Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-05-26
him as her escort to her friends and
weeks passed by and made months OF
themselves and still he fingered

him as her escort to her friends and
weeks passed by and made months OF
themselves and still he fingered.
She wrote to Lydia often and Lydia
told her in return that BERTHE was en-
joying himself beyond expression and
thanked her for her kindness.
"You must come to see u.s." she
wrote, "and pay long, long visit and
we'll try to amuse you little, though
we are not in New York
"We!" repeated May to herself. eyes,
suppose Lydia's mother-in-law lives
with her. She always said she would
and there are the children" And then
she fell to thinking.
I wonder what he says to Lydia?'
she asked herself. Il wonder whether
she guesses that my romance has come
to me with her Cousin? l feel sure
she wanted it to be, but I cannot tell
her until all is fairly settled"
And so in three months it had come
to this She was only waiting for him
to ask the question, to which it would
be her 10Y to say Yes"
She had no more doubt that he loved
her than that she lived, and had grown
to be a happy woman, who felt young
and gay and hopeful and never looked
in the hand-glass now for gray hairs OF
wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
Albert was going back to the West
very soon, but she had no doubt that
he would utter the words she was long
ing to hear before he went, and she was
ready to go with him if he wished it
or to wait for her return-to make he1
home in any part of the wide world
that he perferred, for she loved him
better than her life.
at last he came to her with a grave
purpose in his eye and a little sadness
in his voice. They were alone in the
big oldfashioned parlor, with it's col
umns and it's alcoves deserted at this
hour by the boarders, and he spoke
softly:
May" he said-they had called each
other May and BERTHE for long while
now-"I did not think what a dear
friend you would become to me when
waited for you here with Lydia's let
ter. You have been so nice to me !
feel it very hard to go away"
"But you are coming back, Bertie?'
faltered May Clifton, with a strange
sudden falling of the sweet hope in hel
heart.
"You will be out there before that
time, l hope" he said Il think you
would like to live in the West"
Her heart grew light again.
ooh, yes" she said.
Then he took her hand and held il
softly.
mo; Lydia did not half tell me about
you" he said.
Look here, May" He took a box
from his pocket and dropped rims
from it into her palm. Something
want to show you,' he said. ''Yol
| guess what it is?'
He took her finger and slipped it on
Her heart was beating so that sh
could not speak, but she smiled.
There's a posy inside" he sale
"Forever and forever 1t will be fol
ever and forever with me when l pu
that wedding ring on my darling
finger. Has Lydia ever told you abou
me?"
May faltered something.
He shook his head.
81 know she wrote to you about GU
being engaged. OF course, you under
stood that about being her deares
friend. She said you would, but 20
know l was always in love with hel
and it nearly killed me when she mar
| ried. l went away because of that, bu
when he died l came back. l had t
try hard, for she had some silly nc
tions about it being her duty never t
marry again, but she owned to likin
me. We shall be married a few day
after my return. Can't you come t
the wedding, May? Can't you be GU
sister on that day? I've often though
if you would come like sister and liv
with us what home it would be-.
AS she listened May Clifton slowl
understood all, even that little we c
Lydia's over which she had puzzled
She took the ring from her finger an
said it was handsome and that sh
would try to go to the wedding. A
utter falsehood this, but we must pal
don her. And she said also that youn
married couples were quite sufficie1
for each other for awhile, and she bad
him goodbye smillingly. Then ST
went upstairs, suffering from a strans
sensation, as though her heart ha
stopped beating and she were turnir
to stone.
at is going to be Mr.. Dow, after all
she said, and sat down at her desk an
once more began her little note:
: Dear Mr.. Dow: l have at length D
5 solved to accept"
There was nothing else on the pap
when the chambermaid found her lyiI
: on the floor with the pen in her han
4 quite dead.
( "Her mother died of heart disease
said the old doctor. "She had inheritt
it. and 1 suppose little agitation hi
brought on an attack"
The sheet of paper bearing the fe
lines she had written were sent to M
Dow. who cherished them tenderly, al
never married any one else. Bert
Rowan went home and married Lydi
He was an excellent husband to he
but could she have read his We
thoughts / fear she might sometim
have been foolish enough to be jealo
of the dead woman whose heart
never guessed that he had broken
New York Ledger.
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