Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-03-04

the scene indif-
ferently. It was very beautiful
yet, in an exotic way; but he was
weary with it all, and his heart faint
with hunger for home.
That was why he had weakened at
the eleventh hour and accepted Dora's
vitation-because he had been SO
| long away from home.
| She chose to break the silence with
a careless question:
what vessel is that?"
| Jack glanced down toward the har-
Dor A fussy steamer was putting in
to it's anchorage, like a fat, white
ghost with bright, staring eyes.
Its the mail boat" he told her.
''Shes in late. Tomorrow" he con-
tinued in half whisper, shell be
going on to Gibraltar and connecting
with the liner for home!"
Eyes," said the girl, abstracted1y,
and lapsed again into her silence;
fer she was considering how she
might say to him that which she
longed to say.
"Now," said Jack, presently, with
out daring to look at the girl-whose
eyes never for an instant left his
strong, clean prof1le-"now, tell me
everything, please. Nora-all the
news about everyone know"
She obeyed quietly, in low voice.
1t seemed long account, but Jack
did not tire in the least.
"And-and Gwynne and Beth Som
ers? They're married long since, I
suppose?"
"No. I din't mention it, Jack, be-
cause"
II understand-and thank you. But
not married! I must know, Dora."
"Tom Gwynne," she said, after a
pause, "is dead"
Dead" he whispered, incredulous-
ly. Dead" He drew long breath.
Please" he cried, please tell me!
Don't you see I'm tortured, Dora? I
know you only wish to spare me,
but-you see, there was a girl, and
and"
"Thts makes it different" said the
girl, quietly. Nov you can ask her,
Jack" She went on, while he listened,
aghast at his slip. That's why
wanted to tell you-for the girls
sake. You didn't think that we who
knew you, believed you guilty-did
you? Because we didn't, and that is
why was glad, oh, SO glad, to find
you, and to be the first, the very first
to tell you! You see, after you sacri.
feed everything, Jack, and ran away
trying to save your chum, to make us
believe that you had-stolen the
! money, and not Tom Gwynne."
; "But you mustn't blame him." Ben
. ton broke in quickly. "He didnr
really know what he was doing"
I II know" She nodded decidedly
+ IT know that you sacrificed all tt
= save your friend. And when Ton
= discovered what you had done, whe1
it was too late, he told Beth. o
: course that broke the engagement
n and it was only a little later tina
/ Tom was thrown from his auto some
II how-we never really knew what ha'
O happened. He left signed confes
It sion; but we didn't know where yo7
- had buried yourself, jack
q ooh, you don't know, you don
e know" he cried brokenly, what thi
\ means to me, Dora!"
"AIB but I do" she told him
y gently. "I know, very we'll That
why came here, Jack-to find YOU
=, I'd heard it was place where pee
-, - pie went when they were in trouble
~ and I wanted to tell you, because
10 because'-again there sounded tina
- pitiful little quaver in her voice
because the girl is waiting for you.
"Then I'll go!" he cried. 'Tll go
- Dora, Dora, I don't know how t
- thank you! I'm off in the mornin
=. by that mail steamer. Home! 70
won't mind my hurying off to pacl
~ will you? She sails at sunrise-an
= just think, in ten days I'll see Beth
= And when he was gone she stoo
:. for long time motionless, dry of ey
- and lip, staring at the corner aroun
which he had disappeared. Final
10 she stretched forth both arms
ooh, my dear, my dear!" she sobbe
oe as If her heart would break-but ge
Ell thy, that none might hear.
lie
re Cura Enon~hI