The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-21

had joined his regiment they became too absurd to talk about
 Adam gave Arthurs letter to Hetty. and spoke sternly to her concerning what he had seen in the Chase. The girl put the letter In her pocket, little suspecting its tenor, and seemed only concerned that Adam should mot tell"-which he prom ised.
 That night, in the privacy of her room, Hetty read the letter and all her air castles tumbled in hideous ruin around her. Arthur wrote that they must try and not feel like lovers any more; that the difference In their stations precluded all idea of marriage they never could be as they would like to be to each other, but that If any trouble should come which they did not then foresee' she could trust him to do all that lay in his power for her. a
 The poor girl read and reread the letter. It was hard for her to grasp all at once the fact that Arthur had cast her off. She had been so sure that he would make lady of her" Now she saw only the dull, hateful routine of her life on the farm, or as the wife of some work ing man, stretching out before her as long as she should live.
 She sat sobbing and shivering far Into the night and then threw herself on the bed and slept from sheer exhaustion. Her first idea upon awakening the next morn ing was that she must go away from there She must go somewhere-any- where, life henceforth in that dull rou- tine was not to be borne. She would welcome any change now-even a mar riage with Adam would afford some re- lief.
 So, when Adam came again to sit with Martin Poyser Hetty greeted him with gentle smile which set the big mans heart beating violently. Arthur was right after all; 1t had been but bit of ''nirt- ing and had ended with Arthurs de- parture It was he, Adam. whom Hetty loved; he saw 1t in a thousand looks and signs-just Samson saw the love of Delilah when he looked into her eyes and as Hercules felt Omphale's at pressure of her little hand.
 Thus in few weeks 1t came about that Adam and Hetty were engaged and the big carpenter was happier than he had ever dared to hope he would be. As the time of the wedding came near there was only one cloud in Adams sunshine Hetty seemed sad at times. She went about her household duties in a subdued manner, doing her work patiently and thoroughly, but sadly. She's is trying to show thee what good housewife she'll make" said Martin Poyser jocularly to the lover.
 One day Hetty went over to Freddie ston to get some of the wedding things she had forgotten to buy. Tt was easy to know they were not for the outside' Mrs. Poyser remarked, Tor she would have remembered them fast enough" It was bright February morning and the frost was on the hedgerows.
 Hetty turned off from the highway across the fields; she wanted to be where she could walk slowly and not care how her face looked as she dwelt wretched thoughts. On the low ground was a dark shrouded pool full with the winter rains. She sat down on the bank and gazed fixedly into the black waters. She had thought of this pool often in the nights of the month which had just passed and now she was trying to guess what sort of bed 1t would make for her young, round limbs.
 No. she had not courage to jump into the cold. watery bed; they might find her and then they would know why she had drowned herself. No, she must go away go away where they could not find her. After the first oncoming of her great dread, some weeks after her betrothal