Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-04-15
Ole PILLAR
OF LIGHT
BY LOUIS TRACY.
Author Of The Wings Of the Morning

say mat. II seems 10 cut US apart. 1
What have you done that you should |
dread the worst that can be said? And |
why should there be any scandal at |
aUf ! cannot bear you to say such |
things"
Il think ! understand You, dad" said !
Constance. her burning glance striving
10 read his hidden thought Matters
cannot rest where they are. You will
not allow-my mother-to 20 away-a
second time-vithout clear state
mCnt as 10 the future and an equally
honest explanation Of the past"
This was precisely the question he
dreaded It had forced it's unwelcome
presence upon him I'm the first moment
Of the meeting with his wife. but he
was q man Of order. Of discipline. The
habits Of years might not be flung
aside 50 readily. 1t was absurd, he
held, TO iuhict the self torture of use
less imaginings on the first night of
their home coming after the severe
trials Of their precarious life on the
rock
Above all else Il was necessary to re-
assure Constance. whose strength only
concealed the raging fire beneath, and
Enid. whose highly strung temporal
mout was on the borderland Of hys-
tcr.a.
lie was still the arbiter of their
lives, the one TO whom they looked for
guidance. He rebellcd against the
prospect Of a night of slecpless misery
for these two. and it needed his en-
phatic dominance to direct their
thoughts into a more peaceful chan
mel.
SO he assumed the settled purpose
he was far from feeling and sum-
moued q kindly smile to his aid.
surely we have discussed our diff
culties sufficiently tonight" he said.
In the morning, Constance, l will
meet Mr. Trail. He is a gentleman
and a man of the world. l think too.
that his nephew will be resourceful
and wise i'm counsel beyond his years.
Now we are all going to obtain some
much needed rest. Neither you nor
! VIII yield to sleeplesS hours of brood
inE. Neither of you knows that not
forty-eight hours ago | made myself
a thief in the determination to save
your lives and mine. 1t was a need
less burglary. persuaded myself that
it was necessary i'm the interests of
the Trinity Brethren. those grave gen
tlemen in velvet clOaks. Enid. who
would be Mortified by the mere sug
gestion, | refuse to place myself on
the moral rack another time. In the
OLD days when l was boy the drama
was wont TO be followed by n more
lively scene. | forbid further discus
sion. Come. kiss me, both of you. 1
think that n stiff glass of hot punch
viii not do me any harm, nor you, I'M
less you imbibed freely of that cham
payne saw nesting in the ice pail"
They rose obediently. Although they
knew he was acting a part on their
account. they were sensible that he
was adopting a sane course.
Enid tried to contribute to the new
note. She bobbed in the approved style
Of the country domestic.
Please. Sir Stephen" she said
would you like some lemon in the
toddyf"
Constance placed a little copper ket
tie on the fire. Their gloom had giveI
way to a not wholly forced cheerful
ncss-for in that pleasant cottage sor
row was an unwelcome guest-whel
they were surprised to hear sharl
knock on the outer door.
At another time the incident, though
unusual at late hour, would not hav
disturbed them. But the emotions o
the night were too recent. their sub
sidence too artifcially achieved tina
they should not dread the possibilitie
which lay beyond that imperative sum
mons.
Mrs. Sheppard and the servant ha
retired TO rest. worn out with tn
anxious uncertainties of events It
ported from the lighthouse.
So Brand went TO the door and tn
girls listened i'm nervous foreboding.
They heard their father say:
Hello. Jenkins. what is the matte
nowf"
jenkins was a sergeant of polio
whom they knew.
Sorry TO trouble you. Mr.. Brand, bI
an odd thing has happened. A lady,
stranger. met me ten minutes ago an
asked me TO direct her to your hous
did so She appeared to be in gre;
trouble so | strolled slowly after he
! was surprised to see her looking
through the window of your sittir
room. AS far as l could make out 81
was crying fit to break her heart, and
imagined she meant to knock at Il
door. but was afraid"
Where is she? What has become
herr
Brand stepped out into the moo
light The girls. white and tremblin
followed.
Well she ran off down the gard,
path and tumbled in a dead faint ne
the gate. | was too late to save he
picked her up and placed her on
seat. She Is there now. l thought
best before carrying her hereto t