Middletown transcript., 1903-09-05
verted to Hilda!

Far more beautiful in her pallol
and distress, with the traces Of
tears upon her cheeks and the
dark circles under hereyes, than
she had ever appeared in .heI
, gayest moods. She was not
faultless-who could know that
SO well as he? Paul thought grim.
ly. She was ambitious, vain,
proud of her beauty, and fond OF
admiration-but for all that, in
his eyes there was no one, never
could: be any one-like her. He
loved her, and love with him was
no fleeting passion. He saunt-
cred up and down the garden,
thinking of her, mourning for
her; while Hilda, having per-
suaded her mother to retire to
rest, sat by her bedside and kept
vigil-the longest and saddest of
| her life through the starry
summer night.
| From far and near the county
gentlemen came in their carriages
to Sir Johns funeral, and there
was also a great gathering of
tenantry and tradesmen. Paul
did not.go tosthe Hall but joined
the procession at the gate and
walked side by side with Mr.,
Grey and Mr.. Rayton, the agent
mot without some remon-
strances from the former, who
told him that his place was IN
front among the mourners.
Ralph Sullivan is there. Go
with him, Sir Paul-it is your
proper place, he whispered.
| But the young man declined.
His mourning was for the living,
not for the dead, and he did not
care by his presence at that
moment. to remind poor BERTHE
of future troubles. But later on,
as they stood round the grave
and listened to the solemn burial
services, the lads eyes, wander
ing absently over the ring of
sombre faces, rested on Paul's
face. For an instant the two
cousins looked at each other. In
Bertie's gaze Paul readea mute
appeal, and, with a sudden i'm
pulse, he left his place and gently |
made.his way to his cousin S side |
and held. out his hand.
Let US forget it all. Bury the
old wrong-with him, he said, in |
low tone.
For one moment BERTHE hest
tated. Earth to earth ashes to
ashes-the solemn words rang in
his ears. The boy gave quick
choking sob, and then his fingers
clasped the offered hand. Side
by side, and hand in hand, the
two cousins stood and listened
to the remainder of the service.
Paul went back with his cousin
to the Hall. He had heard from
Mr.. Grey that. although Sir John
had left no will, they had found
among his papers a memorandum
relating to the disposal of his
personal property, in which he
left all jewels, plate, and few
valuable pictures which were not
included in the entail, to Hilda.
The document was not signed or
witnessed and was consequently
valueless; butit existence, as an
expression of Sir Johns wishes,
was great relief to Paul. Hilda
might in her pride refuse any
gift from him, but she would
scarcely refuse her fathers be-
quest, and it was not necessary
that she should know that the II
paper was vaIueless. X
BERTHE had been convinced byAs
Mr.. Gray of the uselessness of
the law suit he contemplated. l
The poor boy was in a very de- {
jected frame of mind; he had ex- j
travagant tastes and was deeply
in debt at Cambridge. Already
the change in his prospects had
reached the ears of his creditors,
and urgent demands for money
we're pouring in on every side. s
Paul glanced over the bills which,
at his request, Berje produced,
and he was amazed; they were J
for jewelry, for wine, for horses,
for every conceivable. luxury. +
The poor governor always kept
me so close. I hadn't a chance 6
to keep straight, and I had no I
difficulty in getting credit, he
gloomily. Ofcourse, if
His spirits rose however when r
Paul assured him that all debts t
incurred before Sir Johns death /
would be paid in full, and he will n
ngly acquiesced when Paul sug-
yested that he should return to d
college TO finish his university Il
,areer. h