The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-09

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even behind her veil from every passer
by. As soon as she had turned the
corner she brought into palmer sight
parcel she carried, that she might
pass the more readily as maid. A
half hours rapid walk and she ran up
some steps to make sure of number,
rang the door bell, said something eX-
planatory to the man who answered it,
passed in and followed him to the door
of room up one flight of the broad,
low stairway there.
The room was in confusion. "A
leather box and portmanteau lay
packed and strapped by the door.
spaces on the walls where pictures had
hung, brackets had held their busts
and great cases and cabinets had stood.
1t was plain to see in it's dismantled
state that it had lately been place OF
luxury.
A man sat there with his head bow
ed upon his arms as they lay along the
table, in an attitude of utter deiec-
ton. He did not look up when the
door opened and closed. But the girl
crossed the room quickly, and stand
ing behind him stopped with her arm
laid across his shoulder. He lifted his
head looking straight before him. Il
suppose it is a dream" he said, half
to himself. "If you are dream
II am not dream, Jack, " she said,
bending lower, her soft, cold cheek
touching his. 81 am Felicia
There was silence in heaven for the
space of half an hour. For one mo-
ment there was silence and rapture
here And then the transfer men
came for the luggage. "And this
parcel, too, said Felicia.
Felicia" he exclaimed
This parcel" she repeated "You
know can not go back after coming
here, 'she said, when they were alone
again. Il have burned my ships be-
hind me. "
"Do you mean it?" he exclaimed
joyously. And then his tone fell.
thought-oh, yes; certainly, | must
take you home before my train leaves. y
You will take me homer My home
is with you, Jack"
You don't know what you say" - he
answered her. Oh, no: | cannot ac-
cept the sacrifice ~ the eager CLEAN OF
his eyes belying his words
jack she murmurcd. 1.-The sac
rifice was in my coming here unask-
ed
You knew | loved you, you knew
| loved you! And then this crash
came-and there was nothing for me
to say-to you, who have lain in the
lilies and fed on the roses of life, |
whose part was the husksn'
Yes, | knew it, or / could not have
come. she replied, and she moved
away from him, going about the room,
and pausing at the curtainlcss window
place, where the moonlight lay upon
her, pale and impassioned.
Don't make it SO hard for me y he
exclaimed IAN hour ago it was the
darkness of despair. | was going to
bury myself in that ranch with its
bunch of cattle. the one thing left me,
as if it were grave. Now | shall go
out into that new life radiant with
hope. And even if | should never pros
per enough to come for you,' he said
after moment, taking step toward
her, "if you would weary in the long
waiting and give some other man the
love | have won-well, | could bear il,
perhaps, remembering and living again
in this nights joy. y
"Some other man. she exclaimed,
unclasping his arms and looking Tor
| the hat and jacket that had been thrown
aside. 81 am going with you, Jack.
If YOU can live summer and winter IN
tent in Texas, | can, too. | have the
fit clothes in that parcel. | have my
| Jewels here. They were my mother s
and are mine, and have the right to
take them, and their price will hinder
my being burden" "A burden
Oh, Felicia, if might, if | dared 7
"You will have to-, said Felicia.
calmly. 1.-THE Church of Blessing is
round the corner, and the rector is my
friend. Jack, you made me propose to
you. | shouldn't think you would
make me ask you to marry me ~
| Standing there in the moonlight, All
justing her disordered hair, she was
| too beautiful, too sweet and tender for
mortal man to resist
1.-THE train leaves at midnight, he
said There is but scant time Oh,
my darling, if you should repent If
| Oh, you must, you will ~
"Never - said Felicia. and then,
lip to lip and heart to heart, they
| fingered one moment before they went
out together
| 1t was a year afterward that Felicia
sat one night in the refulgent moon.
light of the high prairie after day OF
heat, tempered by the great Gun
breeze blowing over three hundred
miles of flowers.
Are you sorry | Gamer she said.
Are your
"Do you know it seems precisely to
me as if we were living on an outskirt
of the Holy Land, with flocks and
herds, and the fig and pomegranate and
the tender grape giving good smell
she said.
Precisely. And the hocks and
herds are prospering SO that we won I
have to take counsel of the property.
Wasn't it Isaiah that said: Enlarge
the place of thy tent, and let them
stretch forth the curtains of thy habl-
tation, spare not, lengthen thy cords,
strengthen thy stakes?' Col. Upshur
lived in a tent over yonder for dozen
years. But we may build or house
next year, fancy"
with roses lying on the low roof
and night blooming cereus clambering
across the gallery, like some of the
houses in the old Spanish town there.
| don't know, but | like this better,
though-the lovely freedom of it. Oh,
we never lived before. "
care you sure you never regret?" he
asked.
Regret! Well, | confess | should
like to have heard Bah read out our
marriage notice at breakfast-an Bah
SO bitter the day before for fear of 1T
But regret those days of littleness and
m