HLL URAITHWAITF. ,nii.m.,
V"tt A T I aillst. und n poet. That ! was Bis., a
I farm laborer, living or. a small v:i(r In an
V V I obscure country cottage, was an accident
of fate, which by no means contradict the
truth of the previous statement.
Five miles from one of. the Liveliest of
t-ngllsh lake a wealthy magnate has his
country goat; and Will Hralthwalte had spent his life
working on the estate, with such brief glimpse of the
world as could be gained from an occasional afternoon in
the nearest hamlet or a day's trli to Llverp.s.l or M.m
chester. For the rest, the mountains closed round him
like a wall; and he lived In an unbroken solitude from one
year- end to another. There were other workmen whose
eotUiges were Bcatter?d nlong the val"s. whose wives and
daughters were ready to fling a plensant word to the
handsome young fellow as he passed; but Will giz.d at
them Vacantly and dreamed on regardless of their pres
ence. He had far less communion with them than with
the dumb, creatures who followed him to and fro, witch
ing his face with large, humble eyes, un.l waiting to per
form his bidding.
Will Hralthwalte was "queer." The men decided aa
much In conclave In the Sun parlor; the women shook thHr
heads In sorrowful assent.
The likeliest lad In the neighborhood, and the oleret
and best spoken; but he was "queer"! lie kept to him
self and cared for nune of the ordinary pleasures of man-!
kind. He did strange things and spoke curious words.
The neighbors referred to him among themselves aa
"The Squire," partly In c.mipliment to the dignity of Ms
hiarlng, but mostly In consideration of one of those myi-,
terloua utterances for which he was distinguished. I
On summer's day a tourist had paused to ajk a ques
tion near the spot where Will and his companions were at
work. "To whom does this estate belong?" he asked;
whereupon Will leaned upon his spade nnd raised his sun
burnt face In reply. " It belongs to me!" he wild; and
. when the stranger was undeceived un.l hud swelled the
chorus of derisive laughter he still stink stanchly to his
point.
" It Is more mine than his!" he repented firmly; " more
mine than his!" He squared his big shoulders and stood
razing round from side to side, with nn expnssion upon
his face which silenced the Jeers of his-companions.
" He looked crazed like," they said of him afterward,
for his eyes were aglow, and he bore himself like a man
who had come suddenly Into a glorious Inheritance.
He was slow of speech, this unlettered peasant, but
the words were In his heart. Instinct with all the beauty
and poetry which he could not express.
"They nre blind! They cannot understand! But It Is
no lie! I am the true owner of the lnnd! It Is hl, they
say ay! his to leave and neglect; to visit for a week, and
have without regret; but It has been my world since I
waa a child.
" I know each nook, each dell, each flower. For me
the primrose Wooms In spring; for me the hawthorn buds;
for me the birds sing, and the autumn glory burnishes the
earth. What though a thousand deeds proclaim his sway?
This land to mine! It belongs to me by a right which no
man can take away the love which is possession!"
Then he lifted his spade and fell to work again; but
the glow remained upon his face, and once anil agnin he
smiled to himself, and his lips moved. So Will Hralthwalle
lived to the age of 1111, with a heart full of love to Ood and
nature; but of human love he knew little nnd of the love
of woman naught at all. The north country maidens are
clean and thrifty, but their hard common sense was not
such ns to endear them to n man of Kralthwalte'a disposi
tion. His heart was his own; and he rejoiced In liberty,
and felt no blank. Hut when love comes to such a man
It take hokl of him with an Iron grip und transforms his
being. And In due time It came also to Will Hralthwalte.
Bank holiday, and a stormy sky frowning upon the
crowd of pleasure seekers. Will Hralthwalte had walked
over the fields, hoping to hire a boat and sail upon the
lake, a pleasure which he could enjoy only nt rare holiday
seasons. But he was already regretting the quiet of the
hillside rfnd contemplating an early return. It was not H
o'clock, but the clouds were growing ever blacker and
blacker. He paused and looked round with weutherwlse
eye, which were quick to take In the stormy beauty of
the scene. The lake lay gray and still ns a mirror, the
pine covered hills appearing momentarily gloomier and
more forbidding. The wind blew from the northwest,
where towered the twin peaks of the Langdales, outlined
ngHlnst a sky cf curious, opalescent clouds. Even as he
gazed Will could see them chnnge color, grow Into a deeper
and deeper yellow, Into thick, smoke like gloom. The peaks
loomed out of the darkness with a lurid majesty, grew
fainter and fainter, and vanished out of sight.
