Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-12
ct seems like dream. Mr.. Ford

ham"
But you will find it, I hope, happy
reality" he said, looking tenderly down
upon her bowed head. You do not re-
greet trusting to me?"
Obi" she murmured, Il never
dreamed that earth had so much hap
piness in store for me yet! And / owe
it all to your
And then Bertha could hear his foot
steps dying away in the distance; she
could see Mrs. Raymond standing mo-
tionless for a moment with her tiny
hands clasped, and then gliding softly
on, her scarlet scarf glimmering
through the dusk like the wing of a
Ceylon bird.
False! faithless" muttered Bertha
under her breath, with her white
teeth set closely together. And she!
how dare she!"
The storm of hot, unreasoning fury
that ragged in her breast seemed to
shake ner slight frame as a leaf is
shaken before the equinoctial gale;
her face was whittier than monumental
marble, and her eyes literally blazed
| with blue, baleful fire. At that instant
| there was murder in Bertha Wyman' s
heart.
She hurried down the twilight glade
the thorns tearing her dress, the briers
wounding her delicate flesh, but she
felt them no more than il they had
been rose petals blown toward her by
| the evening breeze. Some strong, saw
age purpose was maturing in her mind
some overmastering passion held her
| whole being in its grasp.
She knew that to strike into the
right road, Zaidee must ere long.sake
| the secluded path she herself was tread
ing. Her sole aim was to reach the
tiny foot-bridge which crossed the mar
row river first.
And she succeeded. 1t was quite
dark-the fragrant, starry darkness OF
a midsummer night-when she hurried
down the steep shelving bank.
''The planks are old and fuinous, %
she murmured. They shook and rat
tied under my feet as passed over to-
day. Zaidee Raymond shall come be-
tween me and my plighted lover no
more.!"
As she crossed she deliberately
stopped, tearing up plank after plank
behind her. and throwing them into
the river with a dull splashing sound.
There were not large, but had they
been twice, nay. three times their size
Bertha Wyman would have torn them
away from the moldering beams, so
supernatural seemed her strength in
that instant.
"There!" she said half aloud, paus-
ing to look down into the peaceful
stream where the planks foated amid
the faint reflection of inuumerable
stars. Long ago, when was child
man was drowned here. The water
is deep, and the spot is very lonely"
The next moment she was gone, hur-
rying madly away, as If some unseen
presence were following close upon her
footsteps.
You're late tonight, Bertha"
Paul was looking out for her from
the piazza steps. and came pleasantly
too meet her.
Il know It," she said, putting the
hair away from her forehead, where
the cold dew stood in beads. st is a
long way from Redoote Farm, and IL
did not walk very fast"
Come and sit by me, Bertha" said
Paul; I've got a long story TO tell
you"
What Is IT." she asked. mechanical
ly.
IT'S about little Zaidee Raymond.
She's not widow, after all"
mot a widow
NO: and how do you suppose |
found it out? Clifford. my cousin
Clifford. wrote to me from India. and he
is her husband. You see, there was
some misunderstanding. some absurd
quarrel between them before the
honeymoon was over. He was jeaI-
GUS fool and she was passionate. and
she ran away and left him. He some
how heard that she was in TINS part
Of the country and wrote to me. OF
course. the minute / gos ~ chance 10
speak 10 her / knew it was Zaidee.
And she Is the happiest little creature
in the world. TO think be really Loves
her, and next week she's going ont
TO him. I've managed it all. Don4
you think I'm pretty good dipIo.
matlst3"