Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-10-22
The Bread Upon
the Waters ~ ~
By HENRY NORCOTT.


time think | am getting started some
COMPOUNDED hard luck strikes me and
| slip back more than have gained"
Come, come, don't be a goose" re-
piled the young woman, cheerily. It's
a long road that has no turn"
Mine certainly has plenty Of turns,
retorted the man, "and they are prin-
oipally backwards. Oh, know I'm a
brute to bring my I'll fortune and COM
plainings to you, but that's just the
point. It's you that is the cardinal
point of the whole scheme. Here We
are growing old and no nearer a posi-
bility Of marriage than we we're five
years ago It's not fair to you. and not
satisfactory TO me-"
The woman laughed a musical, girl
fish laugh. zone would think we were
a pair of decrepit patriarchs plodding
painfully to the grave" she said. Now
let's see, you are 30 and have attained
the shocking maturity of 26."
Eyes, | know" he replied. "The hey
day of youth is passing and others are
building homes and gathering families
about the hearthstone. And we-well,
| am laundering along, peeking into
guns | didn't know were loaded, and
eking out a miserable existence back of
an accursed desk. while you are keeping
your own soul and body together (be-
cause Of my incompetence) by teaching
school. It's a burning injustice, and
ought to release you from your en-
gagement, and you ought to welcome
the release and find some man who has
ability or luck enough. or both, to take
care of you. AS a matter of fact, you
ought TO have married Stewart Wenam,
and | ought to have gotten out Of the
way and let you. Look at him now,
with his millions!"
Hush, Oliver, you are unfair to both
of us. I am sure we are very happy,
and have been in our love for each 9TH
err. Have faith, dear; everything will
come out all right"
The face Of the man softened and he
put his arms caressingly about her. He
was q fine looking fellow; tall and
slender. His hair was soft and wavy;
his brow broad and his face fine as a
woman's, but not lacking manliness and
strength. The mouth was sensitive, the
nose delicate and the eyes dreamy. He
was of the kind the world walks on
and likes. The wrinkles of care were
beginning to creep about his eyes, and a
touch of gray into his hair.
The woman looked rather the strong
er character Of the two. In her brown
ewes lurked limitless possibilities both
of merriment and of gravity About
her mouth were suggestions of great
tenderness and unusual firmness.
ITS Just because you do not make |
money and Stewart does, that love you
and could not love him." she said, smil-
ing into his eyes DO you know, dear, |
when | first made choice between you? |
II was away back when we all went |
camping at Iona Lake"
why. we were only children" he in
terrupted; 81 was not over 10. Why. IL |
YOU knew the years of worry you could |
have saved me, you would have let me
know then"
But think of the fun | would have
missed" she replied, saucily. DO you
remember the queer little old man who
used to hang around the dock at the viii
lage and growl at everybody?"
The man laughed heartily. Indeed l
do. He's the chap helped find and fix
his glasses. and then he froze to me Until /
| thought | never could shake him"
YES. that was the very episode that
gave me an insight into your goodness,
oliver" said the girl, gravely. you
remember. he dropped his glasses and
was Just STOPPING his rheumatic legs to
pick them up when Stewart and some
other boys walked past him. Stewart |
grinned and gave the glasses kick and
they flew out in the sand. The old man
was nearly blind and nearly helpless. He
swoFe frightfully at Stewart and the
bows. and that tickled them nearly to
death, and they paused to jeer at his i'm
potent cropping for the lost eyes-and he
swearing like pirate all the time. II
was funny to see his picturesque rage
Then Stewart began to negotiate to find
the glasses for him for a dollar, then a
half, or a quarter. Then you came
along, gave Stewart a good-natured
shove and found the glasses for the old
man. He seized them, found that they
we're broken, and then rallied at you. You
took them and fixed them, he growing