Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-16

experiences. Nue udU
always lived much in herself, and to
her natural reserve her blindness had
added. AS result her knowledge
both Of herself and Of life had been
superficial. The first bitter shock Of
her catastrophe seemed to burn up in
her the very capacity for further poig-
nant suffering. and che went through
the motions Of life alphabetically.
Change Of scene and the declining
health of David Stires occupied fortu-
nately much Of her waking thoughts
After the first few months Of travel
he failed steadily. His ciric acid
moods were forgotten, his harsh tenn
lay in his chair. gazing out from the
wide sun parlor OF the sanltarium on
the crest of Smoky mountain. whittier
their journeying had finally brought
them. He had never spoken OF Hugh.
In time her fercer pain had dulled,
and her imagination. naturally so i'm
Fortunate, had begun to seize upon her
surroundings In the summer season
the sanitarium had few guests. and
for this she was thankful DR.. Brent.
its head, rallying her on her paleness.
drove her out Of doors with good ma
tured severity. and when she was not
with David Stres she walked or rode
for hours ut u time over the mountain
trails Brea thing in the crisp air Of
altitude, her spirits grew more buoy
ant She fed the squirrels. listened to
the pert chIrp Of the whisky jack and
the whirring drum of the partridge or
sat on n hidden elevation which she
named THE Knob" facing across the
shallow valley TO the south.
The knob overlooked a little grassy
shelf few hundred feet below. where
stood a miners cabin, with weed
grown gravel heaps near by. in front Of
which tree bore the legend painted
roughly on board. THE Little Pay
master Claim"
Tier interest had opened eagerly to
these scenes. The soitudes soothed.
and the life of the community below.
frankly primitive and uncomplicated.
attracted her. Between the town Of
/ Smoky Mountain and the expensive
sanitarium on the ridge great social
gulf was fixed. The latter's patrons
FOR the most part came and went by
the narrow gauge road that linked with
northern junction. The settlement far
below was only feature OF the piano.
rama for which they paid so we'll
Even DR.. Front. who had perched this
place of healing where his patients
could breathe air fresh from the Pa
cifc and cooled by the snow peaks,
knew it chiefly through two OF Its c!ti
Eens-Mrs. Halloran, the capable, bus
thing wife OF the proprietor of the
Mountain Valley House. the towns
single hostelry. who brewed old fash
toned blackberry wine and cordials for
his patients. and Tom Fielder. young
lawyer whom he had known on the
coast before i'll health bad sent him to
hang out his single in q more genial
Eititude.
The latter sometimes came for chat
with the physician, and on one OF these
calls Jessica md no had met She had
liked his keen. good humored face and
waving, slightly CRAVING hair She
had met him once since on the noun
tain road. and he had walked with her
and told her quaint stories OF the
townspeople. He had taken her to
Mrs. Hallornn, whose heart she mad
won by praise of her cherry cordial.
1T brings back my boyhood," David
Stlres sold to hcr one afternoon, tap
ping the bottle by his wheel chair.
somehow this has the old taste"
1T Is nearly gone" she said. "l'll
got another bottle. am going for a
ride now. think 1t does you good"
Before you Co." no said. fetch my
writing case. and ! will dictate q let
ter"
She brought and opened 1t with {
trouble ut her heart. for the reQues
showed his Increasing weakness. I'm
til today the few letters he had writ
ten had been done with his own hand
Thinking OF this as she waited, he
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