News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1908-01-15

gether the tips Of his fingers, d habit
Of his when trying to think things ont
81 see," he said slowly. 81 see"
He asked her a question abruntIv
"Why would the Morningstars stop n
If they knew"
'They would think it made me less
strong to work for demonstrating IN NJ
night. You will not tell them?r she
repeated anxiously.
"Of course l shall not tell-that goes
without saying, child. But" he asked
curiously, "were you never afraid 70
come here-knowing the place was
haunted?"
II had great fear. But my longing to
read the books was even greater"
"Your refusal to tell me the other
evening how you came by the few
books you had read-you were afraid
might betray your"
always the great dread has been
upon me Of having this only pleasant
thing In my life taken away from me-
1t has made me cautious. But l would
trust you now" she said with q re-
strained eagerness, with any secret
l had-I would trust you toto the ut
termost"
"Thank you. Eunice." he answered
gravely. an odd feeling Of pleasure
stirring in his heart.
He drew himself up and leaned TO-
ward the bookcase, examining in the
| light of his new knowledge their titles.
| $50 then 1t has been your secret read
| ing that has made Of you such an
| anomaly in the midst of these Morning
stars. Living among Them but never
of them. your real life has been spent
in the world of fiction and history and
poetry. Yes" he nodded. II begin to
see daylight now
AS a psychologist he felt an almost
exciting interest in her as a case to be
studied, with her peculiar mental
equipment of a really extensive knowl
edge of litera ture. combined with an
absolute ignorance of actual life, and
the affectional and emotional side Of
her nature left utterly dormant.
"W'ill you tell me-" she tmidly urged,
whether you have been told the story
of this room? know there is story
connected with it. but it has always
been kept from me-
Although Kinross held it to be an
old fogy notion that girl should be
guarded from all knowledge of evil,
yet he Lad an instructive aversion to
pouring into the ears of this childlike
maiden the story Of the crime which |
Mrs Morningstar had related to him.
On second thoughts, however. why
should he hesitate when she had |
nerves steady enough to meet ghost !
and will so firm that in all these /
years she had kept the secret Of her
surreptitious reading, unconsciously |
educating herself thereby possibly far
beyond what many Il girl gained from
a systematic schooling? Surely the girl |
had trace" back of her, with her cour-
age to face a ghost, her love of books |
so strong as to overcome obstacles that |
would have daunted any ordinary |
thought and instinct which he felt in |
her presence so keenly.
But he bethought him of another
reason why he did not wish to repeat |
to her at once Mrs. Morningstars tale.
There was the paper he had thrust in
to his pocket at. the sound of her step
in the hall, bearing that confession"
er tell her nothing.
"Will you wait" he begged her, "and
let me think it over first before l tell
you what l know? Believe me-" he
added as he saw her look of disap-
pointment. that / hold your welfare
sacred and that in asking you to wait
do what seems to me to be for your
good"
He was surprised at the glow which
rradiated her countenance at his
words. She was so unused to being
considered. he reflected, that a mere
one of kindness called forth all the l
atent brightness of her soul. Little
lid he dream how his words sang in
Ter ears, Il hold your welfare sacred"
md that the music of the spheres
,ould not have seemed to her more L
wonderful in spite of the fact that
;ince that night on the terrace her
leart had been heavy with the knowl-
,dge that he loved Gcorgiana.
Il will wait she said, an unwonted
brill in her voice that held him with
is spell, until you are ready to tell
ne"
A disturbing possibility had suddenly
occurred to him. Surely if that con
ession' amounted to anything Eunice
would herself have found it out. He
lad supposed that he had come upon
discovery. and he felt Il pang OF dis
ppointment as he realized the prob
bility of his having been mistaken.
Those books on the top shelf, those
5alzacs," he suddenly said, they were
he only books ! found dusty. All. of
Curse" he added, you don't read 8
'rench; that's itr'
Then perhaps, after all, she had
ever seen this paper in his breast
indeed if dur
az all these years the secret of her
istory should have thus been within
er reach and yet escaped her \ de-
ire came to him to take it out and