The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-03-14
PAYING THE
PRICE
BY MRS. MonA PERKINS.
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5.*&.**s**s..ss* *s.*ss + 4 I
nOBERT HALLECK has returned
m said Isabel Bremen from her coy
seat before the fire. where she sat,
lovely and idle, among group OF busy
ladies'. 1t was the weekly meeting OF
..The Ladies' Aid Society" and most
Of the ladies in the little town of
Dune were assembled in Mrs. Bren-
ner's warm parlor that afternoon.
They all looked up with surprised eyes
at Isabel's words, for Robert Halleck
had left Dune ten years before and no
one had heard of him since.
s'And have you seen him ?" asked one
of the ladies'.
ssNo, not l." laughed Isabel. "But
father heard it down town just before
dinner"
Isabel Bremen was the loyeliest girl
in all Dune, with ripping hair touched
into gold by every sunbeam that
CHANGED to fall upon it, while her wide
gray eyes held all sorts of thrilling
lights and shadows, and her COM
plexion was fresh and fair with the
palest of rose tints upon either round
ed cheek. To the people Of Dune she
was synonymous with all that was fair
and bright, yet she was unspoiled, and
possessed a manner which inspired
neither envy nor hate.
perhaps his return has something
to do with Janet Wilson's absence this
afternoon remarked Mrs. Bremen.
"She has not been absent for months
until to-day"
"What would it matter to poor old
Janet?' questioned Isabel.
..'They were engaged to be married
at the time he went away. Every one
supposes he Tilted her"
"Oh, then he is as old as Janetl
Why, she is gray, has been ever since
lean remember"
''He is not so old, my dear. That
was it. She must have been full 25,
and he only boy of 10. No one pitied
Janet much, because she should not
have encouraged him. A woman of
her age should have known better"
Meantime, the subject of their con-
versation sat alone in her little parlor
looking with weary eyes into the
CRATE, where the fire had long since
died ont, leaving only colorless ashes.
She was a tall, slender woman, with
fine olive complexion which alone
seemed to have retained the beauty of
youth. Greatmasses of almost snowy
hair were gathered into knot at the
back of her well-shaped head, which
even in her detection was held some
what proudly while the heavy folds of
her loose, dark gown swept about her
feet and lay in lusterless heap upon
the floor.
Mrs. Bremen had been right. Janet's
absence from the Aid Society was due
to Robert Halleck's sudden appear
ance in Dune. She had seen him get
off the train at the station Robert
Halleck in the full vigor of manhood,
tall, dark, handsome, with eyes that
held her heaven and earth once-not
SO very long ago--and yet an eternity
to her.
She had felt the shock of his return
like thunderbolt, dazing and be-
wildering her for one brief moment,
and then had come the realization that
he had returned at last--he whom she
had sought that she might in some
way repay him the desolation he had
brought her. Dune said she had been
to blame, that she had lured boy
only boy-who had wearied of her
mature charms at last.
A scornful smile fiickered over her
face at the thought. At rs she had
been beautiful in the rich, dark style
of her southern ancestors beautiful
with jet black hair, magnificent eve
and a figure of perfect contour and
grace. She knew, no one better, that
the slender, dark-eyed boy whom She
had loved without any effort Of hers
to lure him; that he had come into
her life of his own free win, and gone
likewise. bearing away her wealth d
love.
She remembered how she has
scorned herself for loving boy; how
sorely her pride had been wounded
when she plighted her troth to him
but she had loved him none the less
And he? Well, he went away one day
and came no more. She had waited
sor his return and grown old in wait
ng.
His parents had been unfeignedly
glad, for they had always objected to
her, not even relenting when the glad
light went from her eyes and the
snow spread 50 thickly over her mag
nificent hair.
Now, he had returned a young mar
-sshe had become an old woman in ap-
pearance. But he should pay the price
OF her youth and hope. No man should
rob her 81 both with reelless hand