Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-04-21

Aud BruntOn's voice got husky.
aud he had difficulty in rendering
bis farewells id May as he would
have wished.
Re entering Mrs. Derricb's gar
den cautiously, the culprits had
scarce gained the safe vantage O
the shrubbery before cncouuterlug
an emlssary in search OF Sylvia.
Lady MartlDgale was gong. bad
been gong for quite ten minutes,
and both her cloak and her grand
daue ehter were 10 seek!
Athwar the little green door the
moonlight gliled softly, and Brun-
Ton, staudlug in The near shadow
of an Hex, would willingly have
propped the coming hour out Of
his hte.
Siuce his return to England a
few days before, the memory of
this approaching assignation bad
! prrsisteutly recurIed to BIN. As a
man of honor, be knew he dare not
shirk it. And Yet how painful TO
he forced 10 see s, lvIa, 10 look in
TO those innocent, truthful eyes
for of her cOustancy he had no
d0ubt-aud confess how he hal
changed, and TO tell boldly that
meeting had proved bat an incl
dent, of no moment IN the ordering
of his HE.
lie must undeceive Ter rs ten
derl, az possible, speak Of + eanor
regretiuily, Ut least not let ; lyl
guess how Ell irely happy then
union was, or thai she, SiIvla. had
Ong ceased u be auCht bot pret'
ty, selimental remembrance TO
him.
Even as he schooled himself a
distant cock struck the hour, aud
with the fist faint chime the steady
sound of an opening lock. She
was there!
Gently turning the handle, he
passed through ;hc green door and
entered Lldy Marinsal's garden,
, Beside the great stone basin of the
old fountain stood Sylvia, the
4 moonlight sparkling on her halr
and adding an ethereal glamour lC
t the sheen OF her robe.
A swift pang smOte him as h(
$ saw that as when they first met
. she wore white, forgetting that he
- too, had sought to recarture hli
his former aspect for her view.
. Her eyes met his in questioning
q appeal, and for moment "A mai
rash OF ply, romance, affection
: call it what y0n Will, oyercame him
a and, springing forward, he ciugb
d her auGS.
s "Syvia.'
"Yps.
+, 'Yon bad rot forgottenG"
4 - o. Aud oui'
- 81 am here"
4 Al er the greeting there tell
70 sense of cous;ralnt, which Bun
4 ton realized was nor all Of his owl
- making. She was lovely, eye'
i, mole lovely than Of yote-lallrI
' 700 with ihe lapse of lears-au
a with an added soacthlng in hr
= expression that was new TO him.
D. Behind them the fOuuiai
y. -plashed and urmured. The
p SILVIA broke the silence, Speakln
ii a. if in answer to his thoughts.
I. "You-you have chauged-ai
If not the SANE OF course, you loo
il Older and brohztd; | don't mea
T., that. BIT there il something els
- Your mauner-"
r. Bruuton felt there was no escal
- for him. H must tell her, aid =
once.
10 sylvia he began breathlessl,
m three years Is long lime"
i, "Oh, yes; is 1t nOIl" she inle
W posed, eagerly.
II. "Aud you know, ones clrcuo
Al stances alter-uew people inte
er vepe."
rd ayes, yes; so they do"
h. Her unexpected acquiescrn'
n was dlsconcrrtIng, but he dOgge
I'd ly stumbled on.
t,s "And Sylvia, wish TO tell y,
We i know it seems mean and cru
but last year ! met Eeano
.rv md
MS "Hash!' interrupted Sylvia, su
he denly raising her hand, and tur
nd ing IN an attitude Of listening e,
of pectancy toward the lighted wi