Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1920-05-27

JOY. In that moment his most stupefy-
ing discovery was made, and the mag
nitude of it, the portent of it, set his
brain at naught, and left him destitute
of reason.
Carol! he said. petrified. "Carol I"
Mute, she shook her head. Looking
him full in the eyes, she flinched sud-
denly, and great sob burst in her
throat. The photograph of Dicky Nor
gan was in her hand; she held it a
moment, trembling, and then, while
her breath came faster and her Shout
ders quivered, she tore it across and
across, finer and finer, until only frag-
mentary scraps remained-and these
she let fall in her lap, unheeded. The
likeness of billiard, the lying radiant
face Of the man nobody knew-this
she had seized, and this she had
clutched to her breast, systematically,
as though in fear to have it snatched
away from her.
Hilliard was very close to her; and
his whole being was concentrated in
his eyes.
Carol" he said to her again in that
strangers voice. Carol You
you knew!" To him the fact
was unbelievable.
Tardily, unwillingly, she raised her
head.
From the very first day" she said
hrOkenly. Both dad and |
and no one else; not even mother
=. your eyes told US both, and
we've trusted you so and
waited so surely we knew it
would come out all right in the end,
somehow and and
I do like my gift! It does
make the day better" And then, in
soft whisper, "Henryw
She had called him Henry" and
even in the spell of his confusion, he
throbbed to the significance of it.
The lover was eager but the prodigal
was startled back from the very thresh-
old of love.
"From the first day." he breathed,
electrified. And you trusted me like
that when you knew what l
was doing"
She was laughing and crying at the
same time; his hungry arms went out
to her and found her; words were
coming unanimously to him and he
said them as they came Somehow
the ring was on her finger; and she
had kissed it there. Between them,
partnered, a sacred understanding as
imperishable as bronze had arisen;
they both knew, without the necessity
of prolonged speech, what his future
was to be. They both knew in what
capacity he was to face the world;
they knew the trimming fullnesS of her
pardon and the hrimming fullness Of
his regret These truths were mutual
ly confirmed; the shabby past was in
distinguishably merged with the fresh
and vivid present; their pledges to this
end were upon their lips. The world
was lying helpless at their feet &.
the wonderful sensitive, receptive
world which had respected and hon
ored and admired him in the days of
his regeneration, and would continue,
paying the reward of his request.
In an irresistible passion of humility
and shame and courage, he tried to tell
her the sums of his deceitS; her lips
prevented him.
you mustn't" she murmured.
"Never! You let me choose want
1t this way"
Dazed, triumphant, he was re-living
hy-gOne incidents, seeing faint clues
develop into mighty revelations, COM
pretending at last the supreme love
and supreme faith of the two who had
waited for his victory and kept his
secret shut within their hearts, that
he might stand the ordeal, and prove
triumphant. And now, the reputation
that was already his the loft
Ter reputation which he should conse-
crate himself to build not
only for the pleasure of the building,
but also because there were those to
whom he owed it
Behind them, a firm football. Hill
lard was on his feet his arm instinct
lively protecting Carol. Doctor Durant
was smiling on them from the door
way grave, benevolent, pa
ternal. He, too, became common
partner to the understanding; an inter-
change of glances was sufficient. He
came in swiftly; his hands outStretch-
ed his head lifted high in the pride of
father who has looked upon his chill
dren. and found them true to each 9TH
er, and to him.
"Whatw he said. "Have you proved
1t already-my SOM"
THE END.