Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-09

l lindled in her bosom. There was a spring at the foot of the slope" he continued. 'Yes, yes.''
 "And just above it grew & pollard 1 willow
 The nervous strident quaver had gone from his voice and he spoke with the calm assurance of one who is mov- ing over familiar ground.
 "It was pretty place, Jack," she forced herself to say, land there were 1 some who used to run up and down the path trying to count the jewels.''
 Three" he said confidently; 1.-two boys and girl. One of the boys was slight, with hair like gold and great blue eyes that seemed always to look beyond the hills into another world. The other was a sturdy lad with thick, dark hair that fell in wavy masses round his sun-burned face. They called him Jack True, true; go on. The third, the girl-can you remember what she was like, Jack?"
 They seemed to have changed places, the brain-sick man and the brave, patient woman, for she was now all agitation while he was cool and self possessed. She used all her strength to appear calm, lest he should notice her excitement and lose himself again. She must lead him on.
 "The other, Jack, the girl-have you forgotten her?''
 sI have never forgotten her," he said, the light in his eyes softening. "She has been with me always. She was neither dark nor fair, but halted just between the two, as though un- certain which became her most. She was the constant playmate of the boys and gave her favors to both alike. The three were cousins, but she was loved by both with more than cousins love-"
 "How she twined herself about their hearts," he unused. ''Both loved her, am sure"
 ssNo, mo- she cried with sudden vehemence, mot both.i'
 "One loved her, know, and Jack was-''
 "Was you,' she prompted; "you. And the girl-'
 "Was you"
 Yes, yes; but let us go on with the story" She was trembling like leaf in storm.
 ssThe story shall be finished, he said. eve used to take long walks-we two--through shady lanes, by running brooks. in which the long lush grasses trailed their shining blades-us to sit for hours under trees that clasped leafy hands above us and whispered secrets we tried so hard to catch, but could never quite understand. But there was secret that learned and after that the world was desolate."
 Her face was buried in the pillow, her cheek pressed against his. She was so still she did not seem to breathe. The turning point in the trial had come. His reason hung upon the next word he might utter
 'sOne day." he cried, with the ring of bitterness in his voice, "I came across a letter hidden among some old papers. It was addressed to me in the hand writing of my dead father. I broke the seal and read the awful words: God pity you, my son. Take no woman to wife. Madness is in your blood. You are the third generation since the ap- pearance of the curse and are fated to be the victim. It has been so for hun dreds of years. have sinned beyond forgiveness in bringing you into the world to suffer. Ro not follow in my footsteps. Harder our heart; take no woman to wife, that the race may die out with you sat taM night with that awful heritage in my hand. What thoughts I had, what horrors suf- fered, no one will ever know. Tn the morning fled, down from the old home--out, out into the world of which Iknew so little, caring nothing whither I went so that I might forget. I worked that I might not think, and that awful word>''
 Her arm crept lovingly around his neck, but she did not look up nor speak.
 ''I tried with all my strength to ban ish that horror from my mind. Some times I thought had succeeded, but a chance word would bring 1t back again. At last I felt the prophecy was to be fulfilled, and sent. you letter telling you know not what. and then"
 And then we came to find you; our cousin Claude and I, as we could only come-I in the flesh, he in, the spirit, for he had died with confession onh his lips and a prayer for your forgive ness"
 Forgiveness"
 ssYes, Jack; for he had most cruelty | wronged you. The letter you read was not written by your father, but by your cousin. You can guess why he did it, Jack. It was wicked, cruel; but he suf- fered-"
 Jack raised his hand and put a trembling finger to her lip. The shift ing light was gone fromhis eyes, and in it's place was the peaceful, happy glow of trusting contentment.
 Say no more of him." he said, gen tly. "Tell me of yourself"
 She buried her blushing face in the pillow close to his own pale cheek. and wept tears of love and thankfulness. The bells in the steeple rang out the hour of 12, and 1t was Christmas morn ing.