"It Is coming!" said Will to himself, and sped apace
from the coming storm. He knew that before many min
utes were over he would lie thankful of a shelter and, In
truth, he had barely reached the village Ifore the storm
burst over his head and he stepped Into a doorway to
avoid the driving thnsl of rain.
As fate would have It he found himself In the entrance
to the Workman Institute a fair sized hall, which was
turned to good account, being used alternately as n club,
a library, and a concert room. As a theater also on an
occasion, It would appeur, as Will found himself con
fronted by a flaming poster setting forth the fact that for
though the deep blue eyes l
ns she tossed back her curls
hall. With (lie wads that Kb
concern, for the fascination
.k.nl straight into his
and gaz down ths
nil. r.d lie hud lit tU
f her personality nb-
orhed him and made him oh'tvh.us of detail. There was
sn. -thing nb.nit lor which laid an even stronger grip
iqwin his heart than mi re beauty nnd grace. He would
have be n at a l.'-s to explain Its nature; but In truth It
was that itino-pliere of r.-fi'i. mi nt, of half plaintive
fragility, which makes the crowning attract ton of women
to many a wrong man. and which this unknown actress
IMiNsi-scd to nn extent remarkable In her surrounding.
Her laiiuli rati sweet and In tuneful contrast to the noisy
shouts of her rumpnnlons; hT voice was g rtly pitched
and she danced with ft modes grace.
W hen the proud sisters departed to the ball and she
sat sadly by the fire Will's face flushed with a sudden
glow. Something In the aspect of the bare little room re
minded him of his own home on the mountain side. The
stiff oak chair, the corner cupboard, the open grate with
its smoldering peat they were all there; the only unfa
miliar sight was ttie girl's drooping figure, with the flre-
light playing on the sweet, sad face!
M 'J :'
IwV ,. 1 ... . " v.
kv ill V m 1: 1m 'i III M Wf
Jsbw ..it'-- j-, ., up to the star.
n,M ' - i " No prince," he was
. !Zr" ir working man; but If
lB0' iifeI'd serve her as
The next aft
three day only Miss Melville's world famed company
would perform the play, " f "ndere'.lu," on a scale of lav
lshness and luxury never before atlempt.Hl, for the benefit
of the nobility and gentry of the neighborhood. The poster
was headed by the portrait of a sweet, laughing face, at
which Will Braithwaite glanced with curious eyes. "Cin
derella!" Yes, he remembered that story. She was a girl
In humble surroundings and a magic touch came Into her
life, transforming gray to gold. He recalled the various
Incidents of the story, with a smile curving the corners
of his Hps, while his eyes turned again nnd again to con
sider the pictured face.
Ay, she was bonnte! He had never seen any one In
real life who looked like that. Was It only a fancy pic
ture, or did they mean It for a likeness of the girl who was
to take the part of Cinderella? A man standing In the
background noted his absorption and came forward to
urge him to enter. It had been decided to give an after
noon performance, as the day was so wet, nnd a few back
seats were still vacant. Will hesitated, for the old Puritan
distrust of the stage wns In his blood; but the next mo
ment he passed on and entered the hall. A goodly audience
had already assembled and the crumped forma offered no
attraction to a man f BralthwaJte's size. He preferred
to lean against the wall at the back of the hall, where he
had room to move about and need not be troubled with the
remarks of his companions. So he folded his arms and
stood at ease a strong, handsonw? figure, at which more
than one damsel glanced with longing eyes and glanced in
vain. He was oblivious of everything but his own
thoughts, until presently the curtain was drawn up on
the first soene of the play.
Four fairies were discovered In a dell receiving Instruc
tions from their queen, a handsosne young person with In
sufficient skirts and a star on her forehead. They were
good looking girls, In a common, blowsy style, clad In
diaphanous draperies, which left visible a large expanse
of neck and arm and they laughed and sang, and danced
to and fro, smiling an eternal smile, and making languish
ing eyes at the audience. Seen at the distance at which
Will stood the poverty of the surroundings could not he
discerned, yet he knitted his brows In displeasure and had
no smile to greet the flippant phrases. The painted faces
hald no beauty for him; theflowlng garments shocked his
kense of propriety; he wondered vaguely what these noisy
elves) had to do with the story, and when the real plot
would begin. But presently Cinderella appeared and Will
.straightened himself and stood erect, his face kindling
'with pleasure.
! 6h was a charming creature, this little strolling
liACtress, both dress and manner characterized by a grace
iund modesty infinitely beyond ttwt of her companions.
jThs traditional rags were replaced by a simple gray robe;
folds Ct muslin crossed over her breast; and the sw4
facs of the picture looked out from a mass of golden hair.
