Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-07-02
A LIFE FOR A LIFE.


Miss Mulock's title.
Bertrode Dodge was blue. 1t was
August weather-there was no air
stirring from one arid noon until the
next, and the insects Kissed malic-
iously all day long in the parched
grasses. Perhaps that was the rea.
son that Bertrode was blue.
Perhaps it was that, as she walked
Growers Tract day by day, and saw
the summers limited completion 10
in the red apples burning among the
gray.green boughs, the hay. fields at
aftermath, the purple-tasseled corn,
and yellow wheat, that she felt her
life to be aimless. She had let the
summer come and wane across her
passive existence. The previous
winter she had said, II feel ice bound
now. When summer comes will
shake off this merton and redeem
to-day"
Yet the summer was rapidly pass.
ing, and she was still a-dream. Her
dolce far niente was so pleasant!
The hour never seemed to come
which called her to exertion. Well,
cloves young dream" comes but
once; it was as well, perhaps.
Growers Tract and her farmhouse
life was not dull, as she expected it
to be when she returned from her
mountain tour year before; only
at Tires the outdoor sounds and the
leisurely growing works of nature
oppressed her. In the winter she
had been gay, looking at the sunset
across the snow, watching the chick.
ADDE'S, and searching the woods for
purple mereion. In the spring the
long walks to the post-office had
been full Of joyful fancies and golden
realities.
But in August something seemed
to Cypress her. The sky burned too
blue, the woods were too calmly con-
tent in their greenness, the days
closed too beautifully in their ripe
splendor, as she walked the Tract at
sunset, coming from the post. Office
coming always empty-handed. Yes,
something was wrong, and when she
realized it fully she said:
Il am idle-I am stepped in idle
ness. | have been doing nothing
for year. Now / will have some
work. and Dick may 60 TO the o st
office. ! care too much for those
letters. .
Whatever those letters might be
there came no more Of them. A Ger.
tain gay tourist drifting about the
world, forgot to write them at last;
perhaps Berirode was pretty, but
onetraveling everywhere meets many
pretty faces.
Bertrode's cheek grew thin and
white. Her mother saw that she
struggled to repress growing irri-
tableness. But she worked on un.
ceasingly at her new employment OF
teaching the district school at
Growers Tract. She devoted her.
self to the children. Their parents
sail they had never before learned
SO fast. Bertrode smiled only faint
" at their praise. One day, coming
home from school through the
woods, she flung herself down among
the ferns and dead grasses.
at is dust and ashes!' she cried.
The sky cleaned blue through the
green boughs overhead, and little
bird sang cheerily in a neighboring
bush. She lay there until she felt
the dew falling. As she rose up
something rustled at her side. She
looked down; great rattlesnake was
slipping through the grass, going
from her, apparently unaware OF her
presence. Fascinated, immovable,
yet full of horror, she stood watch
ing the CT ature. For a moment it
glided steadily on, its course so di-
rect, its appearance 80 subtle and
deadly, thst she felt spellbound as
she regarded it. Suddenly, with a
thrill OF horror, she saw the reptile s
aim; it was making directly for q
shady spot where a man lay asleep
beneath the trees. One moment
more would be too late to prevent
the threatened attack. Starting from
passiyity, she seized a stone at hei
feet and hurled it full at the crea-
ture. He had just paused and raised
his crest to view his position, when
the stone struck him upon the back
of the head, and with a vengeful his.
he leaped into the air, then fell fni
length upon the ground and slowly
expired.
Bertrode stood looking at th,
dusty length and bloody head of III,