News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-07-08
Their Midnight
Meeting
A Surprise and Its
Sequel
BY GEORGE HAMPTON.


She waited until the house had
grown still, and then, slipping from the
bed where, wakeful and restless. she
had been tossing for hn hour. she pro-
ceeded cautiously to the stairs and
down to the library floor.
Her acquaintance with the house
dated back only as far as the day be-
fore, when she received the telegram
announcing the death of her uncle.
Grover Pelham.
Dreading stumble over an unchart-
ed piece of furniture, she exercised the
utmost care. AS she parted the por-
there's of the library door she became
conscious of another presence.
Waiting until her eyes accustomed
themselves to the darkness, she made
out the faintest suggestion of figure
kneeling at the other side of the room,
and key turning in an inner lock of
the safe explained the situation well
enough.
Miss Morley remembered that the
electric light button was close to where
she stood. AS one hand Strengthened
| out horizontally toward the intruder
she flashed on the light with the other.
The burglar turned with whirl and
wilted before the eloquence of the out
stretched revolver and Miss Morley's
dominating pose.
"Who are you?" the burglar demand
ed sulenly, peering intently in his eff
fort to recognize the figure almost
wholly enveloped by the curtains.
"a guest here Miss Morley return
ed, with curious interest in so much
or so little-of the burglars face as
the mask permitted her to see. "Who
are you. and what are you doing in
Mr.. Pelham's safe?"
Just taking the dimensions to fill it
prise party for his heirs" was the sar
castle response.
"Ah You know the old gentleman
is dead. them" Miss Morley asked.
Eyes, praise be! And if you had
minded your own business l would
accounts with him."
what did he ever do to yOu" Miss
Morley demanded, little resentment
in her voice as she let the curtains fall
away and stood forward in all her gra-
cious charm before the disguised in
truder.
Instead of answering. the burglar as
the light fell full upon her, dropped
back. pace in manifest surprise. She
waited, and in his turn he startled her. |
"Helen Morley!' was all he said, in !
the quiet tones Of one who is too great |
ly astonished to give way to emotion.
Seeming then to understand the folly |
of a mask, he removed it and crum- |
pied it into his pocket. The two faced |
each other in silence
The man and the girl had looked for
ward once to life together. He was
cashier of bank until some funds
went wrong and the law sent him to
prison for Eve years. After that he
never came back to her, though she
heard of him drifting about the coun-
try.
"John Gorham! And this is the way
you come backr' the girl just whisper
ed. "What-what did he ever do to
you?" she demanded again mechan-
ically and as though she were gaining
time.
- Gnr. |
ham declared. "Grover Pelham hated
me because my mother did not care
for him as he had wished. 1t was he
who managed my undoing-to punish
my dead father, he said. You didn't
know thatY
The girl shook her head. The re-
volver hand dropped down upon the
table, and she half averted her face
and feverish eyes.
81 was not embittered at first" Cor
ham went ON, "even though spent so
long a time in prison. | began. life
over again until Pelham found it out.
Then it seemed as il every Tom. Dick
and Harry had learned my story and
was being paid to tell it over and over
again.
II simply had to give up trying to
earn living that way. Besides. ! had
been circumstantially taught to be-
ieve that you had lost all faith in me-
That was easy to believe" be added in
4 hard tone. "since 1 never received
etter from you"
''The letters were written" she told
him quickly, many a one"
More of Pelham's work. then" Cor
ham ventured. But 1 had given up.
When l heard of the old gentleman's
Heath ] decided to come around and
elean out his safe. | thought | would
Keep on at that business until l had a
Then | could retire and
i've the independent life possible to a
nan of means"
The girl comprehended from his man.
,o, tbat n. x.-ould s,,ala no advances |