Middletown transcript., 1903-08-15
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.

1
her lip, and her eyes grew hare
and angry.
[ have heard some such tale
she said coldly. Sir Hubert was
very young then, and foolish
like many others. He admired
her, and shea married woman
remember-encouragedhi him and
at last threw herself ON his pro
lection. What of that? Is his
life to be spoiled because of hel
folly and sin? She was not ar
innocent girl; she had the warn
ing of others before her eyes.
and knew what to expect! Pity
is thrown away on one like her,
There, let us change the subject.
Hilda gave an impatient ges-
ture of her hand, and, as she did
so, the sunshine flashed upon a
half-hoop of diamonds which
shown on her third finger and at
tracted Paul's attention. He
looked at it eagerly and then at
her changing face.
That is a new ring-is it not
Hilda? he queried. I have never
seen you wear it before. How
the stones glitter! They almost
make my eyes ache. Is it a new
ring?
Yes I have never worn it be-
fore to-day.
The girls voice was strained
and harsh, and she covered her
eyes with her right hand as if
the flash of diamonds was pain
full to her also.
I would rather tell you the
news myself, Paul, than that you
should hear it from some other
source, she continued hurriedly.
This-she touched the ring-was
given me by Sir Hubert Brooke.
1t is my engagement-ring.
With her heart beating wildly
with mingled shame and fear,
she waited for a reply. What
would Paul say? She could not
see his face, but she saw him
start and shudder, and heard
him draw a deep breath. He did
not speak. Hilda did not know
how long the silence lasted, but
it seemed an hour to her-an
hour of shame and agony such as
she had never known before, and
which sheprayed she mightnever
know again. If he would only
speak! The bitterest reproaches
the direst anger, would be easier
to bear than that silence.
And, while she waited, the sun
sank beneath the horizon. the
brightness faded from the sky;
and intu the murmur of the
waves there came an unutterable
sadness, while the soft breeze
that swept across the cliffs was
full of wailing voices and lament
over vanished hopes. To Hilda
the silence became unbearable,
and she touched Paul's arm light
ly.
He turned and looked at her
gravely, and her eyes fell be-
meath the cool contempt in his
gaze. His face was gray and
stern, and his lips were pressed
together tightly; but his voice
was perfectly calm and com
posed as he sprang from the
ground, took off his hat, and
made her a fine bow of exagger-
ated courtesy.
Accept my congratulations, |
Miss Sullivan, he said-and for
give me for the opinion 7 express
ed just now of your fiance. Had |
I known that he stood in that |
relationship to you, I should |
have been more careful of my
words. AS it is, I can but apolo-
gise fore them-and relieve you
of my presence.
Paul paused an instant; moved |
by some sudden impulse, he
took her hand in his and, bend
ing his head, kissed them pas
sionately. Then he flung them
from him and, without another
word, turned and walk away.
Paul! Paul! Come back! Hilda
cried.
He must have heard the words,
but he did not heed them, and
The girl was too proud to follow
nim or to call again. She sat
where he had left her, and
" watched, with absent sorrowful
eyes, the twilight gathering over
,he sea. The dew was falling,
md her white gown was limp
md wet, while on her forehead
,he tangled curls hung damp
With the salt spray before she
rose to go. AS she gathered up
ler brushes and paints from the
~rocc bo,. axyoc foil on 1;f+1o