News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1895-11-14

marry me for any more material
reason" be said, at last. 81 am
glad of that; l would not buy wife.
But when you do accept the hand of
some man, Honor, my beautiful dar-
ling, pray heaven he may love you as
truly as l do. The old place is yours;
l would not touch leaf on a tree
there. Good-by, dear. Forget that
l have spoken to you in this way
forget that |, loving you, have been
fool enough to fancy you cared for
me-"
He turned from her and was gone
before she could control her voice.
And when, she stretched out her
arms and cried :-"Colin, my love,
my darling, come back Do not go
from mel | love you'll love youp
he was too far away to hear or heed,
and only a bird, perched on branch
far above her head, saw the girl fling
herself down among the grasses of
the Maytim and sob as if her heart
would break.
1t did not comfort her so very
much, after all, to know that now no
gossip could say she had Jumped at
the chance" of becoming Colin Delor-
mes wife.
How very poor a thing the pride
which she had indicated by rejecting
him seemed to her, as she wept pas
sionately for the chance of happiness
flung away for words from the lips of
a pair of vulgar women, who were no
more to her than other disagreeable
strangers
81 will tell him the truth tonight"
she whispered when she was calmer.
He loves me; he will forgive me for
my folly"
But when shereached the house she
was told that Colin Delorme had
gone to the city on urgent business
and would return the following eve
ming by the Z O'Clock train.
Such a long night, such long day
as those were to poor Honor in her
misery of remorse! But at last they
were over, and in a few moments the
whistle which announced the arrival
of the train at the small station be-
low would shrek out on the evening
e.ir.
From window in her room she
knew she could see the smoke from
the engine a mile away, and at one
point, where the track ran like a
thread across an open space, some
what elevated, she could catch sight
of the line of carriages ere the shrek
of the whistle told that they were
about to stop.
The puff of smoke showed here and
there among the tree tops as she
! looked forth; then, like a long black
serpent, the train darted around the
curve and sped out on the bridge.
There was a swaying of the train, a
sudden crash, which reached her DULY
from the distance, and down through
the shattered brick work huddled the
engine and three of the carriages at
tached to it-down but few feet, it
is true. but at the bottom was death
to perhaps to Colin Delorme.
Honor did not cry out, did not
faint, but a sudden fierce strength
seemed to be infused into her slight
young figure, as she sprang toward
the door and darted through. Down
the corridor, down the stairs, out of
the hall door she ran like a creature
flying for her very life.
In the drive a horse and buggy
were standing; his host was to drive
to the station for Colin.
Hatless, cloakless, with bare arms
and shoulders cleaning from the
blackness of her dinner dress, she
sprang into the vehicle and caught
up the reins.
The servant at the horses head
made way for her with frightened
glance at her white face and dilated
eyes.
She turned the animal and dashed
down the drive, out at the gates and
on at a gallop along the highway.
1t seemed an eternity to her before
she reached the wrecked train, and
Others were there before her.
Still white as death, still silent, she
drew rein, and, leaping out, darted
into the crowd, which was endeavor-
ing to extricate the crushed and
mangled passengers from the debris
about them.
One was drawn forth as she reached
the group, and at last her lips I'M
closed to give forth a cry of anguish
Was that shapeless, bleeding
moaning mass, of which she saw
nothing to recognize as human save
a blood stained hand and a few tres
SEES of nut brown hair-was that the
, man she loved?
, She pushed the men aside fran
tically, and was trying to win hel
! way to the dying man when a hanC
was laid on her shoulder and voice
/ that made her heart thrill said =
"Honor, this is no place for you
Go home, my dearest. Even a mans
heart faints before such horrors al
, this"
: She chung to him with both hands
trembling, sobbing, laughing = il
> short, going nearly mad with Joy.
l "Colin, my love-my Lowell You
2 are safe-uniniured ?" She cried, in
coherently. II feared-I feared
You are safe, Colin, dear Colin !"
4 "Safe and blessed beyond measur,
S to know you care" And he drew
| ax,o % A.