Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-01-21

figure; badly wounded, but still
alive"
ooh, thank and bless you for those
words" cried the girl, raising her white
face and pushing back her loosened hair.
Then, by the flare of the torches,
saw that she was one of the loveliest
beings had ever beheld; that she would
have been we'll nigh perfect in face, as
she was in figure, but for one sad defect
she was blind of one eye
"The ball struck him just here on the
temple" said Jennings. Its an ugly
wound but there is good chance for
him to pull through.
Murmuring again, "Bless and thank
you" the girl bent over him and wiped
the blood from his face with her hand
kerchief
at is odd" said the colonel. az seem
to know that young man, but l cannot
place him. There was something famil-
lar in his voice, too, as he came rushing
in before the skirmish. "
"Look, father, " replied his daughter,
turning the unconscious face more to
the light of the torches.
"Henrv Omerr' calculated the colo
mel. And at the same instant recog-
nized my mysterious friend.
"What does it mean?" continued the
colonel, with an expression of mingled
trouble and perplexity in his grizzled
features. He was thought to be dead.
"And dead he will be" interposed
Sergeant Jennings bluntly, eff we don't
get him to the fort as soon as possible"
mi 1
and half an hour later, with our wound
ed bestowed upon improyised stretchers,
we took up our march for the post.
Agnes Montgomery rode close beside the
litter upon which Omer, still insensible,
was borne. At every halt She dismount-
ed and hung over him until the Journey
was resumed.
We reached the fort without annoy
ance from the Apaches, and Omer was
installed i'll the colonels quarters, IN
der the surgeons care, with Agnes for
nurse For week he lay lowering be
tween life and death, then was pro
nounced out of danger.
One day was sent for to the colonels
dwelling, Propped upon pillows, look
ing woefully haggard and weak, with "a
bandnge covering one eye, | found
| Omer. Standing at his bedside, clasp
ing one Of his thin hands in both of
hers, was Agnes Montgomery, looking
wan and worn, too, but | thought there
was something Of quiet happiness
mingled with the divine pity of her ex-
preston. / noted that she wore glasses,
SO that the defective eye was scarcely
| observable.
Omer smiled family as l approached
| him and held out his other hand. ut
tered some words of sympathy for his
misfortune and congratulated him upon
| his escape from worse fate.
| You may well congratulate me, " he
said, "for | am the happiest man on
earth, l fully believe. The doctor tells
me shall lose the sight Of one eye.
| but that, it seems to me- be-
gan obviously.
1.-The very reason" he interrupted.
"Yes, the loss of this eye is IL repara
tom
"Oh, Henry" the girl exclaimed in
panied voice.
at is so, Agnes" h. said, with
tender smile. II feel that Providence
has dealt not only justly, but kindly,
with me have paid AN eye for an
eye, and am only too happy that the
| price has been accepted. Turning to
me, he continued: Il am still very
weak and must confinc my explanation
to a very few words, leaving you to
guess the rest 1t was at u game of ten
uis''-his features contracted as he ut
tered the word--"that by an unlucky
blow, clumsy brute that was-I-I in.
jured the eye of the woman | loved
more than life. When l learned that
the sight Of it was gone forever, | be-
came mad for time, think. fled far
and fast. | travelled know not where,
until at length | found place in the
desert where | meant to drag out the
remainder Of my miserable existence,
You wondered why l would not take
your we'll meant warning about the
Apaches. Well, in my secret heart |
welcomed the idea that Il savage's lance
might put "a period to my wretchedness.
When learned from one of your fort
messengers who stopped to water his
horse at my place Of the Apache out
break and the coming Of Colonel Mont
gomery and his family, was filled with
terror and ght-terror for their
peril and delight at the hope that
might perhaps sacrifice myself in the
effort for their rescue. l did not join
your troop, because l knew your move
ments must necessarily be slower than
mine. l counted upon warning the colo
nels party and holding the Indians in
check until you could come up. You
know what happened.
But you do not know" added Ag-
mes, blushing, yet proudly, THAT l
loved him always; that l felt more sor-
row for him than did for myself, and
that the bitterest hour of my life was
when the report reached me that he
was dead, as the happiest was''-she
hid her face upon his pillow-"when |
knew that he had not persisted i'll my
defense, but would live to be my own
by double tie. "
AN eye for an eye" murmured the
patient, with fond smile.
Then discreetly withdrew.
Mark Twain's Visit.
Not LONG after Mark Twain moved