Year: 1878

AOA q ohNAO oAhAO w ohO 4NAOV VA oh W.
scure Hamshire village.


There kind uncle and aunt received
her with open hearts.


They loved this niece; she was so
warm. hearted and impulsive, so un-
spoiled by fattery.


Who was Chester Vaughan


The chief engineer on the railroad
that took in its course the little village
of Ashmont.


He was one of the noblest men that
ever received on his forehead the stamp
of Natures royalty.


What tall form, straight, massive
yet graceful, dark, handsome face,
with wonderful magnetic eyes that had
twice looked full into Miss Verney's.
Viewed in the light of public opinion
he was shades and degrees lower than
she


To the vision fine enough to discern
souls, independent of the accidents of
birth or circumstances, he was her equal.


Miss Verney was generous, truthful,
high-minded. So was Chester Vaughan.


She had warm, affectionate heart;
he possessed the same in great degree.


She loved all that was fine, enjoyable
literature, and could melt into tears over
grand poem from pure sympathy and
appreciation. He had the elements of
genius in his own nature-could create
what she could only appreciate.


Judge then if he was not her equal.


She was at the station to meet some
friends, and remarked the fine figure of
the man as he stood on the platform.


She had thought, "What a grand
looking man he would be in society 7"
and he had turned and looked in her
face.


She had felt a great thrill at her
heart, such as no other pair of eyes had
had magnetism enough to send there.


She chided herself for her weakness.
Was he not beneath her?


Away from her friends, was she be-
coming plebeian in her tastes +?


What right had he to look at her at
all?


But still those eyes, in their wonder
full depth and beauty, haunted her.


He had known by the fine sense that
discerns souls, that this woman was his
mate, though he had seen her only twice.


Miss Verney had known it-known
that, had he been in her circle, he would
have singled her out from all others, and
that she would have


Sprung to him. and known he was her own,
Not smaller soul"


Miss Verney loved nature.


She was in the habit of wandering
alone through the woods in search of bo-
tanical specimens and other curiosities.


One day she wandered farther than
usual.


A strange confusion seized her, and
she found that she was lost.
She wandered around with growing
alarm, and, at last, suspecting that she
was moving IN a circle, she sat down to
collect her thoughts and rest her weary
limbs.


How helpless she felt
All her wealth was unavailable in an
hour like this. The sun was declining
and the evening twilight advancing. She
felt the drowsiness of exhaustion steal
ing over her. She had enough presence
of mind to try to shake it off and keep
moving. Night closed in, starlight and
beautiful.


Kept up by the force of her will, she
staggered on, until at last she struck an
open space.


By the light of the full moon, now
risen, she saw the road before her and
gained it.


1t was the railroad.
| But which way to go? She was to
tally bewildered.


81 shall not be able to keep up mucf
longer" she thought, looking along the
lengthy stretch of iron rails. ''and there
are no houses in sight. l shall have t.
lie down and die"


Hark what was that sound advanc
ing-distant yet, but every momen
sounding nearer in the hush of the drea
ry autumn night.


1t was the train that reached Ash
mont at nine o'clock.


A feeling of terror superseded th
passive state of exhaustion.


She was on portion of the line tina
was bounded on both sides by a steel
embankment. If she could only Civ
some signal


She realized the awful death befor
her as she saw the cleaning head-ligh
In the distance, and sank down in dea,
faint on the line, her white wrap show
ing conspicuously against the darl
ground in the clear moonlight.


1t was the headlight of the "May
flower" and Chester Vaughan will wa
controlling the impatient, painting mons
ter that seemed determined to overtak
the woman he loved with swift destruc
| tion