The labor world., 1899-12-30
BOOTEESS.
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looking wearily on, caring very little
if they left him none.
Many months passed, and the time
seemed to Lucy to fly. There was al
which Jagged so sadly with Bottles
ways something going on. and she lived
in a whirl-a pleasant whirl, with no
hard work in it. The thought did occur
to her that Bootles looked very thin,
but it just flashed into her mind and
out again, being so preoccupied. More
over, she had her own harassments,
and a decision was necessary for which
she felt hardly ready.
There had been two deaths in John
Sinclair's office, and he had written to
say that at last his ship had come pros
perously home. that his position was
better and his income even little
above the coveted amount. But he said
nothing beyond these facts, for John
had a delicate and scrupulous sense OF
honor which forbade him to claim her.
He was faithful, and it was for her
to speak now, and she knew it.
Two hundred a year! To the old
Lucy such a sum had seemed vain
dream Of Opulence. but now she spen,
nearly that in dress and amusement,
for Uncle Marsh, with view to future
profits, was exceedingly liberal to her.
Two hundred year seen through the
golden haze Of the Rushton wealth
looked ridiculous, absurd almost to
vanishing point. OF course she loved
John, but it was great sacrifice. and
she would wait little before answer
ing definitely.r A month passed-two
months-and still she waited, but a
sense of unworthiness dimmed even the
auriferous atmosphere in which she
lived, and she was irritable and i'll at
ease Bootle, too, felt ailing and weak,
and one wet evening he made a desper-
ate rusf--for the last time-to Lucy s
room. He reached it triumphantly, and
flung himself, little muddy, trembling
heap of joy, upon her dinner dress of
white silk. In the far-off days of serge
dresses they had neither Of them mind
ed muddy paws, but now he had done
irreparable mischief, and in ordering
his instant dismissal she struck: him
ansrily.
He whined piteously as they drove
him away, but not with the hardness Of
the blow.
The next day as she was starting for
a drive with Mr.. Rushton, the stable
help sent message that he thought
the dog was i'll.
I'LL" she repeated doubtinsly. "He
was quite well yesterday. I'll go and
see him at once
But Mr.. Rushton protested, declaring
that they were losing the beauty of the
day. Hell be all right" he said; ''let
me help you in
And she yielded to his impatience.
They were out all the afternoon, and
when they returned the stable help sent
another message to say that the dog
was dying.
The butler who gave the message
saw the healthy bloom fade from her
face, leaving it quite pale. She was
letting him sink out of life unheeded,
uncared for, with never a kind word,
and her last act of which he was con-
scious a blow the bitter waters of re-
morse closed over her head. With
everything blotted out but her sin and
it's consequences, she wept anguished
tears over the piteous little victim OF
prosperity, and the stablemen standing
round, amazed and sympathetic, knew
that this was no maudlin grief, but a
deeply sorrowing woman in an agony
Of penitence
She could remember her other friend
now. and her treatment Of him-the
disloyalty she had contemplated stood
out a scarlet sin against the pain or
loss. They were the only ones WAC had
loved her faithfully through many
years, and she had betrayed them both,
the one to death and the other -!
Supposing God had punished her by
taking the man, too, so leaving her no
place for repentance. He had not writ
ten for two months, and it might easily
be so The fear and terror master.u
her completely; she could not look at
such an apprehension without turning
giddy as though the solid Garth rocked
under her feet. There was only one
way of escape-only one voice in the
whole world which could comfort her
then. and, turning to- the helper, who,
in his rough way, had been kind. to
Bottles. she begged him to get the dog
cart ready, and drive her to the station.
II must catch the up train! I must!'
And the man. plying the suffering on
her face, which had changed it so ut
terly in a. few moments, did her bid
ding WOrdleSsly. But the anger of
Uncle Marsh and his contemptuous in
dignation at her folly, was by no means
wordless. nor could she answer him
anything, for he would not have un-
derstood. being worldly wise only.
Moreover. to her, standing at last face
to face with the tremendous issues Of
life. he and his like were merely shad-
ows: she saw nothing clearly but her
remorse and the chance of atonement,
which was as a city of refuge against
unquenchable fire.
Without one look back she pressed on
to it, Grudging every precious moment.
The man drove fast. but fear hurried
before her. If he, too. should be dead!
That was the dread craving stronger
as the lights of London ilared against
a dark Sky. If his place was vacant
where should she go to die of grief and
repentance:
And to think l have been going to
church all these months with my heart
I..fa CT. f,tn