Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-22
LOST MANS LANE,
By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
Copyright 1897, by Anna K. Roblfs.1
CHAPTER XVI.
A DISCOVERY.

nave q grim Will when choose
exert it. After Mr. Gryce left the hote
took cup of tea with the landlad
and then made round Of the stores.
bought dimity, sewing silk and wha
not, as said l would, but this did nc
occupy me long Ito the regret probabl
Of the country merchants, who expecte,
10 make a fool of me and found it a b,
no means easy task and was quite read,
for William when he finally drove up.
The ride home was more or less 81
lent one / had conceived such a horro
If the man beside me that talking fo
talk S sake was impossible, while h
was in mood which it would be char
wv TO call noncommunicative 1t ma,
De that my own reticence was at tn
bottom of this, but rather think not
The remark he made in passing Deacon
Spears house showed that something
more than spite was working in his SLOW
but vindictive brain.
There's a man of your own sort, :
ne cried. lyon won't find him doine
anything out of the way oh, no. Pity
your visit wasn't paid there. You d have
got better impression of the lane,
To this made no reply.
AT Mr.. Trohm's he spoke again.
Il suppose said he, THAT you an6
Trohm had the devil of say about Lu
cetta and the rest of us, l don't know
why, but the whole neighborhood seems
to feel they We a right to use our name
as they choose. But it isn't going to be
so long. We have played poor and pinch.
ed and starved all I'm going TO. I'm
going TO have a new horse, and Lucetta
shall have a dress, and that mighty
quick too. I'm tired Of all this shabbi,
ness and mean to have change
l wanted to say, ''No change yet
change under the present circumstances
would be the worst thing possible for
you all, " but l felt that this would be
treason to Mr.. Gryce and refrained, say.
ing simply, as he looked sideways at me
for a word:
"Lucetta needs new dress. That nc
one can deny. But you had better let
me get it for her, or perhaps that Is
what you meant.
The grunt which was my only an
swer might be interpreted in any way,
l took it, however for assent.
As soon as l was relieved Of his pres
ence and in that of the girls again l al
tered my whole manner and cried ont
in querulous tones:
Mrs. Carter and l have had a differ
ence This was true. We did have a
difference over our cup Of tea. did not
think it necessary to say this difference
was forced one Some things we are
perfectly justified in keeping to our
selves "She remembers a certain verse
in the New Testament one way and | in
another We had not time to settle it
by consultation with the sacred word,
but I cannot rest till it is settled, Sc
will you bring your Bible to me, my
dear. that l may look that verse up?'
We were in the upper hall, where
had taken a seat on the old fashioned
sofa there. Lucetta, who was standing
before me, started Immediately TO do
my bidding, without stopping to think,
poor child, that it was very strange l
did not go to my own room and consult
my own Bible as any good Presbyterian
would be expected to do. As she was
turning toward the large front room
where | knew the one Bible wanted
could not be I stopped her with the
quiet injunction:
sect me one with good print, Lucet-
ia My eyes won't bear much strainlng.
At which she turned and to my great
relief hurried down the corridor to-
ward William room, from which she
presently returned, bringing the very
volume l was anxious to consult
Meanwhile l had laid aside my hat.
| felt Hurried and unhappy and showed
il. Lucetta's pitiful face had strange
sweetness in it this morning, and felt
SIRE as took the sacred book from her
hand that her thoughts were all with
the lover she had sent from her side ana
not at all with me or with what at the
moment occupied me. Yet my thoughts
at this moment involved, without doubt,
the verv deepest interests OF her lie, II
not that very lover she was broodlng
over in her darkened and resigned mind
As | realized this l heaved an involun-
tarv sigh, which seemed to startle her,
for she turned and gave me quick look
as she was slipping away TO join her
sister. who was busy at the other end OF
the hall.
The Bible l held was an old one OF
medium size and most excellent print
| had no difficulty in finding the text
and settling the question which mad
been nv ostensible reason for wanting
the book, but it took me longer to dis
cover the indentation which l had made
in one of its pages; but when did you
may imagine my awe and the turmoil
INFO which my mind was cast when
found that it marked those great verses
in Corinthians which are so universally
read at funerals:
Behold l shew you mystery. we
shall not all sleep, but we shall all De
changed
I'm a moment, in the twinkllng OF
IN eye
CHAPTER XXN1L.