Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-29

the house.
dld not stop to soothe her. Tho
was not my cue, nor would it have an
swered my purpose. On the contrary,
exclaimed as l passed her.
What shamel Those wretches can
not be got away from the cellar. VIVA
40 you suppose they expect to find there
l left them poking hither and thithe
IN way that will be very irritating I,
MISS knollys if she is such woman n
am, wonder William stands it,
What she said in reply do not know
Twas half way down the hall before m,
own words Were finished.
MY next move was to 20 to my room
Where l had among other small necessa
rles tiny hammer and some small,
very sharp pointed tacks. Curious arti
Giles, you will think, for woman tc
carry on her travels, but am a woman
OF experience and have known only toe
OFTEN what 1t was to want these petty
convenlences and not be able to get
them. They We're to serve me an odd
turn now. Taking half dozen tacks in
one hand and concealing the hammer in
my bag, started boldly Tor William S
room. | knew that the girls We're not
there, for had heard them talking to-.
gether III the sitting room when | came
up, Besides, if they WERE had a ready
answer for any demand they might
make.
Searching out his boots, turned them
over, and into the sole of each drove
one of my small tacks Then | put
them back i'll the same place and posi-
ton in which l found them. Task No.
was done.
When | issued from the room, went
as quickly as l could below. | was now
ready for talk with the girls, whom /
found as had anticipated, talking ard
weeping together in the sitting room.
They rose as l came in, awaiting my
first words in evident anxiety They had
not heard me 60 up stairs. immediate
ly let my anxiety and only too deep in
terest in this matter have full play.
"Mv poor girls! What is the meaning
OF this' Your mother inst dead, and the
matter kept from me- her friend 1t il
acknowledgements l donot
know wha to make of it or of yon."
1T has a strange look, said Loreer
gravely, but we had reasons Miss But.
terworth. Cur mother, charming ano
sweet a. yOu remember her, has not al.
ways done right. or, what you will let.
ter understand, committed a criminal
act against a person i'll this town, the
penalty Of which is states prison.
With difficulty the words came out.
With difficulty she kept down the flush
Of shame which threatened to overwhelm
her and did overwhelm her more sensi.
tive sister. But her self control was
great. and she went bravely on, while l.
in faint imitation Of her courage, re-
strained lily own surprise and intolera.
bic sense Of shock and bitter sorrow I'M
der guise IF simple sympathy.
''It was forgery, she said This
has never before passed our lips,
Though a cherished wife and beloved
mother she longed for many things that
my father could not give her, and in an
evil hour she initiated the name Of
rich man here and took the check thus
signed 10 Hartford. The fraud was not
detected, and she received the money,
but ultimately the rich man whose
she had spent discovered the use
she had made of his name and if she
had not escaped would have had her ar
rested. But she left the country, and
the only revenge he took was TO swear
that if she ever SET foot again in y. he
would call the police down upon her.
Yes if she We're dying, and they had to
drag her from the brink Of the grave.
And he would have done it, and know
ing this we have lived under the shad-
Ow Of this fear for l years. My father
died under it, and my mother--ah, she
spent all her life under foreign skies,
but when she felt the hand Of death
apon her her affection for her own flesh
md blood triumphed over her dlscre-
ton, and she came, secretly, | own, but
still with that horror menacing her, to
;hese doors, and begging our forgive
ness lay down under the roof where we
were born and died with the halo Of our
owe about her.
"Ah," said l, thinking Of all that
lad happened since l had come into this
louse and finding nothing but contir-
nation of what she was saying, 81 begin
o understand.
But Lucetta shook her head.
NO" said she, you cannot under
tand vet. We who had worn mourning
or her because my father wished to
make this very return impossible knew I
othiup of what was in store for us till
letter came saying she would be at the I
J. station on the very night we recelv-
d it. To acknowledge our deception, to
eek and bring her home openly to this I
ouse, could not be thought OF for mo- !
lent. How then could we satisfy her
wing wishes without compromising her {
1emorv or ourselves? Perhaps you have
messed, Miss Butterworth. You have 6
ad time since we revealed the unhap-
V secret of this household. "
Eyes" said l. II have guessed. - /
Lucetta, with her hand laid on mine, s
,oked wistfully into my face, "Ah' t
ne said, when we saw her, she was 6
riven up to our doorstep through the t
.eeds and grass, and William, who had /
of dared to go to G. lest our strate- 6
en- should fail, stepped down to the /
,rriage and lifted her ont III his arms. +
was while she still chung TO him, with S
pr face pressed close against his breast, e
-. Joraan and 7 first saw her, our n