Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-06-01

He took q chair HCur ~ sofa on which /
she IyUS SitttH3.
away until have had my private in /
trryicN. There are some things | want |
YOU Ia do for me about the Lodge.
She nodded her little curkScrew curls /
gayly and truttrd away, leaving Olivia |
almost gasping for breath.
1t WAS left to Tom to relieve the !
strained situation. lie had been in
suecting a newly executed portrait OF |
his guardian while Miss Malvina had
ratified of her apologies. olivia had
asked his opinion of the painting, ana
he had given ii. He came over now
and took a chair near the sofa on
which she WAS sitting. 1t was as II he
had put up a bar between them. Sim
pie as the act was. ii made it very hard
for her To hold fast 10y resolve she
had come to. she wished he had seat
ed himself on the sofa 10y her side. He
would have done 80 once. she lifted
shy ewes to his as he said easily:
And 50 my little sister is going out
to see the great worldE Tell me some
thing of Your route"
She was so intent upon her own line
of thought that she did not answer.
How calm and self possessed he look
ed. What Il strong. furctful face his
had become. Scarcely vcstisc was
left of the shy. bashrul boy she used TO
patroniZc and torment. sure of his al
ways loving her Tom had grown
away from her.
or perhaps" said Tom. filling in
what thrca .cucd to become an nwk-
ward pause. you have not marked
out any arbitrary route. SO much the
better. Are You going direct to NiceE
Yes. | suppose 50. don't know.
1t will be the innoCcnts abroad when
Miss Malyina and l slip our moor
ings."
She laughed Historically. How could
she ever say "itT' How could She 20
away without saying it, She felt
like a leaf in winter storm. How
cool and steady his voice was,
You will meet with agreeable sur
/ prises in that respect. Everything is
| so simpllicd and systematlZed nova
! days that women can travel over the
world with impunity. | am sure you
will enjoy IT,"
And | am sure | shall not | never
expect to enjoy anything again. Tom
as long as | live, neyer-anythng at
all"
Her eyes were wet with unShed
tears: her cheeks We're hot with UNI
hidden bushes: her claspcd hands
tremblcd visibly; her excitement was
getting beyond her control. RroXton
/ looked at her in grave surprise. Then
smile of pity came into his fine face.
You are young yet, Ollie, so young,
and to the young sorrow has such Il
dreadful tiLality in seeming. But 1t
is only in seeming. little friend. We
can outlive and live down about ali
the troubles malicious fate can con
ceive of for our torment If we Will
only believe in ourselves, be true to
the best in us"
She looked at him with the ghost OF
smile on her lips. THAT sounds
dreadfully experienced, Tom"
and am | not experienced? Not
he added, with quick thought for her
that | am quarreling with destiny
MY philosophy is that all that is Is
right
THAT is fatalism. and do not think
fatalism is healthy, especially for SC
young a man. You see, have not for
nj wifi
Tom"
, mo. Come, now, this grows promis
ing | lived in Germany Just Ions
, enough to acquire a taste for meta
physics and to miscal. myself philoS
p opher. We don't indulge along tina
line at the works. Let me hear yol
= define fataliSm."
His cool acceptance of the existing
\ status of things eXasperated her mos
, unreasonahly.
you are turning my meaning into
t jest, Thomas. | suppose | am no
< worth serious thought nowadays. s.
: you are obliged to think of me as
4 good joke. No: | don't mean that a
all, for that implies that you do some
times think about me-"
!. 81 am glad YOU do not mean it. w
~ have been good friends too long t
il quarrel with each other just as YOU ar
= about TO put the ocean between us, an
r we would have no chance to make Il
l. inside of a whole year
a Nothing could be more matter @
fact, nothing less loverlike than hi
, entire bearing from the moment Of hi
= arrival. If only she could think h
o was acting a part, If only she cOul
l. think he felt as he had once felt t.
if ward her. wanted what he once wan
If ed-her-t would make it easier fC
f. her. Before he had come she. standin
Or before her fathers portrait, had regi
ar tered silent promise.
70 81 will try to do your bidding to til
~ utmost, father. Heretofore | have onl
refrained from doing that whic
IS would have come between me and
rs l am going to marry Thomas Broxtol
h. Then your sad, pleading voice will d
w. out of my memory perhaps"
or But Tom was making it so dreat
so fully difficult. She took the plum.
es presently. Her voice trembled at IL
". start
IT. "Thomas | am going to ask you
tie question before we part. Will you al
= swer it very honestlyY
le- THAT depends" He smiled dow
as calmly into her troubled face.
on Her eyes fell before the cool stead
ness of his. She clasped her hant
lst tightly upon her lap.
er Il want to ask you how long VIC
n were standing in the doorway of Fl
ma theirs rnnln tlaI-nirh [ -hnfnln We