Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-08-06

" out into the unknown sea. Her
mother expost1lated and her father
forbade, ia vain. With a very little
money she had managed TO earn and
hoard, she went away.
All this had taken some years, and
1t was a grave young woman Of 20
who landed in the city from whence
Herbert Seaman had gone to the eoun-
try four years before. The name Of
the city was about all she knew about
1t, and her first necessity was to find
a means Of livelihood. Being brave
and strong and handy with her hands,
this did not prove so serious a mat
ter as might have been expectea, and
IN a few months she was able to give
some time to the hopeless task Of
looking for one man in a great city.
OF course, she was ignorant and sim
pie, and neglected the commonest
methods to accomplish her end, but
she made up for this in the single
h-eartedness of her quest and the
sublime confidence in its ultimate
success. Another two years passed
before she learned that Herbert
Seaman had left the city not long
after she came TO IL, on q mission
abroad which was likely to keep
him a permanent resident in Ger
many. IL took her another two years
to ind a way to get abroad, which
she did as a servant on an ocean liner.
In the meantime she had learned to
speak German, realizing that it would
be necessary in tracing him. She
also had learned many things of the
world and mastered much useful
knowledge as TO means 20 get along
by the labor of her hands and head.
She was no longer the innocent, ig-
norant wild flower she was when
Seaman wooed and won-and forgot
her.
Soon after arriving in Berlin she
learned that Scanlan had failed in
sought the warmth Of Italy to recu-
perate. To Italy forsooth went Hell
I en-, and there she found Il a much
more difficult task, as he had gone
for health. not business, and left no
trace. Also she found IL a more seri-
Gus matter to live. At last she struck
the trail again. This time it led TO
the Transyaal.
In the meantime life had had its
ups and down with Seaman. Return
ing to the city after his %sojourn on
the farm, he had plunged again into
business and met with the same
marked success he had always had.
He had formed a strong alliance and
went abroad to take care of that end
of the business. In Germany he had
met and married a reigning beauty,
who squandered his fortune and end
ed by clipping with an italian count.
Broken in fortune and health, he had
gone 20 Italy to recuperate, and from
there TO the Transvaal, lured by the
tales of great fortunes being acquired
there-and, as wen, by the prospect
of hiding himself and his shame from
the world. In South Africa for the
first time in his life he found him
self unable to make a go Of it, and
ran nearly to extremities. He took
TO gambling and TO drinking and sank
distinctly in the scale. Arousing him
self from a sodden life after some
months. he resolved TO make one last
try of il, and sailed for Australia
20 make a new start in a new land.
The opportunity he sought he did not
find, and he took sick of a malignant
fever. When he came too, after
weeks of illness in a charity hospital
in Melbourne, he found himself hope
lesslv shattered and absolutely pen
niless-and without ambition to move
a step. AS a full realization of his
condition came to him he groaned
aloud. A letter telling him of the
death Of his miscreant wife was small
solace TO him. The whole of his life,
so full Of high possibilities in the
morning and now so hopelessly
wrecked at high noontide, passed be-
fore his mind, and he prayed passion
ately for death.
"Oh, God. end this useless life" he
groaned. "before suicide is added TO
my other crimes and failures"
A figure darkened the door. \ tall
Young woman with grave but strange
lv familiar face stood at the loot OF
his bed. The next moment h leaped
forward and sank on her knees be
side the bed, and he found himself
clasped tightly in her strong arms
aHerbert," she whispered, Il have
found you at last!" and then he
knew it was the little wild flower OF
the prairie farm, and n strange peace
and quiet entered his soul.
Simply she told him Of her long
quest. and he saw the true gold he
had spurned. With a groan, he turned
from her.
Il am not fit TO touch the hem OF
your garment" he said, and then he
told her all Of his story. abating not
a lot. extenuating nothing. When he
was through, she said. simply;
aWhat does It all matter? l love
Won. and have found you!"
Two weeks later Herbert Seaman
walked out Of the hospital, leaning
4ba arm Of Helen.