Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-12-07

would risk more than wealth to nave

would risk more than wealth to nave
him always near me-. ... i. .s. --
If she did not say these words she
thought them, and her fingers flew and
! the dress was on, and she stood, clad
and in her right mind, beaming at her
own image in the glass. .....
"Ah! this is betterr' she now cried,
sinking on her knees, almost in the at.
; titude of prayer. 81 will not regret
! this; I cannot; whereas" She
threw a mocking glance at the velvet.
and, rising, hung it up in the closet
and brought forth her bonnet and
gloves. Suddenly her hand flew to her
throat. II have forgotten my tails
man." said she. r
She went to her drawer and took out
n simple locket. 1t was the only article
of jewelry which her admirer had ever
seen her wear, and she prepared tc
clasp it about her neck with an air OF
satisfaction. when she bethought her
self to take q peep at the faded for,
get-me-not which she kept shut within
it, ... s
But when she opened the locket she
did not find the memorial flower which
she had once placed there, but faded
paper. Surprised she drew it out and
unfolding it read these words before
she realized what their presence meant
81 am not to intrude myself. I am
to forget have wishes or hopes. an
TO remember that he loves her and
that it is for her happiness to love him
I am to encourage this love and to lend
all my influence toward the preserva
ton in her of those charming qualities
which in adversely made her lovely
and which, if added to her wealth, will
make her mate for the mobiles. This
is my future task. May God give me
strength to acqut myself Of it cheer
fully?"
Hilary's handwriting! Hilary's
words! Jenny Rogers held in her hand
Hilary's locket, which had in some
own. for they had them just alike, and
by this chance had she stumbled upon
that dear friends secret at moment
when her own fate hung trembling in
| the balance Jenny Rogers sank. over.
come upon chair and read the words
| them, then sob bed with sudden, wild
and passionate grief, then hid her face
with her hands and sat thus for many
minutes. though the clock spoke, with
every tick it made, of the rapidly pass
ing time.
What were her thnuGhts? What
could they be but of past hours ana
past occurrences in which she had
shared her compnnionshp with Mr.,
Degraw. She understood now as she
never had before what certain looks
and changes upon her dear friends
countenance had meant. She perceived
that she herself had not been the only
one to love, and that with the selfish
ness of suddenly enriched woman
she had trodden on the heart to whose
clinging affection and lofty sympathy
she owed much of her prosperity and
great deal of her distinction. And
she saw more: she saw to what heights
generous and self forgetfu nature
can go. and felt Inundated in hcr>0wn
estimation rs she contrasted the mer.
cenary struggle she had just been
through with the firm putting by of
every selfish consideration conveyed
by the words she had just read.
Hillary would not have hcsitated
L., lat, IL
ing in bitter remorse over the memory
of her own weakness. "She would
have seen the right way at once and
taken it. She loves him more than l
do. She is worthier of him than am.
She would make him better wife"
Then her thoughts few to the time
when she and Hilary had bought these
lockets. They were in jewelers.
store together, and the whim had ST.
multaneOusly seized them to have some
one thing alike. which they could Wear
as symbol, Of their mutual affection.
They decided upon two lockets, identi.
cal in make and size. and Hilary
bought one and clasped 1t about Jen-
ny's neck, and Jenny had bought the
other and clasped it about Hilary's.
and thus had they sealed the bond be-
tween them with gift and smile.
When the second exchange between
these trnkets had been made she could
not tell. but she thought it must have
hean dnna when she and Hilary last
:5athed ut the beach. They had both
worn their lOckets that day, and as
they had used one table for their
things the possibility of one Of them
having taken up the wrong locket was
easy.
But the when" and the how" Of
this mistake We're unimportant. The
exchange had been made in some way,
and a revelation had followed which
had shaken her to the core of her
being. Hilary loved Mr. Degraw. and
lie would love Hilary if her own un-
worthy beauty We're not ever before
him. How could she let all the sacri-
flee be on one side. How could she
enjoy her happiness if she knew that
her friend was suffering from a de-
spair. the depth. and poignancy OF
which she could family measure by
the emotions gnawing ut her own
heart? She could not though she was
far from perfect she hao advanced
thus far, at least upon the road to un-
selfshness that her friends case now
occupied her moro than her own. She
could not ignore it; she would not
She had her wealth and score of un-
tasted pleasures before her. while Hil-
ary had tasted of every pleasure save
that of which she.was about to rob
her. Hilary thus left to herself would
soc no inu In tho emntY snace hefOre