The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-09-01

condolences on either side, and as
the weeks wore on the constraint
between them rather increased
thsn diminished.
Lesbia and Harold meanwhile
had resumed the uninterrupted
intercourse of two years ago with
mutual pleasure. They were at
tracted to one another by their in
telleetual and artistic sympathies.
Harold's blindness had not inter
fered with his mental growth; it
seemed, on the contrary, to have
given to his intellect greater
depth and concentrativeness. Les
bla soon found her own mind ri
penlng and developing by contact
With his. The stagnation, which
the dull life in the remote little
village had begun to cause, was
broken up, and her thoughts flowed
freely once more. Old entliusiasms
revived, and she listened with
vivid interest to what Harold had
to say of the great social move
ments of the time, and the part he
had hoped to play III them.
The beautiful autumn time wore
on. The glory of color on trees
and hedges heightened from day to
day; and every evening the great
sky was pleasant with the pagean-
try of sunsets. One late October
afternoon Lesbia joined Mr. Hea-
ley, Harold, and Alice in 81 long
rambling excursion through the
lanes and fields. It happened-as
somehow it had often happened
lately-that Harold and Lesbia
walked together, while Mr.. Healey
and Alice went on in front. Les
bla had become as tactful as Alice
herself in guiding the blind man
when be needed guiding, and leav-
ing him togrope his own way where
he was able to do SO. From the
high road they turned into beau
tiful lane of character rare in
that little wooded region. It was
bordered, avenue like, with trees
of a considerable height. The road
way was strewn with fallen leaves,
but enough foliage still remained
on the trees to make q semi-shade
in the lane. Harold and Lesbia
passed suddenly out Of this shade
into view Of a sunny open pros
| pect of meadow land. He put out
his hand, cropping. Lesbia took
it and he held hers in strong,
grateful clasp. She was glad he
could not see her face Never in
! her life had she been moved as she
was moved now, with passion
that was half joy, half pain in It's
intensity. She could not but know
what the tumult of feeling meant
Her intellectual sympathy with
Harold and her compassion for his
affection We're comprehended in
something greater and deeper than
either. The hot blood rushed tc
her face.
Then looking across the meadow
she saw Alice glancing back from
the gate at the end. She gently
drew her hand from Harold's.
"There is Alice looking for us,
she said. "Shall we hurry on?"
From that day Lesbia followed
Jack Macdonald 8 example, and OF
one pretext and another absentec
, herself from the Viearage, and de
/ clined to join Harold and Alice il
, their walks and excursions. Nov
! and then she yielded to Alice anx
ious solicitations, or to Harold
earnestly expressed wish, that sh
! should accompany them; and OF
those occasions it puzzled her t,
\ find that Alice seemed deliberatel,
to contrive that she and Harold
3 should be thrown together.
In November, autumn passe,
: very suddenly into winter. Stron
: winds came and swept the tree
, bare, cerpeting the lanes thielSl,
( with the rich spoil. Then cam
!, snow and sharp frosts. The beaut
e of many huod foliage was replace
t by that of the dark tracery 0
}, boughs against clear blue skies
and by the glitter of frost, or th
. pure whiteness Of snow, on roa
f and field and hedgerow.
About the end of November
;. Alice and Harold returned to Lon
6 don. Harold went hopefully. Dun
t ing the last few weaks favorabl
e symptoms had developed, and h
: was sanguine that the operation h
y was about to go through would b
i successful. When he babe good
bye to Lesbia, there was subdue
$ excitement in his manner-ver
:, different from his habitual serent
k ty-and he seemed to be holdin
= | bimSalf in great restraint