The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-08-20
Barbara Bretton's
oeAmbition~S
4,

! DR.. Hayes card in her hand, and all
the world had been flled with dancing
sunshine. Oh, why had not some pre-
monition warned her that that empty
piece of pasteboard was the first note
of the doom which had oyertaken her?
Here, in its velvet frame upon the
wall, Millions face smiled down upon
her.
| A hot, burning anger drove away
her tears, as, filed with Indignation
against him, she snatched the picture
from its place and rent it from its
| frame. Poor girl! She little knew the
fatal meaning each act would bear
hereafter in the net her own hands
were helping weave about herself.
But she must calm herself. In the
few hours left she must act. Oh. for
a mothers arm to enfold her, a moth
er's breast on which TO throw herself
and sob out this sudden, awful mis-
| cry!
Seating herself at her desk, she
slowly turned the key in its lock, the
| ped and Marie had returned to her.
The little parcel of letters tied with
blue ribbon met her eyes How low.
ingly she had put each new message
| with it's sisters. Now, with sort Of
| shuddering horror, she gathered them
up and, crossing to the low fire in the
! CRATE, dropped them in the ashes. Her
fathers letters she read through.
| They were filled with tenderest affec-
ton, and these she placed against her
heart, as though they might penetrate
1t even yet with a single drop of com
| fort.
Then, drawing pen and paper toward
| her, she wrote:
~ am going away, Travis--darling
brother. may call you so once more,
may / not? though have learned the
secret Of my birth. You will hear
from Mr.. Lennoxs own lips of his
letter and his messenger, therefore
you will not wonder that for Gong
| time | want to shut myself away from
this cruel world; so l am going back
to the convent, and to ask the dear
sisters II they will receive me once
more in their midst, not as a merry
pupil, but as a sad, heavy-hearted
woman, who in time, perhaps, will
| from them learn their calm and join
their number. Forgive, me, dear. IL
this step does not meet your approval
feared 1t might not, therefore | would
not tell you of 1t until too late to OPP
pose me. am very miserable, very
wretched, Travis, and it seems as
though God had put the thought of this
| blessed retreat into my heart. Per-
| haps there | may even learn forgive
ness for the man who has dealt me
this most dastardly blow. What had
done that he should choose such
means to break the tie between us?
Did he fear | would plead with him
for his name, his love? All, Travis, I
have no right to the Meredith name,
but think somewhere is the old Mer-
| edith pride for all that. I remember
now papas anxiety for your coming
the conversation you had together be-
] fore he died. Have you known my
secret all these years? How bravely
you have kept it! How true brother
you have beenl But oh, why--why was
l not left to perish on the steps of la
Madeleine, where my heartless, I'M
known mother placed me?
-"Avice."
This she sealed and directed, then
| began the task OF sorting and arraug-
ing her belongings. Every gift Of her
| lover, from the flashing diamond to
the faded flower, she put carefully to-
gether She wrote his name upon the
| packages, then called Marie.
"Mademoiselle is ill" the maid ex-
claimed, in seeming anxious solicitude,
at sight of the pale face and swollen
| eyes of her young mistress.
"No, Marie; / am only suffering
from a nervous headache to which |
am accustomed | am going rather
Unexpectedly tonight on short visit
to a school fellow. In case Mr.. Mere
dith does not get home before start,
please give him this note, which will
explain my sudden departure and its
reasons. Now, If you will pack for
me, putting into one trunk my plainest
dresses and only such necessaries as
shall need, | will throw myself on
the bed and try to get some rest"
Pardon the suggestion, Miss Avice,
but will you not permit me to ac-
company your"
l II cannot" she answered YEARLY.
II may, however, send for you later.
Meantime, II | do not return immedi-
ately, say to Mr.. Meredith that 1t was
my wish that you should not be dis
| missed"
The maid courtesied and began the
task, while Avice covered her burn
ing eyes and held her throbbing tenn.
/ pies with her two feverish hands.
Thus hours dragged themselves
away. At times strange, faint sick.
ness crept over her, but she drove II
of. At any cost she must retain her
strength until she no longer had such
urgent need of 1t. The clock. striking
six, aroused her.
Call cab. Marie" she said, "and
order my trunk carried down"
She crossed to the mirror. but start.
ed back, horror-stricken, at her own
reflection. Her eyes. no longer swol.
len, seemed two stars, cleaning
against the unnatural pallor Of her
face.
II was in the same mirror into which