Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-07-11
LOST MANS LANE.
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
kCopyrieht, 1897, by Anna K. Rohlfs.
CHAPTER XIII.
GOSSIP.


ancient namesake, observed Mrs. Car
ter. "She may have the heart to love
but she would never show that love b,
any act of daring"
II don't know about that, +" l replied
astonlshed that felt willing to ente
into discussion with this woman OF
the very subject l had just shrunk from
talking over with the locksmith "Girl
as frall and nervous as she sometimes
astonish one at a pinch. l do not thinl
Lucetta lacks daring"
You don't know her Why, | have
seen her jump at the sight of a spider
and heaven knows that can be nothing
new to her among the decaying wall.
III which size lives A puny chit, Miss
Butterworth; pretty enough, but weak
The very kind to draw lovers, but not
to hold them. Yet every one pities her,
her smile is so heartbroken
with ghosts to trouble her and a
lover to bemoan she has surely some ex.
cuse for that, said I.
"Yes, don't deny it. But why has
she lover to bemoan? He seemed a
proper man beyond the ordinary. Why
let him 90 as she did? Even her sister
admits that she loved him. y
81 do not know the circumstances, y
said l.
"Well, there isn't much story to it.
He is a young man from over the noun
tains, well educated and with some
thing of fortune of his own. He came
here to visit the Spears, believe, and
seeing Lucetta one day leaning on the
gate in front of her house he fell in love
with her and began to pay her his at
tentions. That was before the lane got
its present bad name, but not before one
or two men had vanished from among
us without anything being known OF
their fate. William-that is their broth.
er, you know-has always been anxious
to have his sisters marry, so he did not
stand i'll the way, and no more did Miss
knollys, but after two or three weeks
of doubtful courtship the young man
went away, and that was the end of it.
And great pity, too, say l, for once
clear of that house Lucetta would grow
into another person. Sunshine and love-
two very good things, Miss Butter
worth, especially for those that are
weakly and timid.
Thought the qualification excellent.
Eyes" said l, II should like to see
the result of them upon Lucetta. - Then,
with an attempt to still further sound
this woman's mind and with that the
united mind of the whole village, re-
marked: 1.-THE young do not usually
throw aside such prospects without ex-
cellent reasons. Have you never thought
that Lucetta was governed by principle
in discarding this very excellent young
man?'
Principle? What principle could she
have had in letting desirable husband
go?"
"She may have thought the match
an undesirable one for him."
"For him? Well, never thought Of
that. True, she may They are poor,
but poverty don't count in such old
families as theirs l hardly think she
would be influenced by any such con-
Now, if this had happened
this year, after the lane got its name
and all this stir had been made about
folks disappearing there might have
given some weight to your suggestion
are SO queer, especially the wo-
men of old families like theirs-but this
happened long ago and when folks all
thought heap of the Knollys, leastwlse
Of the girls, for William does not 60 for
much, you know-too stupid and too
brutal. -
William! Would the utterance of
hat name heighten my suggestion?
her closely, but could detect /
40 change in her somewhat puzzled
"My illusions were not in reference
% the disappearances, said l. Il was
thinking of something else. Lucetta Is
lot well.
"Ah, l know! They say she has some
lind of heart complaint, but that was
lot true then Why, her cheeks were
ike roses in those days and her figure
is plump and pretty as any you could
zee now among our village beauties.
No, Miss Butterworth it was her weak
ness lost him She probably palled upon
MS taste. It'vas noticed that he held
MS head very high in going out OF
own.
"Has he married since?" asked.
"Not to my knowledge, ma am.
"Then he loved her." | declared.
She looked at me quite curiously.
Doubtless that word sounds little queer
IN nv lips, but that shall not deter me
rom using it when the circumstances
eem to require. Besides, there was once
| time But there, promised to fall
INTO no digressions
"You should have been married your
elf. Miss Butterworth, said she.
was amazed, first at her daring and
econdly that l was so little angry at
(. But then the woman meant no Of
ense, probably intended compliment
ather. Il
81 am very well contented as am,
returned. II am neither sickly nor
imid."
She smiled, looked as if she thought
{ only common politeness to agree with
ne and tried to say so, but finding the
ituation too much for her coughed and
iscreetly held her peace. came to her
escue with new question.
"Have the Knollys ever been success
nj in love? The mother of these girls
oD-she who was Althea Burroughs
,as her life with her husband happy: l