The Lamar register., 1902-05-21
PAYING THE
PRICE
n nOBERT HALLECK has returned"
n said Isabel Brenner from her oozy
ev 1as. Nonn p1aKlHs.

N said Isabel Brenner from her cOZy
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 Isabers words, for Robert Halleck
had left Dune ten years before and no
one had heard of him since.
"And have you seen himf" ask I'd one
of the ladies.
mo, not l." laughed Isabel. "But
father heard it down town just before
dinner"
Isabel Brenner was the loveliest girl
in all Dune, with ripping hair touched
into gold by every sunbeam that
chanesd to fall upon II, 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
cd cheek. To the people of Dune she
wns synonymous with all that was fair
and bright. yet she was unspoiled, and
possessed n manner which inspired
neither envy nor hate.
Perhaps his return has something
to do with Janet Wilson's absence this
afternoon" remarked Mrs. Brenner.
"She has not been absent for months
until to-day"
what would It matter TO poor old
Janet7" questioned Isabel.
"They were engaged TO be married
at the time he went away. Every one
supposes he Tilted her"
"Oh, then he is rs old as Janetl
Why, she is gray, has been ever since
can remember"
"He is not so old. my dear. That
WAS It. She must have been full IS,
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 out, leaving only colorless ashes.
She was a tall. slender woman, with
fine olive complexion which alone
seemed to have retained the beauty of
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 n lusterless heap upon
the floor.
Mrs. Brenner 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 a 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 a boy-who had wearied of her
mature charms at last.
A scornful smile fickersd over her
face at the thought. At IS she had
been beautiful in the rich, dark style
Of her southern ancestors-beauti
with Jet black hair, magnificent eye,
and 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 will, and gone,
likewise, bearing away her wealth O.
love.
She remembered how she had
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.