Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-06-11

ior the cause Of her sisters TO find
that Emily's lover. Stephen Loring
came To see her sister no more.
questioned. Miss Emily had replied
proudly. with swift flushing cheeks
that she did not wish him to come
ana Miss Rachel probed no further
scarcely year later Stephen married
slri OF a neighborlng village. and
Emily, growing paler and gentler day
Dy day. gave all the love left In her
heart to Rachel. which Miss Rachel
silently but deeply recIprocated. all
the more tenderly that Miss Emily so
often seemed inwardly shrinking be.
rore her. as II In shame at her fate.
WIN true New England reticence.
mingled with Unborn deIicacy. neither
ever spoke of the others love and
loss. but when Stephen Loring some
twenty years later had come to live
beside them Miss Rachers wrath rose
nigh asalnst this destroyer of her gen.
Tie sisters happiness In life.
Rachel"
MISS Emily stood Mt the door peer.
ing into the now dark room
"old Mrs. Clayton Is dying, and
they want you right away"
Miss Rachel rose at once. not even
closing the lid on her little box of
keepsakes
AT the door she paused, speaking
gently:
You won't need TO go until morn.
Ing. You are too frail for such
things"
And before Miss Emily could reply
she was gone on this, one Of her many
deeds of mercy.
Alone, Miss Emily entered the room
and went to the window, where she
could watch her sisters tall form
through the fast deepening darkness.
A lamplighter came by as she stood
there and lighted the lamp in the
street below. just in front of the win
dow. AS she moved from the window
the audacious CLEAN Of light pene-
trated past her. falling directly on the
opened box of keepsakes.
Dreamily. yet half startled, Miss
Emily moved toward them. She knew
well enough what they were-t the
package of letters tied with narrow
black ribbon were Andrew Arnolds
letters of love to Rachel; the little box
beside them held well known tur-
nnaiSn ripu l,lt tho nisfnra that In
on top. surely she might see that again
after all these many years.
Half guiltily she lifted it and held 1t
In the light, eagerly scanning the face
Then. with a little sob, she sank on
her knees, the picture still clasped in
her hand. her hidden face resting on
her arms.
Silently thus the minutes passed. yet
Miss Emily took no heed, And so
Miss Rachel. coming home to dark
tie later.
For moment she stood in the door
way, lost in wonder at her sisters still
form in the lamplight; then she ad-
vanced swiftly to her side.
Emily" she said-"Emily, dear, are
you ill?"
Miss Emily sprang to her feet as If
suddenly walked from a dream. One
hand still held the photograph, but
after an instant she dropped 1t on the
desk, and, clasping her hands, she
cried In low, passionate voice-a new
voice to Miss Rachel:
"Oh, Rachel, Rachel forgive me!
He did not know; he never. never
dreamed it. You, you only, had his
life and all of it. and. oh. could not
help It! Surely have suffered enough,
and never, never meant to wrong
you"
Miss Rachel stood so still she might
have been carved Of stone, too terribly
bewildered for the simplest form of
thought. But her sister went on with
her passionate pleading.
Cant you forgive me, Rachel when
he never, never knew and you had all
his love"
Miss Rachels voice trembled.
"But Steve-Stephen LoringT
"He caught my girlish fancy, Rachel.
But when l found out how l felt
about-your Andrew-I sent Steve
away. And the next week Andrew
died so suddenly-his heart all yours
to the last oh, Rachel, sister, you
cannot forgive me, know! l will go
away-alone"
Hush, child" said Miss Rachel
sternly. 81 have nothing to forgive.
You are the greater sufferer, as you
have always been. But 60 away for
awhile. want to be alone"
Next morning the sun had scarcely
dried the radiant dew when Miss
Rachel opened an unused gate and
went over to her neighbor's. In her
hand she held the tiny package OF seed
she had placed last night on her desk.
Next year two rows of sunflowers
nodded across the fence-the same low
nickel fence-not by any means six