Will watched her with fascinated gase; and It seemed as
When Will liralthwalte reached home mi hour later
on he cast a cared look uivniiil. for the picture was so
clearly painted In his mind that it seemed to him as If
f--he must be there! He moved the stool Into the corner
with a reverent hand. The next evening the villagers
marveled to see Hralthwalle take his way over the hills,
dud in holiday attire; but though he had kept up n pre
tense of denial unlil the last moment he knew at heart
that there had really been no doubt about his Intention
since leaving the Institute on the previous evening. His
second appearance was recognized by some of his ac
quaintances and he wns made the butt of rough Jest, which
sent him away with cheeks atlame and the determination
never ugain to put himself within reach of such humilia
tions; yet the next night he was iigaln present, with only
sc. much care for his tormmtors that he seated himself
on one of the crowded benches instead of occupying his
former conspicuous position.
He could not keep away while he could hear once
more Cinderella's voice and meet the glances of her eyes.
The honest countrywoman who sat beside him shared his
admiration and expressed it in kindly language.
" Bless her pretty face! She's nowt but a child for
all the world like a picture to hang on the wall. I'm
thinking she's none too strong, neither, with those pinky
cheeks! She's got a terrible cough, too, und an ache In
tiff back. I shouldn't wonder. Look at her now leaning
against that chair whenever she gets a chance!''
It was true. Exhaustion was written on every line
of Cinderella's drooping figure; and It was with a visible
effort that she roused herself to take up her part. Will
watched with sharpened eyes, and with every movement
seemed to notice fresh grounds for alarm. There was a
wearied note In the girl's voice; und in the middle of a
speech she broke Into a fit of coughing.
" Ah!" cried the countrywoman sharply. " what did
I tell you? She'll be tiff In a decline before the year Is
over, you mark my words! It's a hard life tiny bad. these
play aclrtsses; it soon wears 'cm mil
"They are lodging with Mrs. Ilinn. In Lake Hank,
now; and she told a friend of mine a lot about them.
Often as not they git no pay at all when the houses nre
bad; and It's forever m vlng on from one town to an
other and sleeping in damp beds and vcrambllng through
their meals. It's not once In months they stay In a place
so long aa this.
"Mrs. Owen says she would s'.oncr si e her girU dead
and buried than leading such a life; but tlurc: young
things is always taken up with show and glitter, and
anything menu better than honest work at loam? "
Hralthwalte madr no reply. His divinity had come
down from her cdcstal' to stand before him in the guise
of a poor and suffering woman and his in art was filled
with a passion of tenderness. He walked hum.' evr the
hills, hlfootuteps echoing on the road and his face turned
newcomer
It
saying to himself " only a poor
she needs me If I could keep her
If Bhe were the greatest queen on
noon Will Hralthwalte knocked at the
door In Lake Hank and the landlady came forward to ask
his, business. "Is Mis Vere in the house? I want to see
her," he suld, simply, nnd the woman shrugged her Bhoul
d. rs. " Can't tell you, I'm sure. Some of them are In.
They nre coming and going all day long. Front nxim on
first landing, flo yp and ask for yourself!" she retreated
to the kitchen and Will mounted the staircase and tapped
timidly at the door. A voice cried "Come in!" and he
entered an untidy room, In the center of which a woman
sat at a table, sewing some trimming round the skirt of
a gown.
The paper on the walls was a colorless drab nnd thu
face of the occupant seemed of the same bleached hue
as sne raised it from her work to stare at th
with eyes of weary indifference.
" Did you want to see one of the men? They don't
stay here! You'll find them at the Ship If you go at once.
We are leaving at 0 tonight."
"Thank you, no! I have no business with them,
was one of the young ladies I wished to see."
"O!" the woman dropped her eyes and took up the
discarded work. " They have gone out for a walk, hut
they'll b back In half an hour. Sit down and wait.
1 hey'll be glad to see you."
" And I won't Interrupt you?"
"Not you! I'll work all the same. I must, for I shall
have to puck up In another hour."
Hrulthwaite seated himself and stared round the room,
which presented, such a contrast to the austere bareness
'of his bachelor abode. Every chair, table, and stool was
littered with piles of feminine possessions. Ends of rib
bons, of lace, of trimming, artificial flowers, lengths of
faded drapery lay about, dusty and uncared for; and the
sunshine streaming In at the window revealed the pov
erty of the material, the tarnish of the gold. Was It pos
sible that these were the gorgeous garments which had
dazzled his eyes upon the stage? Will could not think It.
