Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-25

Could she avoid him? Had she been
injudicious In betraying her knowledge
of the past? And how marvellous was
the likeness between Constance and
her father! The chivalrous, high mind
ed youth she had known came back to
her through the mists Of time. The
calm, proud eyes, the firm mouth, the
wide expanse Of forehead were his.
From her mother-the woman who
died many years ago. when she, Mrs.
vansittart, was quite a girr'-the girl
inherited the clear profile, the wealth
Of dark brown hair and grace Of
movement not often seen In English
women.
Though her teeth chartered with the
cold, Mrs. Fanslttart could not bring
herself to leave the vaultlike stairway.
Once more the hymn singers cheered
their hearts with words Of praise. Evil
IDENTIFY there was one among them who
not only knew the words, but could
lead them nightly in the tunes Of
many old favorites
The opening of door-caused by the
passing to and fro of some Of the ships
otIcers-brought to her distracted ears
the concluding bars Of verse. When
the voices swclled forth again she
caught the full refrain:
Raise thine eyes to heaven
When thy spirits quail
When, by tenpests driven.
Heart and courage fail"
Such message might well carry
IN n t.-hn hao rI kfrc
Nansittart listened as one In n trance
to whom the divinest promise was a
thing unasked for and unrecognlzed.
After passing through the greater peril
Of the reef in state of supne con
seriousness. she was now moved to cx-
treme activity Ivy 4 more personal and
selfish danger. There was she, a hui
man atom. TO he destroyed or saved at
the idle within Of circumstance: here
with life and many things worth living
for restored to her safe keeping. she
saw imminent risk of collapse with
which the nebuous dangers of the
wreck were in no way comparable. 1t
would have been well FOR her could she
only realize the promise of the hymn.
moment, workcth for Us a far more OK
cceding and eternal weight of glory"
Not 50 ran Mira. Vansittnrt's tumble
Of thoughts. The plans. tho Schemes
the huildcd edifice of many years,
threatened to fall in ruin about her
In such bitter mood there WAS no con-
ISOLATION. She sought not to find spir-
hi,t Ia l,n
trophe which had hefallon her
II assurcdiy contributed to that "af-
fiction which i, hut for moment"
that Constance should happen Just
then 10 run up tho stairs toward the
hospital Each fight was so contrived
that it curved across twothrds IF the
superficial area allotted to the stair
way Any one ascending made com
p'ete turn to the right about to reach
the door OF the room on any given
landing and the foot OF the ladder to
the next
Hence the girl came unexpectedly
face to face with Mrs. Nanslttart. The
meeting startled her. This pale WON.
an. so thinly clad in the demitoilet of
be standing there.
rs anything wrong" she cried, rails
ing her lantern Just as Enid did when
she encountered the sailors.
NO, no. said the other passing a
nervous hand over her face. Con
stance. with alert intelligence, fancied
she dreaded recognition.
81,
1t is so cold. You will surely make
yourself ILL.,"
II was wondering If might see Mr.
Brand" came the desperate answer,
the words bubbling forth with unre-
strained vehe.noncc
See my father" repeated the girl
She took thought for an instant. The
lighthouse keeper would not be able
to leave the lamp for nearly three
hours. When dawn came she knew he
would have many things TO attend to-
signals to the Lands End. the arrange
mcnt of supplies, which he had al
ready mentioned to her, and host Of
other matters. -Four o'clock III the
morning was an unconventional hour
for an interview, hut time itself was
topsy turvy under the conditions prev
alent on the Gulf Rock.
II will ask him." she went on hur-
rlcdly. with an uncomfortable feeling
that Mrs. Vansittart resented her ju.
dicial pause.
THANK YOU"
To the girls ears the courteous nc-
acknowledgement conveyed an odd note
! Of menace. If the eyes are the win
dows of the soul surely the voice is its
subtle gauge. The more transparentlv
simple. clean minded the nearer, the
more accurate is the resonant impress
sion. Constance found herself vaguely
perplcXed by two iostling distractions
If they took shape it was in mute ques-
tioning. Why was Mrs VHnsittart so
anxious to revive or. it might be. probe
long buried memories, and why did her
mobile smile seem to vein hostile in
tent?
But the fresh. gracious maidcnhood
in her cast aside these unwonted
studies In mind reading
"IIe has so much to do" she eX-
planned although there are many Of
us on the rock tonight he has never
been so utterly alone. Won't you wait
inside until l return|"
"Not unless am in the way" plead
cd the other. II was choking in there.