Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-06-26

My position here is a false one.
Sara. prefer to CO."
This morning l should have held
sword over your head"
at is very difficult for me to realize
all that has happened"
You are free to depart You are
free in every sense of the word. Your
future rests with yourself. my dear"
ut hurts me more than l can tell
to feel that you have been hating me
all these months"
ct hurts me-now."
Retty walked to the window and
looked out.
What are your plans?" Sara In
CURED, after an interval
81 shall seek employment-and wais
for you to act"
81? You mean?"
81 shall not run away, Sara. Nor do
l intend to reveal myself to the au"
thorities. | am not morally guilty OF
crime. A year ago l feared the con-
sequences of my deed, but l have
learned much since then. | was 90
stranger in a new world. In England
we have been led to believe that you
lynch women here as readily as you
lynch men. l now know better than
that. From you alone l learned my
greatest lesson. You revealed to me
the true meaning of human kindness.
You shielded me who should not.
Even now l believe that your first
impulse was a tender one. l shalh
not forget it, Sara. You will live to-
regret the baser thought that came
later on. l have loved you-yes, al.
most as a good dog loves his master.
1t is not for me to tell the story OF
that night and all these months to
the world. l would not be betraying
myself, but you. You would be called
upon to explain, not l. And you would
be the one to suffer. When you met
my way back to the inn to give my.
self into custody. You have made It
impossible for me to do so now. My
lips are sealed. It rests with you.
Sara"
Sara Joined her in the broad win
dow. There was a strangely exalted
look in her face. A gilded birdcage
hung suspended in the easement. With
out a word, she threw open the VIM
dow screen. The gay little canary in
the gilded cage cooked bis head and
watched her with alert eyes. Then
she reached up and gently removed
the cage from its fastenings. Putting
It down upon the window sill, she
opened the tiny door. The bird hoped
about his prison in a state of great
excitement.
Hetty looked on, fascinated.
At last a yellow streak shot out
: through the open door and an instant
later resolved itself into the bobbing,
f1uttering dicky-bird that had lived
in cage all its life without an hour
of freedom. For a few seconds it
circled over the tree tops and then
alighted on one Of the branches. One
might we'll have imagined that he
, could hear its tiny heart beating with
terror. Its wings we're half-raised and
futtering, its head jerking from side
/ to side in wild perturbation. Taking
courage, Master Dicky hoped timo-
: rously to a nearby twig, and then ven
3 tured flight to tree top nearer the
| window easement Perched in it's top
most branches he cheeped shrilly, as
} If there was fear in his little breast
} In silence the two women in the
window watched the agitated move
ments of the bird. The same thought
was in the mind of each, the same
question, the same intense wish
A brown thrush sped through the
air, close by the timid canary. Like
a flash it dropped to the twigs lower
down, its wings palpitating in violent
alarm.
"Dicky!" called Sara Wrandall, and
then cheeped between her teeth.
A moment later Dicky was fluttering
about the caves; his circles grew
smaller, his winging less rhythmical,
till at last with nervous little futter
he perched on the top of the window
shutter, so near that they might have
reached to him with their hands He
sat there with his head cooked to one
side.
"Dicky!" called Sara again. This
time she held out her finger. For some
time he regarded it with indifference,
not to say disfavor. Then he took one
more fight, but much shorter than the
first, bringing up again at the shutter
top. A second later he hoped down
and his little talons gripped Saraa
finger with an earnestness that left
I no room for doubt,
She lowered her hand until it was
even with the open door of the gilded
:, cage. He shot inside with whir that
suggested scramble. With his wings
r folded, he sat on his little trapeze
0 and cheeped. She closed and fastened
4 the door. and then turned to Hetty.
my symbol" she said softly
:, There were tears in Hetty's eyes.
ITO RE CONTTNITED