The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-29

/
| 90. 1890, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
| 1t was near the close of another
September day. The sun had set and
now came twilight, bringing with it. :
certain peacefulness to the tired anQ
weary. @ 'c @ a. aa
To Lila Belle, the glrl-wife of Law
yer Belle, it was growing darker every
minute in that sick room. She fan.
cied she heard someone calling ana
beckoning for her to come-then- she
| heard splash Of water and again the
soft voice called. She wanted to GO
60 for life was slowly but surely ebb-
ing out of Lila Bellies body.
"Albert-promise me, dear-pIease,
| before l go"
But Lila you can't go-we need
| you, baby and l." and he bowed his
| head in agony over the wasted figure
on the bed.
Clasping her tiny white arm around
his neck, she whispered softly. prom
Use me, Albert-promise me"
Il PROMISE" came from the man
in broken tones.
The girl-wife smiled and closed her
/ eyes as though in peace with God and
the world. At the close of this day
twilight brought with it peace to the
girl-wife but pain to the husband, yet
there was that peacefulness so diff
cult to define. =.
Four years later Albert Belle and his
6arIubtap rnv4y. roa riYo bor RffI
year, were travelling through the White
mountains and it was his one hope
that his little daughter would ger
strong and happy that he brought her
up to. Mount Washington. Surely the
mountain air would help to put color
in those lily-white cheeks. But Lila
was not happy or contented, she was
longing fOr-well that was Lila's Sc
cret locked away in her heart and no.
daring to tell daddy about it.
"Dadda. who is that pretty lady sit
ting down there with the other LADY,
Lawyer Belle smiled
That's singular. my little girl. /
too, was wondering who she was"
rs she sad, dadda ?-she looks likes
She'S gong 10 cry
Yes, dear, she does look very sad
and tired" her father answered. Al
that moment Ann Joyce espied little
Lila and smiled on her.
Mother, what a dear little child
Look" and both Ann and her mother
smiled on the little girl.
Impulsively and without consulting
daddy as was customary, Lila broke
away from her father and ran to Ann.
Il was just asking dadda if you wa
should say are you-dadda don't Like
me to say is you--he' says it is-it is
and evidently Lila had forgotten, for
she could 90 no further.
Yes. dear, understand; it isn't
good form, but why do you think 1 an
sad. dear?"
"Wrll, 1 spected you was and-and
do you get pains here, too?" and Lila
pointed to her heart. II get some
pains there when I'm sad and want
and want"
And want what, chiId?" but Lila
refused to say any more on the sub
ject.
Il trust my little girl has not in
truded," and Lawyer Belle smiled
kindly at Ann and her mother.
Not at ALL" replied Ann. 81 only
wish l could see more of her-may
II"
And Albert Belle as he looked into
Ann Joyce's sweet trusting face knew
he could trust his child in her keep
ing. If she will not annoy YOU" he
said.
Mother is not well and we are
strangers here at the hotel, and am
sure we should be delighted to have
the child with us a little while each
day if you haven't any objections"
The next morning found Lila and
her father chatting away with Ann
and her mother. Il dreamed of you
last night" Lila cried. "Oh! l was so
happy and" ..-, - ...-.-.- .--..
They all waited but Lila would say
no more.
The following day AIMS mother
died. The girl was wild with grief
Lila - IdLAlEl 0AlchuGu 10 pIdCllCdiiN
everything and tried to soothe and
calm the stricken girl. The body was
shipped to AIMS home. 1t WAS Law
yer Belle who attended to the funeral
arrangements--everything.
@"You cannot stay in this house any
longer, Miss Joyce-please listen to
me-if your mother had lived she
would say the same thing Come as a
companion to Lila-she needs you and !
loves yOu-we'll go back to the noun
tain--thoser mountains that make one
feel so near to gHim-that sends us con-
ISOLATION with our sorrow"
Back on the mountain the three |
sat together eon the veranda of the
hotel and watched the sun go down. |
lila was thinking seriously, Ann was |
ongfng and the man was thinking of |
promise given to one on daathbed. |
lila went to bed, but Lawyer belle re-