The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-10-18

mount one of the brcomstiCks of my
youth, and so flying through the air
again In search of Tomfoolery l.andi
is there room for me?" A quiet
voice 1t was. but with n queer little
thrill In It, that put the question. III
So, take me up In front of you. My beast
is hard To hold in sometimes You look
so safe I'd like to try your broom"
Would you Gomez" wistfully. Il
haven't ridden 1t for years.
Il shouldn't be afraid of mounting
it-with you"
II might fly higher than you bar
gained for"-his sombre eyes were kim
dling-"and when you saw us rising
higher and higher above the housetops
you hight cry and beg to be put down"
And then you'd drop meg"
MOI" The word shot out, charged
with stubborn meaning. IF you once
mounted, | should hold ON tight"
Il believe you would laughing a tri-
ne nervously. You'd finish your race,
though you might drop at the post.
viii you enter one with me-" His
eyes were on fire now. "A race with
! phantoms, and nothing at the end OF
! 1t; wooden braomstlck to carry us,
and helpless cripple astrde II to steer
you to Tomfoolery Land?"
Hester, shaking with some strong
emotion, tried to answer lightly;
Your broomstick is almost as UNI
comfortable as my horse. We mustn't
soar too high. Perhaps Earth's the SAT-
est place for us poor mortals, after
| ALL"
The safest, yes; but the sweetest?"
Major Arnotts face was flushed. Hes
| tern n whisper-'dear one, don't
| you see? I've mounted the broom, and
am head and shoulders into Cloudland
already. Don't turn away,
Hester. Why"
Midway up to her eyes, where they
We're creeping coyertly, hand and hand
kerchief were arrested suddenly
You are crying! Crying! You! Stop
1t. Hester! Stop 1t. | tell YOU or shall
forget this"-hs glance swept down the
nerveless limbs outlined beneath the
rug-"and remember only that I'm n
man-who loves you"
The aged man trundlng the bath
| chair ambled along with bent back
and deaf ears apparently. II was half
past one. Tho "Front' was well-nigh
| deserted. Above them on the upper
terrace, Il womans high-pitehed voice
was heard distinctly.
mo, she's still marching that tire
some cripple up and down. Call to her,
Percy The girls good nature will in
duee her to foregn her lunch.
A cOmplaeent voice replied Whats
! lunch to Hester when there's new
monstrosity to add to the collection?
| Lois leave them, auntie They're hap
| pier ms they are He's half way through
his symptoms. and Testers morbid
mind is reyelng In the Unhealthy"
came disiointedly.
You're jealous, Percy" in Mrs. Vim
cents tones. Kind Kind he
cause she plties the poor thing That's
all. +"
Their voices died in the distance
Down below, the man and woman who
were left turned their eyes from each
others twitchng faces. She mutoned
to the chairman. He dropped the han
die slowly, and seating himself on
distant bench. ga2ed placidly out to sea.
| Hcstcr'S eyes returned to Arnott's.
| Shame aud suffering were looking out
Ut urus,,, essa "tltfye riiuayH tf4fata .sa.strrr
logged questioning. She answered. II.
Under the shelter of the oyerhangng
terrace she leaned down
1T isn't true" she whispered. her
face TRANSPORTED with the passion of
|
son. It's Just because | love you love
| you dear" Then bending low, she kiss
ed him on Ghe lips.
in the sun.
Bevls had had his answer. and he
didn't like II. CThey were back In town
now, Beyis and his aunt and IIester)
So Percy's visits ceased. and his aunt
was very wroth.
Major Arnott and his man were in
stalled in furnished rooms" Bare,
unlovely as they were, the time she
spent there. the one golden hour stolen
from the dreary twenty -four. trans
formed that "nrst-noor front" into
something Ike n Paradlse-for two
pairs OF eyes, at least. perhaps Pc
ters, assigned an attic with a sloplng
roof might, of the bumps upon his
head, tell quite a different tale but
Peters's opinion was not asked)
1t was this said Peters whom Hester,
encountering upon the stairs one even
Ing stopped to question.
You've returned?" she said rather
needlessly, OF course.
He admitted 30 much, with caution.
When she would have questioned him
he rushed into description of the Pri-
vate Nursing Home, It's inmates and
the incidents attendant on their de-
tentiun In it during the last seven days.
Her face sharpened with anxiety.
What was the Doctors verdict, Pc
tiers? / would rather know"
Peters avoided her eye-and a direct
answer.
MY masters expecting you" was all
he said, and she passed on up stairs
with sinking heart.
On the couch by the window Arnott
was lying the invalid chair wheeled In
TO a corner out OF sight. Something In
bis attltude--a logged squarinR of the
shoulders, an indelinable rebellion
struck her at once, and the pathos Of
It. the incongruity between the man
and his fate, gripped her by the heart.
Her lips stiffened a little. She moist.
ened them. then went and knelt be-
side him.
Never mind" she said, unsteadily
"tt-it can't be helped"
But, MS his arms went round her. she
turned her face to his breast. and the
shadows falling round them screened
and shut them In, so that their tears
were hidden even from each other
1T is quite hopeless. them she
whispered, when the fire was growing
dtpmer.
tEQuite I may walk on
crut6hes In q year or two, but shall
never be my own man again."
fIe looked up presently, and broke
into a laugh. why don't yon say It's
Gods Will, Heeter2 That It's done for
some wise purpose. and we must bow
to the DEGREES Of Fate? Your tongues
not ready with thego cut-and-dried con
dolencos."
Then, as she answered nothing. he
drew her close, till her head rested on
his shoulder and his cheek was laid on
hers.
do you know what II means? The
end OF everything Fins to book
concluded In its second chapter
And we only write once with the pen
dipped in our hearts blood; after that
we counterfeit the copy with nourishes