Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-08-08

1cal OutDurSt. II THINK LnaIS u uttle
unkind," she said, quietly; but If you
will insist upon throwing down the
challenge" she paused and trimmed off
the last remaining petals of the rose,
II don't begin to understand how any
true woman could respect man who
isn't brave; I'm sure it wouldn't be pos
sible for me, if for no other reason than
that am my fathers daughter. There
has never been a coward among the
Latimers since the day when the good
old bishop went to the stake"
He had known well enough what she
would say, but the verbal confirmation
OF his conviction came to him like the
sentence death to criminal VINO hos
oeen proved guilty. He rose and walked
the length of the veranda, coming back
to lean against the railing opposite her.
you've said a hard thing, Miss Hester"
he began, land hope you'll forgive me
for having provoked it. wished tosay
something entirely different-to tell
you something of myself"
They both looked around at the sound
of horses hoofs on the gravel of the
avenue, dIlo saw OllO COlouCi anu Ills SUI
riding toward the house. Hester rose
and waited for him to finish. Its of
no consequence" he went on, ''or, at
least, you wouldn't think SO now. Will
you tell me good-by, Miss Latimer?"
She suffered him to take her hand,
wondering little at his abruptness.
'Surely you are not going SO early|'
she said.
"Yes, | think I'd BETTER"
'But we shall see you again soon,
shan't we?" she asked.
He was saved from replying by the
entrance of the colonel, who protested
warmly against his early departure,
adding: "Cyan't you stop awhile long,
er, and then take one Of the hawsses to
ride down?
NO. thank you, colonel; think I'd
better be going; and I'll enjoy the
walk Good night"
The flush of the summer sunset was
still in the western sky when he reached
the end of the avenue. Il can't go
down there and meet Tom and his
wife," he unused; "Helen would drive
me crazy with questions that l can't
answer tonight. I'll go the other way
and walk till they've gone to bed"
| He turned out of the avenue and took
| the road leading to the head of Nc
Nabb's cove, sauntering slowly along
and going over the events of the past
| few weeks for the hundredth time.
Its no use arguing the thing" he
| muttered, mot the least in the world.
| l can't change my nature, and she
would despise me if she knew what a
! miserable craven l am; don't believe
| 1 could bear that; and yet it's harder
! than death to leave her now. | know
| | could make her love me- saw 1T III
her eyes tonight, and 1 should have
made a wicked fool of myself in another
| minute if the colonel hadn't coIpe.
| Hello! who's that?''
| He turned at the sound of gallop.
| ing horse behind him and waited until
Henry Latimer refined up beside the
| footpath. The colonel's son glanced
quickly around into the gathering dusk.
| and then leaned over and handed re-
volver to Ringbrand. Father saw you
turn up this-a-way," he explained, land
he says you'd better tote that. You
mightn't need it in hundred years,
but if you did you'd need it right
much"
Ringbrand took the weapon awk-
wardly as man handles unfamiliar
tools. ''I'll carry it because you Were
kind enough to bring it, but l doubt
if I'd have the deNterity to make us,,
of it; however, | imagine there's not
| L ~.
your father for me-"
He dropped the pistol into his pocket
and stood looking after Henry as the
latter cantered back toward THE Lau-
rels;" then he resumed his walk and his
gloomy meditations.
Thinking about it afterward, he
never knew just how far he had gone
He had an indistinct recollection OF
coming out upon the cliff once, oppo
site the furnace, and of stopping to look
down into the fiery throat of the cupola
!, lighted by the intermittent flare OF
the burning gas. After that he remem
, bered that the road made detours int,
the forest and came out upon the cliff
alternately for what seemed distance
, of several miles. His last clear i'm
preston was the picture of q deep rem
t in the mountain lying before him il
the obscurity of fathomless darkness
he felt rather than saw that he wa.
looking into it's depths from the verg'
! of a precipice; and he noticed that TIN
, shadow of a great tree came between
him and the stars. 1t was here that tn
mysterious warning of the undefinet
sense which tells of approaching dan
/ ger began to make itself felt; ant
! when he recognized it's admonition b.
: realized that it had been pressing upol
him all along, and that he had beef
too preoccupied to heed it. Now, how
! ever, it refused to be longer ignored
and he felt cold little chills of apprehen
sion creeping over him as he peere'
around into the shadows of the forest
, What a contemplate coward l am.
I he muttered, struggling to brace him
: self against the unnerving attack
! standing here shivering like chill
: in "A dark room! l don't deserve t
E be called a mani"
!, Then he turned to retrace his step
toward Tregarthen; but he had 40
4 left the shadow of the tree when tw
/ men appeared before him as student
: and as silently as if they had droppe
Il h laan