Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-03-19

ephone. Standing with one foot on
each side of the dead cashier, he
took down the receiver.
"Hellol" he said, striving to initiate
the voice OF one whose eyes he could
feel, but could not see.
He was answered by a woman.
"oh. Henryl" she said, Il have just
awakened from such vivid-such an
awful dream! l know it is silly; but
it frightened me. dreamed that you
were in trouble-in disgrace. And
then ] awoke and found you had not
returned home. Oh, Henry what is
keeping you so late? Come home at
once, will you not, dear?"
Eyes" the burglar answered, as one
in a daze.
DO" she continued, and there was
anxiety in her voice. II am so glad,
so glad it was only dream. i would
rather see you dead than dishonored,
Henry dear"
Thesburglar erept back to his desk
and seated himself in the dead mans
chair, the womans voice still ringing
in his ears.
That voice! 1t haunted him like
memory of the long ago, like an
echo of the days of childhood. IL
thrilled, it stirred him. 1t aroused
that old mad love of his boyhood.
Whose voice was. it? Undoubtedly
the wife of the dead coward lying at
his feet But who had she been be-
fore-before she married him?
That voieel Could il be Martha
Grants? Years and years ago, when
they were schoolmates. he had loved
Martha, worshiping her from affair,
for she lived in fine house in the
best part of the town, and he was
child of the slums. A vast social
gulf divided them, but he loved her
in secret, knowing that he scarcely
entered her thoughts.
Once he had thrashed a boy for
teasing her, and she had smiled at
him. He had never forgotten that
smile. That was years and years
ago, but, though she had long since
passed out of his life, he had never
loved another. And now-was that
voice indeed the voice Of Martha
Grar
Again the burglar deliberately
opened the slide OF his lantern ami
turned the CLEAN upon the desk. At
the back part Of the desk he saw
picture in a silver frame. Ii was
photograph of a woman-not a par
ticularly handsome woman-but glor-
fled by a dazzling smile-and he rec
ognized that smile!
From that face he turned reluct-
antly at last TO gaze with scorn at
the cold features Of the man lying
there with the scarlet mark of sin
upon his brow. He felt no pity now
nothing but contempt: but Mar
tha's words: Il would rather see you
dead than dishonored," rang in his
ears.
With a smile he placed the letter
the contemplate letter-in his peck
ct. picked up Frazer's pistol. re-
placed the empty chamber with a
loaded cartridge. and laid the weapon
in a drawer. Then he tore the collar
of the cashiers coat. ripped one
sleeve half its length, and overturned
the chairs and scattered them about
1t was nearly daybreak. In a few
moments the gray would be creeping
up the eastern sky.
Quickly the burglar blew open the
safe and scattered the gold and sill
yer and bank notes upon the floor
'Now," he said TO himself, they
will find the evidence of burglary,
the cashier murdered"
Leaving his soap and dark lantern
by the shattered safe, he fed, and
two things Only did he take-thy
cashiers letter and the photograph
in the silver frame.
Through the rain and darkness he
drove away, without taking any Of
the spoils of his burglary. but not
unhappy. A woman's smiling face
seemed to thank him. He laughed
aloud as he fled through the gray OF
morning. thinking of a schoolgirl
smiling at a ragged urehin.-N. Y.
Weekly.