They must rather be discarded possessions' which were
to be left behind ns not worth the trouble of packing
His glance passed on to the woman who sat Btltchlng
at her task with an Indifference to his presence which
would have been wounding to the dignity of a vainer man.
Her hair waa thin and gathered tightly back from her
forehead; the expression of listless melancholy on her
face accorded ill with the frivolity of her surroundings.
She looked up inquiringly under his gaze and he felt con
strained to make a remark.
" You are moving on today
never stay long In one place?"
" Scarcely ever so long as this. It has ln.cn a real n st
here, und so comfortable. We don't get a place like this
in the towns."
Bhe cast a glance of admiration round the comfortless
room. "Half the nights we spend In the trains starting
off after the evening performance In time to play in an
other town the next tvenlng."
you said. I suppose you
" You must get very tired!"
She smiled, as if the Idea amused by Us conunonplace
ness. "O, tired! I've been tired all my life it seems to me.
I'm about used to it now."
" But when you urc ut home?"
Sh laid down her work and stared at him with her
dull gray glunce.
" I huve no home! I've been on the road since 1 was
born! We huve no iiou es. young man! It's a luxury we
don't understand In our profession!"
" Hut but " He hesitated awkwardly. " Some of
you surely must settle down? it stands to reason you
can't all remain single, and when you marry yuu must
have u home, like otlcr people."
" Very seldom! We either marry among ourselves or
remain us we ure. How could It be otherwise? Two days
In that town, two days In this, off again by train to an
other part of the country. We make no friends outside
und have no time for anything but work: and sleep.
"People who don't know about the siuge think It Is a
fine, easy life, but th.-y ure mistaken. 1 ought to know,
for I came of u family of uctois. and have had bitter
experience of what It means. It's the worst fate that can
happen to u woman, toi it swallows up her youth, sends
her udrlft ut the first sign of uge."
"Ay, that's hard,' Hralthwalte said, "but It can't be
so bad with them all. Some get on well, und take principal
parts, and then, surely, they are better off. Tin re's Miss
Vere "
The woman looked up sharply. " It was Miss Vere
then Nellie Vere that you came lure to see?"
"Yet., Nellie Vere! Cinderella! 1 wanted to have a
word with her. I have been to the institute to see her
uct the lust three nights. 1 went by i banco at first, but
after that I could not stay away, iter lace was always
before me It drew me to hir "
The woman laughed shortly. " She looked pretty, you
mean, and took hold of your fancy? And so you must
needs come and make tilings hinder foi her just to give
yourself a little amusement! What good will It do a girl
to have ou whispering sweet t-peeches into her ear all.)
upsetting her mind, wl.in she must g.. away and leave
ou before another .lay Is over? You i.,i. have nothing to
say to Nellie Vere, yojng man, that she would be happier
or better for hearing W hy can't yoi keep your com
pany for the girls In our own village'.'"
" I know no girls, ' replied Will, almost Indignantly.
"I never wanted to tpcuk to one before. I should not
have dared to speak to her two days ago She seemed like
a princess, far above my head, but y.'steiiluy It was dif
ferent. She was u pii. loess no longer, but only a bit of u
girl, winking for her living the same as myself, and feel
ing tired, and wanting lest; und a woioun sat beside me
who told me of the hard life you led, and pitied, her us
being b ss well off tli in her own daughters.
And then she coughed it's u diafiy place, that Insti
tuteand sleeping about in different places every night
iiin't be good for her. I'm only a poor man, but my cot
tage is the prettiest in the valley. Tin re is a (llolie rose
over the po'h that blooms light into Piirinliir; and I've
all the furniture I lie -d to make it coinli.i lubie if 1 took u
wife."
She leaned her arms upon the table and stared lit him
with dilated eyes.
" You want to marry her! You cai.ic here to ask her
that! You are ready to make her your wife when you
have seep, her three times, and have le ver spoken to hi r
lu your life! You are u bold man! What do you know
of Nellie Veie. or her chaructcr, that you dare to come
here On such an errand?"
"1 know she Is a f ood girl. Everything tells mc the
sound of her voice, the look in her cys. You, who know i
her, cannot deny that that is true."
"A good girl," siie repeated slowly. "Ah. that's the
question! Not In the way ou reckon good In your parts,
maybe. Your good girls obey their p in nts. and work
on the iarms, and go to church regu'aily every Sunday.
They marry one of the laborers, ami voil; for the chil
dren, and put by a little money lu the bank. From the
time they are born until the time they die there's never
n sin they can lay to their charge, .-cept being u bit
sharp sometimes and letting their lounuej. get the better
of them. ' Reul good women,' oil sa.. ". and so they ure,
but they have no temptation to be anything else. When
you spend your life among Holds nnd Mowers, and have
little children to love and care for lln ie's not much of
doing winng.
