Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-06-06
CHAPTER III.

SUCCUMB.
That night the tempter had his owl
way with me. Without much difficulty
he persuaded me that my neglect of Al
thea Burroughs children was without
any excuse; that what had been my
duty toward them when I knew them
to be left motherless and alone had be.
come an imperative demand upon me
now that the town in which they lived
had become overshadowed by mystery
which could not but affect the comfort
and happiness of all its inhabitants.
could not wait day. l recalled all that
I had heard of poor Althea's short and
none too happy marriage and immedi-
ately felt such a burning desire to see if
her delicate and espiegle beauty-how
we'll remembered it-had been repeated
in her daughters that | found myself
packing my trunk before l knew it.
I had not been from home for long
time-all the better reason why I should
have change now-and when l called
together Mrs. Randolph and the servants
and told them of my intention of leav
ing on the early morning train it Great
ed quite a sensation i'll the house and no
little surmise.
But had the best of explanations to
give. l had been thinking of my dead
friend, and conscience would not let me
neglect her dear and possibly unhappy
progeny any longer. ! had purposed
many times to visit them, and now ]
was going to do it. When / came to a
decision, it was usually suddenly. and
l never rested after having once made
up my mind.
My sentiment went so far that / got
down an old album and began hunting
up the pictures | had brought away
with me from boarding school. Hers
Were among them, and | really did eX
perience more or less compunCtion when
l saw again the delicate yet daring fea
lures which had once had very great
influence over my mind. What teas,
ing sprite she was. yet what a will she
had, and how strange it was that, hav.
ing been so intimate as girls, we never
knew anything of each other as women
Had it been her fault or my fault? Was
her marriage to blame for it or my spin
sterhood? Difficult to tell then, impos-
sible to tell now. I would not even
think of it again, save as a warning.
Nothing must stand between me and
her children now that my attention has
been called to them again.
did not mean to take them by sur.
prise-that is, not entirely. The invita-
ton which they had sent me years age
was still in force, making it simply nee
essary for me to telegraph them that /
had decided to make them visit and /
that they might expect Inc by the noon |
train. If in times gone by they had |
been properly instructed by their moth
er as to the character of her old friend,
this need not put them out. l am not a
woman of unbounded expectations do .
not look for the comforts abroad l am
accustomed to at home, and if, as l have
reason to believe, their means are not Of
the greatest I should only be provoked
at any extra effort to make me feel at
home in the humble cottage suited to
their fortunes.
So the telegram was sent and my
completed for an early de-
parture
But, resolved as L was to make this
visit, my determination came near re-
sewing a check. Just as | was leaving
the house, at the very moment, in fact,
when the hackman was carrying out my
-runk, l saw a man approaching me
with every evidence of haste. He had a
etter in his hand, which he held out to
ne as soon as he came within reach.
"For Miss Butterworth, he said.
Private and immediate"
"Ah," thought /, "a communication
rom Mr. Gryce," and hesitated for
whether to open it then and
here or thrust it i'll my pocket and read
{ at my leisure ON the cars. The latter
course would be far the easiest, for my
lands were numbered with the various
mall articles l consider Indispensable
o the comfortable enjoyment of the
hortest Journey, and the glasses with
nut which l cannot read word were
n the very bottom of my pocket under
ONE other equally necessary articles OF
mailer size.
But something in the mans expect
mt look warned me that he would new
r leave me till l had read the note, so
With sigh called Leila to my aid, and
fter several vain attempts to reach my
,lasses succeeded in pulling them out at
asst and by their help reading the fol-
owing hurried lines:
DEAR MADAM send you this by swifter
Messenger than myself. Do not let anything
hat may have said last night influence you
o leave your comfortable home. The adven' ,
ure offers too many dangers for woman
lead the inclosed- u
The inclosed was a telegram from
obadiah Trohm, sent during the night,
nd evidently just received at head
uarters. Its contents were certainly
lot reassuring:
Another person missing. Seen to have en-
cred Lost Mans lane. Never seen TO have
pine out of it. A harmless lad known as Silly
ufus What's to be donef Wire orders f.
"Mr. Gryce babe me say that he
would be up here some time before
oon," said the man, seeing me look {
nth some darkness at these words, {
Nothing more was needed to pull me I
ogether. Folding up the letter, l put 1
; in my bag.
"Say to Mr.. Gryce from me that my
attended visit cannot be postponed, !
Il have telegraphed to my
-iends to expect me, and only great ]
nerpencv vould lead me to disappoint (