Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-01-08

ness--I might risk IT. Inc man
ewes would be blind to my envelope,
# the soul, the spirit in me, content
ed him. The only happy marriages
ever knew were made by remark
ably ordinary women"
'sYou think"
'sThat the best looking, brightest
women attract the worst order OF
men. They 60 on pursuing the type
NOT the woman; the man who will
20 on loving a woman in spite OF
and not because of her beauty is
worthy Of her love indeed. But he
is incredibly rare"
"Hermione," urged the man, "you
have everything-beauty, and brains,
and heart; and if no man could ever
be worthy Of you, don't you know
he would have sense to realize the
treasure he possessed?"
"Tin he possessed it. Yes" she
said, and rose, laughing, from her
seat in the winter garden; and the
man rose, too, an ugly look deform-
ing his handsome feaslres.
"Some day you will be tired OF
wandering, am there will be no hive
open TO you,' he said to himself,
savagely; but that time seemed far
enough away as they entered the
ballroom, and she was at once sur
rounded and besieged by lovers.
.What a beautiful voice that wom-
an had" said a man who, sitting at
a distance, had been able TO catch
the sound but not the sense of the
conversation, though a phrase or
two. uttered by her companion, had
reached him.
Jasper George, a gross man, with
ears alert for supper, grunted, and
named her, but without enthusiasm.
Women of Hermione's sort and
their voices had no attractions for
him; his tastes were much more cas-
ilv satisfied by a firstrate chef, and
neither Of the two men had sought
nor would have been at home in the
ballroom, but as guests staying in
the house they had escaped from the
racket to the shadow Of the palms.
A cessation Of the music, a quick
ening, hurrying Of sound in the
distance drew the stout man alertly
out Of his chair, and he offered his
arm TO the other.
Supper" he said.
"None for me. II not too much
trouble, youn come to me later
or send my man?"
"Of course"
The man who was left listened TO
the greedy footsteps retreating,
then lay back with closed eyes,
thinking.
His was strong, lean face, square
iawed, that would have been grim
but for the melancholy, hard fought,
but finally submitted to as a habit, |
that softened II. There is many |
tough lesson learned in silent en-
durance, but it is mostly physical,
not mental, suffering that teaches it. |
A girl came softly, swiftly, in, TAX
ing the vacant chair before she real |
lied that the one next it was occu- /
pied. She sprang up, vexed, but the
mans eyes suddenly opened, and
the sadness in them, or perhaps
their Indifference, so unlike the
of most mems gaze at
sight Of her, staid her steps.
81 thought every one was at sup
per" she said, and sat down again.
He knew her voice at once and |
leaned forward eagerly. They talked
- Al - .uah ant /
his pleasure grew. Here was one OF
those GASES, set apart in the dusty |
desert of life, that nightly refresh |
thirsty souls and bodies, giving them
strength to continue their long cara
van march; and in the long hour
that followed the blind man and |
Hermione came TO an understanding |
OF each other, got the grip of one
another's characters, that with her
beauty made visible, and mentally
obscuring his judgment, they never
could have done.
The only interruption came when a
long nosed, reproachful young man
appeared round the corner, murmur-
ing: "rve been waiting outside that
door all this time, Hermione-you
said you were having your dress
mended-and"-his glance added
''meanly gave me the slip"
go to supper, dear boyl" she said,
''I'm busy" and he went, and she
breathed freely. For it quickened
her pulse to know that at last, all
TO herself, she had the man whose
eyes showed no trace of blindness, /
but who had been struck down by it
in the height Of the success Of his
crowded worldly and intellectual life
and now the strenuous, the worldly,
the ambitious side of Il was over,
and only the intellectual, the inner.
one remained, and into It he had
drawn her for this one full, fun
hour.
mans voice sounded on the other
side of their retreat, a voice thick
ened by wine, and Humphrey Fletch-
er thought: THAT is the man who
wanted to hive the bee and failed"
81 wonder where that poor devil