Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-08-25

TIE MAKING OF THE MAN.
(From the Doetor poet,

THE MAHING OF THE MAN.
CTrom the Boston post)
Shc was young and blessed with every
gift that nature could bestow. During tho
two years of their engagement Ralrh
had often paid delicate compliments to
her charms her face with its artistic
lines, her eyes Of fathomlcss depth, her
lustrous hair; but this night he paid no
tributes a change had como into his
life, and he was forgetful Of everything
else
II gricve sincerely for Uncle Andrew"
he said. "buisie was full of years, good
ness and suffering; perhaps It is better
So, and since 1t is so, ! viii accept thu
Inevitable. | am. of course, sole heir to
his property aud twenty-one years OLD
with life before me. / have never taken
Kindly to the idea Of being a superfluous
man. and the Inheritance of 1900 makes
my dearest ambition possible Grace T
am going to enter college and afterward
study law and try to make my mark. or
course this postpones our marriage
trifle; but-but-I want to be somebody
in the world
Inc last few words rang out with an
enthusiasm that Vas not lost upon Grace
stumbling speech that had gone before.
This. and the fact that. since il was
known Uncle Andrew had lett no will
Ralph had undergone change of man
ner. very slight, It Is true. but percep-
t.3le to her. conveyed more than wha.
was said and left uns1ld. lie had tha
qualities to battle in the world. the dar
| ing and the mental gifts. but her sphere
md NOT.
a lawyer would wish 70 carry his wife
Realizing this She believed he knew #
equally well, and she read the hesitatir.,
speech in her own way. Initurtion told
her that the postponcmeut would DO A
long one.
What she answered She could NO.
have told afterward. but her acQuiesenc..
her prompt and friendly interest carried
delight to Ralph's heart. and when he
left her he went with SWINGING pace.
buoyant spirits ana general exLi.aratlon.
He lad feared 4 scene but she had
been so sensihle"-such was his term
that his load was lifted.
And She? She stood by the gate long
after he had Disappeared looking into
the night without seeing. oblivious of
everything but tho change in her for
times 1t must be 50; she would not have
1t otherwise. Ills plans his ambitions
must be satisfied. She would not spoil
his life. Her choice was made. but sta nd
ing under the great lilac bushes that
filled the air with rich perfume, she knew
the bitterness of ruined hopes But for
his sake-for his sake. a transient breezs
swept branch of the lilac blossom
against her check, the check that was
henceforth to be Il stranger to Ralph:
and she aroused and entered the house.
Once In her own room, and with a
light made. she took from her desk n
folded, bulk paper, which she spread out
before her. Great would have been the
establishment of Ralph had he seen and
read it. For she had been nearly as
closely related to Uncle Andrew as Wa,
his nephew. and a month before his death
the old man had decided his home to her.
"Why not?" he had said. you and
he are to marry, and It Will be all one"
The deed had never been recorded, aud
no one knew of it but the lawyer who
he'd written it and the witnesses. Ralph
thought himself a rich man. but, out
! side of what the paper contained, Uncis
Andrew had left but few hundreds, lt
was Grace who was the heir. and stand
ing there. she knew that il her lover re.
ceivod his education it would be with
her own money.
She read the document through, and
then, without moment of hesitation
he'd ii to the flame OF tho lamp and
watched it 80 to ashes. Tho witnesses
and the lawyer We're her personal frends
and she knew she could urge them to
| silence. only ashes lay before her. ashes