The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-03-05
--..---i.'.- ... 90 -..----.
REWARD OF A WOMAN.

see him again. Ha! find beau is no
such ugly thing, neither,'-Sheridan
The girl leaned both her hands on the
little rickety, hand-painted lodging
house table, and looked up with laugh
ter and mock admiration in her eyes at
her lover, who came and stood before
her. But the man looked down at her
in eager pleading,
"Ursula, darling, how can you talk
In that way-now?"
"How can 1? Why, with pretty
grace. hope"
ursula" cried the man, don't have
that mood! 1t hurts me. 1t maddens
me to waste our minutes so. Oh, my
darling, have you no sentiment in your"
Sentiment" she began, lightly; but
she stopped suddenly and her word
trailed Off into sob. BERTHE"
The man caught her hands quickly.
what, darling?"
She dropped her head on his breast
Dnd her breath came fast.
"You have thought me unsentimental,
matter-of-fact even hard-yes, just
little bit hard-ever since you first
knew me; whileyou were so-so-other-
wise"
He held her tightly to him and
waited.
"But"-and It was she who spoke
passionately now-"I was only acting,
BERTHE; only showing you surface
heart. And now-now you are going
away, and for so long, ! will give up
acting. am sentimental-sillily senti-
mental, if only you knew. / did not
show it, don't know-I was shy, l
suppose. thought you would not care
FOR it-that you would laugh at me-"
ooh, Ursula, Ursula!" he exclaimed.
81 believe you would laugh now if
you only knew how ridiculous am
how much love you. And now have
broken down-you have made me break
down. can never unsay my confess
sion. I have humbled myself have
laid bare my heart"
Ursula, my own! why did you never
confess before? laugh at you! Oh,
my darling. have hungered to hear
you say such words"
The eyes of the girl were love-steeped,
and her lashes wet. and she raised her
head and looked up at the man.
"All this past year you have made me
happier than ever dared hope to be-"
she whispered, trembling-"the hap
piest woman in the whole world. I
think"
And the man bent and pressed his lips
to hers. "But want to make you still
happier" he said, passionately. 81
want to take you from all the care and
drudgery; to have you all to myself; to
guard you, to cherish you-never to
part Oh, if only had money! This
waiting, waiting is awful; and the hope
so small, the reward so SLOW"
Sam l really small-and slow?" she
asked, softly.
He laughed back at her. Not you,
dearest, but the getting on, and the pit
lance; it all seems so endless. Even
now am holding you only to part from
you-to go back to the grind. And
worse than all is the knowledge that
you are also drudging, and cannot pre-
vent it."
Gas there must be waiting, dear, I am
glad of the work to fill my time. And"
with a soft blush, 81 shall be saving for
my trousseau."
Don't Ursula-don't go boarding
your shillings and denying yourself.
Some day will make my pile, and you
shall walk in silk attire; and we'll
leave the work, and the trouble, and the
care, and go off a-wandering in Italy
and Greece and Algiers, and every place
we've ever set our hearts on"
The Understanding clock upon the
painted marble mantelpece struck five
metallic strokes.
Five o'clock already! This is awful!
For whole year, or longer. Say it
again, Ursula-that you love me-"
81 love you, Bertie." she said, slowly,
and quite solemnly. 81 love you.
think I would die for you quite will
ingly."
Darling, darling, for a long year"
He caught her up to him in passionate
eulDIdCc, Ills lips LHcl ielS az diu duu
again; then he turned quickly, and went
toward the door.
There will be the letters" she said,
in voice which strove to be steady and
cheerful, for his white, hopeless face
hurt her heart. And then he was gone.
Three hours later the man sat at n
CHEEKY little dinner in London, a little
farewell meal with few old college
friends. After which he went on board
his steamer and walked the deck in the
starlight, with pipe for consolation as
he thought of the poor and lonely girl
he had left, and longed for money to bring
him his desire. And so absorbing were
these thoughts that the pipe went out,
and still he paced TO and fro. unkeeding,
until at last, his elbow being logged ac-
cidentally, he came back to tie near
preseat again, and, taking the cold pipe
from his lips, tapped it out on the rail.