Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-05-06

life amid the silences has taught them
justice that may not be bought,
strength that knows neither fear nor
favor. The region you see here, mon
sieur to this great weave speak Of is
but the ravelcd edge.
Here broad rivers run braciish with
tidewater, and ships lie at the wharfs.
They bring to our manor houses all of
luxury and refinement which Virginia
tobacco can NY. And here the planters
for Nirgini. was first settled by gen
tlemen, monsieur - choose to put on
courtliness and dress in gold lace and
make bit Of London for themselves
on the edge of the wilderness.
Just beyond those hills to the south
ward is Williamsburg, the capital they
have built 1t has Il COLLEGE and
court. There the cocks are ever fight
ing. the horses are ever running, the
tiddles are ever playing, and there in
his palace sits the royal governor his
majesty is pleased TO put over his colo
mails, levying on their leaf and sheer
ing at their bdckskins."
THE Earl of Dunmore?"
aye, MY lOlL The carl. Think you he
knows one whit moro of this Virginia
than does the aing, Il thousand leagues
awayf lie drinks in his palace and
drives his white horses and DULLES his
Durgcsscs, the representatives whom
the people have elected. They must
pleasure him or he dissolvcs them. The
king has forgot that the Nrginians are
Englishmcn ard that Englishmen love
freedom"
'And Englishwomcn, too he said.
Owe can do little" she went on. 1--WE
wear no swords. All we can do is to
hope and to wait"
"Littlew There was n thrill in his
tone Little! You call such a hope,
such a feeling. small? You think it val
ueleSs or weak? All, mademoiselle
know you what makes Il lady adorable
to 4 mans heart, what makes him
worship her? 1t is that she inspires
him; that is it-not to dress for her or
bow or sing her little songs but to
toll, to struggle, to fight to die maybe
something high like the stars. Man
has n want for two things-a cause to
fight for first and then-then a one, a
perfect one, a loved face, to wait and
smile on him when he has won.
with this n man could do miracles.
All, it could make of a poor nobody a
king, an emperor. l, even 1, mademoi-
selle, stranger from another land-I
could fight so we'll for these great
things, for this, Virginia of yours, if
If T.
He paused There was a tense mo-
ment.
Then the air filled itself with a long,
dull sigh, and on its train came a sud
den swapping of dead boughs, an IN
jointed, cracking report, and both look
ed up startled.
a strange faraway circumstance had
had part in this. Indians had not been
used to fell trees as did their white
conquerors. Instead they cut deep
rings into the bark and let nature be
aXman. These trunks fell when dry
rot had dore its work, sometimes in
storms, often when no wind stirred,
crashing in forested silence A quar-
ter century before perhaps a Malta
pine with his tomahawk, and it was
this dead tree, it's limbs now white as
bleached wolf bones, which was now,
after its time, leaning to its fall from
the roadside.
A shrek burst from Annes lips as
she saw the topping bulk through the
window, and she started to her feet.
simultaneously came howl of terror
from Rasheigh and a leaping jerk
from the horses as be tried to lash
them to safety.
There was an instant when the huge
bole seemed to hang motionless in the
air above them, an instant in which
Anne frenziedly wrenched open the
door and made as If to leap out. The
same instant Armand seized her, drag
ged her back and threw himself and
her against the rear wall of the char
lot
She struggled, but he forced her back
and held her as the grooming mass
came to earth with a crash that rocked
the ground.
Anne, conscious even in her ecstasy OF
fright of a sense of safety in his arms
felt the body of the coach crush like an
eggshell. She had hidden her face or
his breast and shut her eyes, waiting
the end. The whole world was a spin
ter of glass, a ripping of boarding, a
sickening tumble of thuds, through
which stabbed the agonized squeals OF
the horses.
Then there was stiffness, broken by
Rashleigh's sobbing scream:
"De good Lawd, Mis- Anne! De good
Lawd. Is yo' daidT'
She opened her eyes and looked up
The riven trunk lay right athwart the
I N@sAI !
N~7 g 70 y ~ II