Norwich bulletin., 1910-07-08
TIE BULLETINS DAIlY STORY
WHITE LILACS


 The last stroke of midnight soIemnIy boonled over the sleeping city as Ed ward Brewster laid aside his pen with infinite weariness. All the world was at rest but him, he thought bitterly; and yet, he too might have been at peace in his old home tonight in Lindenlea had the wanderlust never seized him.
 He stirred uneasily: around his desk seemed to cling the faint haunt ing fra grance of the lilac bush, all though no spray of the blossom could he find in the room. It was for bidden flower in the Brewster man sion.
 touched a spray of white lilac. and that was the night he had hidden Evelyn Leicester and Lindenlea a long, last farewell.
 It was spring time now, in Linden lea, he unused dreamily. and the lilac bush by the fountain had donned her bridal robe of misty, shinlnering white, and the dew was lying on the gently waving branches like fairy jewels
 Evelyn had come to him that night down the shadow-haunted path that led ! to the fountain, her regret at his go- ing plainly visible in the sweet, dark eyes. Of all his friends, she alone believed in him; the others called him a dreamer. The wide world was not for such as him. they said. he who had never k1OWh lapOT. buI IINCis II Leicester was not one of these will believe in you always. Ned, come what may" she had told him, her beautiful head tilted back. assA a light in her eyes that rivalled the star- shine in the heavens above
 Because I love you, Evelyn" he had answered. and desire your happiness above everything else in the world, all ways during your life remember that somewhere I am near. waiting to do some thing to prove my love Tor you, and that a spray of this flower, how ever small sent to me at any time or any place will grant whatever Wlsn you may make. that it may be in my power to grant even at the cost Of unhappiness to myself Years and oceans may divide us but the white lilac will always be to us the emblem of our unity"
 Bird wing and bird-song were silent as they parted; the wind sighed soft ly through the weeping-willows,. and the great, white moon shone full up- on the lilac bush.
 He would return, he told her, when he had become rich and famous; they would be married in the little stone church on the hill half buried in ivy, and together they would roam through the broad beautiful world like chil- dren on a holiday.
 He had fought his way in the city step by step until he had secured foothold: the way was hard and paved
 
 little time for the sweeter things of life His letters to Evelyn were short and as he now remembered, must have been unsatisfactory, and yet, she was even in his thoughts, queen of his castles in Spain the bright particular star of his lonely life.
 The blows that had shattered his every dream came with terrific sud- denness In paper from his home town he read the notice of her mar riage to John Brinslee, the rich man of the village. He had uttered no sound as he read it. the wound was too deep- For Evelyn he had no blame, but in his heart he registered vow of vengeance against the man who had taken her from him. Fate had early taken a hand in the game, for Ed ward Brewster had risen to the office of president of an inmence corpora tion in which John Brinslee held a high and trusted position.
 The two men never made any pre- tense of friendship; each one was wary of the other.
 Wearily the great fnancier rose from his desk, at the same time open ing an important-looking envelope that had esca ped his attention.
 As he read it's contents, the shadows dropped from his face as by magic, and a light of almost insane triumph dawned in his eyes The moment for which he had longed, prayed and ! hoped for 20 years had come at last.
 During his absence abroad, John Brinslee's enemies had been busy weaving a web around him from which he had found it impossible to extri- cate himself and they had compelled him to resign his position. His friends, claiming him innocent of the charges brought against him, had forwarded his reins tatement to the president with the request that he sign it and place John Brinslee back in his old po- sition-
 Would he sign it? Yes, when John Brinslee could give him back the van ished years of his life with the full filment of his youthful dreams; when he could repay him even in part for the loneliness and misery of 20 years. Then and not till then would he sign it.
 He threw the pa per on his desk, and a little white box hitherto unnoticed brushed his hand Mechanically he opened it, and shook from it's satin bed a spray of white lilac. He fell heavily into. chair and his head sank forward on his outstrea ched hands. He remem- bered his promise and she had re- menfbered it. too, but surely no human beating heart that had suffered as he had for 20 years could be expected to reHnquish this cherished dream of re- venge for a buried romance. And still. the little spray of fragrance pleaded silently for it's own and finally won. With trembling hands and eyes that saw not, Edward Brewster signed his name to John Brinslee's reinstate- ment
 The shadows of twilight quietly fell in John Brinslee's office; the room was deserted save for the bowed figure sitting silently at his desk It was not the attitude of triumphant man, rather of one who held his reinstate