOald be in some ways better,
for he-your second husband-might
well DO one who could appreciate the
depths of your nature, who would be
serious when you were
Instead of always making jokes?
Ye-es, Mr. Vansittart -
Serious and vet able to enter into
your lighter moods, always good tenn
pered''-
He would be wonderful husband,
theni"
'GeneroCs-nay, layisk-in giving
yOu whatever
Fancy
You wislsd for, rnsparing in his
efforts to please you
What, after marriage?''
Devoted absolutely 10 you. Why,
it's a lovely picture. -
"Yes, it does sound nice, a" she con-
oeded, digging with the parasol.
Gould not such ore, - / continued,
leaning toward her, "by his afTectionate
and constant efforts, in the course Of
time heal the wound caused 10y your
cruel calamity:''
Il don't know. Yes-I suppose So
well, perhaps in time, Mr.. Vansittart,
he might -
He would" said I positively. 81
can imagine myself
Il beg your pardon, Mr. Vansittart:''
y say, can imagine myself making
it the work. he whole preoccupation,
the worthy task, of my life TINS TO re-
store happiness TO one from whom il
seemed to have departed forever. -
1t would be a splendid thing for
llan to do, wouldn't it:''
There was q pause. Then she said:
-'But, Gir Nansittart, would yoa,
who are so young and so-and so-and
sol mean, who are so young. be con-
tent with heart that has spent its first
love OF another, in which the freshness
Of youthful''-
Il sometimes think, - I interrupted,
IN low but urgent tones, that affection
Of that kind is nobler, higher, better
than the rash impalsiveness Of an igno-
rant girl 1t would be a sympathetic
communion Of minds, Of souls, Mrs
Lawrence
"Yes, see Yes. it would. Mr.. Van
sittart."
Ny sympathy for you. l pursued,
wOura soften ana inspire my nature.
should be elevated TO your level And
perhaps at last, when long years had OBJ
literatad''-
Well, had blurred. Mr. Yansittart "
Yes, had blurred the pain of memo
~, We might come 10 see, TO understand,
how what once seemed so distressing
was really, in spite Of its sadness, the
necessary condition for the perfect de-
velopment Of two human lives -
For a few moments we sat in thought.
Then Mrs. Lawrence observed, Good
so often comes out Of suffering. doesn't
it:'
''It indeed seems to be the way Of the
world.
"A woman placed as you describe,
e--A1-NAt4t, n0NAAh 4NSAs L III
so deep, so strong gratitude for the
man who had nObly dedicated his life
10 her that as time wore on she would
give to him an affection, different in
kind perhaps, but not inferior in inten-
sity to that which she had felt for the
man who first won her heart -
That would be the only reward i /
should hope for, F" said J.
50 that, in the end, | should feel |
it would be borne in upon me that this
man was my real. my true, my only
At this point Mrs Lawrence stopped 1
abruptly, for shadow fell between us,
and on looking upwe saw stout, elder |
ly man, wearing blue jersey, stand |
ing just in front Of us
Beg pardon, mum, " said he, ''but /
are you the lady what asked Jim Dobb 4
about the gentleman what's out in the 4
boat:''
About the-what: Oh, yes, sup
pose-oh, yes, am. 4"
We'll. you've no cause to be put out
about i'm, mum. He's just roundin the 4
point. and he'll be ashore in two min
utes' time"
but Dobbs said it was very danger
ous, I protested.
'Dobbs don't know everything, sir,
begin your pardon. Anyways the gen
= Il