" But we are not i II like that. Look nt me! 1 never
knew what It was to have a home. My father and mother
were In the professio l, and I was on the stage doing
children's parts before I could speak. We truvllcd about
the country, from one lodging house to another, fasting
or feasting, as luck turned and we were In and out of an
engagement. By the tune I was ir I knew more of the
world than" your old women do when they die; and It was
not a beautiful world we lived in. Then my pari nts died,
nnd I was left alone. II 1 told you the story of the next
few years you would i.ot think I was a lit companion for
your future wife; but, i enieinlicr, tilings Hint seem terrible
to you have been matters of course to me all my life.
" I wan only a chil l, nml no one had taught me bettir.
I didn't feel as If I w is doing wrong. I was young and
pretty and' full of spirit, and getting on well with my
work. When 1 was J(l 1 played leading parts and drew a
good salary. My luck then began to change. I had a bad
ucciileiit while playing the part of fairy In a pantomime
und was laid up for months. When at last 1 was able to
be about again all mv old spirit seemed to have gone, and
my beauty hud begun to fade.
" 1 danced and san.r while my heart was breaking, and
painted my face to look fresh and bright. 1 dared not
even cry, for It would stain my eyes. 1 used to think I
could bear it better If 1 had a little home of my own, find
could keep my troubles to myself. ... 1 seemed to grow
old all of a sudden, an I to long for a n 'it."
She was silinl. leining her head on her hand, while
Will moved restlessly on his chair, full of sympathy for
her troubles, yet, manlike, unable to or.press it.
" I never really recovered from tint accident," she
continued " My health seemed to have gone forever,
ami I was always ailing, line winter 1 was In a hospital,
und a lady came to see me und talked religion. She meant
to be kind, but I couldn't take it In. She said Hod was
good; and he'd been 4ood enough to he,', as any one could
see. But I thought of my own life, ami of old age coining
on. and health gone, and no one to care for me, and It
seemed us if my hea' t closed ' right up, uud 1 couldn't
believe it
" Hut she read the bible to me, and prayers and hymns;
and somehow they made me foil as If, any way, lod
wouldn't judge me harshly, for if I d done wrong I d done
it ill ignorunce, and some of his comnn ndinents I'd kept
without ever knowing what I was doing. 'I)o unto others
as ye would that thev should do unto you.' I could lay
It to my conscience that I'd never let a fellow-creature
want while I had sixpence that I could share, or spoken
tin unkind word beliln 1 her buck, or missed the chance of
doing her a good turn.
" I never knew there was uny credit In that, and 1
was glad to think I was not all bad, though It's haul
for women like me to I e ' good ' in your sense of the word.
" My dear, take mv advice, nnd go home and think no
more of Nellie Vor , or any girl like lo r. She Is not the
wife for you. You in only laying up disappoint ment
In dreaming of such a thing, do away, and I'll tell her
what you've said. She will never many you, but she will
be gra'.iful to you all the same. Woim ii love to be loved,
nnd she has none too i..uch of It In her hie. Think hf her
kindly us a girl who has given you a lilt of pleasure,
und never, never us a wife."
Will Hraithwulte Mrulgiitened himself suddenly, unit
his eyes flashed.
"Nay," be said ilrmly, "1 am not that sort. I don't
give up so soon as tli.u. The more .ihe needs me, the
more I want to help. If she had been strong und pros
perous I should not have dared think of her; It was only
when I knew she was In want that 1 made up my mind to
speak. And don't you see . , . il tout you have told
ine makes me long for her more than ever. 1 must save
her from it! If there nre dangers ubn.t I must protect
her. . . . I'll love per all the more because she needs
It so burly."
The woman covered her fail- Willi her bands, und
gave u quick gasping sob.
"Ah you good '''How'" she cried brokenly. " YoO
good fellow! Il mak' S cue almost believe in (joil to meet
a man like you If yuu .an be so lovrn; pel haps be, too
Hut, O. It's a mlstalt"! lii-ln-vo me, I l.imw what 1 say.
It call iievi r be!"
" N'.'H r!" ell I Will blankly. "Thin there is some
one else! I come to) late!"
The woman rose. i n. I, crossing the room, leaned In r
hand.- upon his himuldi is. The two faces confronted lai it
other 111 sllenct the man's young, anient, glowing; the
woni'tn's worn and faded, bramiid with lines of suffeiinn
" Yes, dear," she said softly. " Ye-, dear; juu come
too laic 1 am Cinder H i !''