Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-07-04
he would wait. till his daughter re-.

he would wait, TIL his daughter re-
turned.
"She had not gone alone A faithful
groom was behind her, and from him
was learned the conclusion of that
quest. For an hour and half they rode;
then they came upOL II chapel in the
mountains in which were burning un.
wonted lights. At the sight the lady
drew rein and almost fell from her
horse into the arms of her lackey. "A
marriage, she murmured, "a mar
riage, and pointed to "A carriage stand
ing in the shadow of a wide spreading
tree. 1t was their family carriage. How
well she knew it. housing herself, she
made for the chapel door. L will stop
it, she cried Il am her mother, and
have the right. But the lackey drew
her back by her rich white dress.
'Lookn he cried, pointing in ut one Of
the windows, and she looked. The man
she loved stood before the altar with
her daughter. He was looking in that
daughters face, and his look showed a
passionate devotion. 1t went like dag
ger TO her heart. Crushing her hands
against her face, she walled out some
fearful protest; then she dashed toward
the door with Stop! Stop' on her
lips. But the faithful lackey at her side
drew her Back once more. Listen was
now his word, and she listened. The
minister whose form she had failed tc
see i'll her first hurried look was utter.
ing his benediction She had come toe
late The young couple We're married
"Her servant said, for so the tradi-
ton survives, that when she saw this
she grew calm as walking death in an
instant Making her way into the chap
ell, she stood ready at the door to greet
them as they issued forth, and when
they saw her there, saw the rich bedrag-
gled robe and the CLEAN of jewels on
neck she had not even stopped to envel-
op in more han the veil from her hair,
he seemed &c see what he had done and
stopped the bride, who in her confusion
would have fled back to the altar where
she had just been made wife.
'Kneell' he cried 'Kneel, Amarynth
Only thus can we ask pardon of ouJ
mother But at til, word, that word
which seemed to push her a million
miles away from these two beings, who
but two hours before had been the dear
est beings on earth to her. the unhappy
woman gave cry and fled from their
presence. Go! Coz We're her parting
words AS you have chosen, continue.
But let no tongue call me motherl
Henceforth | am mother to no one
"They found her lying on the grass
outside AS she could no longer sustain
herself on horse they put her into the
carriage, gave the reins to her devoted
lackey andsthemselves rode off on horse
back One man, the fellow who had
driven them to that place, said that the
clock struck ~ from the chapel tower
as the carriage turned away and began
its rapid journey home. That may be so
and it may be not. We only know that
its apparition enters Lost Man S lane at
nearly /, always at nearly /, the hour
at which the real carriage came back
and stopped before Mr.. Knollys' gate.
And now for the worst, Miss Butter
worth. When the old gentleman went
down to the carriage from the door,
WueI6 D6 udu slOOu WltuOuG mOfCbucuV
ever since she started after the lovers,
1t was to find the lackey in front and
his daughter sitting all alone in the car
rage. But the soil on the white brocad-
I'd folds of her white dress was no longer
that of mud only. She had stabbed her
self to the heart with bodkin she wore
IN her hair, and it was corpse which
he faithful negro had been driving
Town the highways that night.
am not sentimental woman, but
his story as thus told gave me thrill
10 not know as l really regret expert
,ncing.
What was this unhappy mothers
lame?" asked.
"Lucetta, was. the unexpected and
lone too reassuring answer.
ITO RE CONTINUED