Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-10-30
LOVES REWARD.

his little cart he taught her to ride
when older, and when her favor was no
longer to be won by snowy kittens or
sugared sweotmcats he had laid at her
feet mans strong love, heart that
was brave and loyal and true as steel.
And she-she thought of the face she
nad seen for the first time but one short
month before, the dark, handsome face
shat had lgEtcd into look of involun.
tary admiration at sight of her. the face
Of the wealthy city stranger-Edgar
Reynolds
Only one month ago, and already the
lustrous eyes had learned TO watch for
his coming, already the girlisA heart
had learned to thrCb at his voice.
And he? No wonder he was fascinated
by that fresh young face, and as the
days went by ne smiled to see how the
love of the woman crept into the inno-
cence of the child And so when Philip
Howard asked her for her love she had
no heart to give him. She told him so
with womauly tenderness and pity, and
he had left her presence very sad, very
silent man.
The following day broke fair and
bright with golden sunlight on the hill
tops and June time mists in the valley.
Along the white, winding road lead
ing to the village, in the GOODNESS of the
clewv morning walked Florence Thorne
The birds are singing their mathis in
the tree tops; the brook is laughing as it
ripples @ or its pebbly bed. In the midst
Of all this glorious, sylvan beauty the
elasticity Of youth y2ssScrts itself, and
the girls step grows lighter, her heart
happier, till she almost forgets her little
troubles.
In the village she posts her letters
and turns tOletrace her steps She meets
many labUrers ON their way to work,
and each man touches his hat and smiles
pleasantly on seeing the bright, pretty
face, fer, young as she is, she has spent
many hours helping with kindly offices
and gentle pity their wives and little
ones.
Coming home, she passes house that
stands in its own grounds-a house
with snowy curtains, stretching veran-
las and well rolled tennis ground at
tached. 1t is far more pretentious than
her own cOzy house. And well it may
be, for it is the boarding house of this
rustic little village. 1t is filled with
fashionahles just now who have fed
from the crush and heat of the city,
and among others, Edgar Reynolds.
AT the gate a sudden thought strikes
her. The housekeepers little child is
very ILL She will go in and inquire for
her. No one save the servant can be up
yet She pushes open the gate and noise
lessly fits up the garden path to the
rear of the house.
She accomplishes her mission and is
returning, when she sees futtering on
the path before her sheet of creamy
note paper She picks it up and glances
around. 1t must have blown from a
window left open Oh retiring Yes,
there Is one directly overhead.
She is about to take it to the house
keeper to return to its owner, when her
eyes chance to fall on two words written
IN firm bold hand, FLORENCE Thorne. -
IT is but short letter, and the girl, for
getting ali honor i'll the intensity of her
surprise, reads every word of it almost
before she knows " hat she has done.
Dear WILL 1t runs, "expect me
back on Thursday. Am tired of rusti-
eating It. would have been an unbear-
able bore were it not for an awfully
pretty girl, flirting with whom has
helped to pass the time She is the
daughter of Allen Thorne, the million
aires brother, you know. Made fool
of himself by marrying school teach
- y Ytqf "a
Thorne is q shy, wild rosc-p0or, pretty
and proud as a princcss-but | couldn' I
afford to ruin my prospects for her, you
know. Much rs l could do to keep from
losing my heart in earnest. Had half {
mind 70 throw over Agatha Nere's thou
sands, bgt--pshaw, the bank account
carries the day
There Is little more relating to bust
ness matters. then the letter closes will
the hastily scratched signature. "Edgal
Reynolds 50
The girl stanlS sti@ and rigid in tn,
brightmrruin2 sanl'rht IA great AIartleC
horror luA.} cJe5 All TIE pretty, child
lsh beauty les 81. tAc a,gai"cd intensity
of that ..,aa
Harb h., ,aa5 -,ue one coming? Fol
"a moment -G. i.ils ..'chaud TO her hcat
ina co3.as'i II, oi-sf Way Thon, crush
ing the let.,- lA,o i,.r bosom, she turn
and flies i.st a. l.l iaden weightet
feet wal roar h.~ Down tho path
through iho 5a;,, o,ol.s the dusty high
Way-hOu"
Her uuc,o came TO her on receipt 0
Philip How ard letter, stating how il
she was, his lonely old heart warming
with love toward his brothers. orphan
child. AS for Edgar Reynolds, he hat
heard of her illness with his usual wei
bred indifference
"Poor little thing Perhaps it's tn
best way it could have ended after ALL
he said and So concentrating himself