Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-09-25

knowing how we were placed He may be a
kind, amiable man but such heedIessness
as that is as bad as malice. The devil may
get half his work done in that way" she ex-
citedly added. 50 am not angry and she
suddenly smoothed her voice. - Let me 90
-4 you,' for he was again making to-
wards the door.
Stephen made no answer, but she followed
him out into theaoisy, working part of the
mill
The explanation of all this may be briefly
given. Caroline, after leaving her, aunt, and
going into the counting-house, had occasion
to refer to an ently-bOOk which it was Steph-
ems province to keep out of the leaves of
this volume, as she lifted it from the shelf.
dropped some pieces of paper, which attract
ed her notice by the curious sketches, calcu-
latiOns, and stray words written upon them ::
and as she traced these out, they, to her
great agitation, resolved themselves into a
kind of plan of the mill-dam Her previous
suspicion cast a too clear light upon the frag-
mentary drawings &; she saw that they repre-
sented the bursting of the dam; and she nm
derstood the rest When Stephen, in an
swer TO her message, Joined her in the count
ing house, she pointed to the papers, and di-
rectly challenged him upon them. Then fol-
lowed the talk We have given above.
At another time, Mrs. Watkin would most
likely have detected in the appearance and
manners Of the brother and sister some traces
Of the scene that had lust passed in the Office.
but she was preoccupied in her own way lust
now. Stephen, as though he had some mis-
giving upon this score, showed some reiuct
ance TO confront his aunt but Caroline. fol-
lowing out her own tactics, persisted In her
self keeping close beside him, and shortly
contrived to get Mrs. Watkin to ioin them
Nor would Caroline leave Stephen then. She
seemed TO be determined he should not he
alone to brood on what had happened. until
the freshness of the impression OF it had been
quite etiaced. Throughout all that long
morning, under one pretexrand another. she
clung 10 stephen And it was curious TO
watch with what instructive art she managed
him. Now and again, with the obstinacy of
ns sex, he fell into a restiye sulkiness. She
only adapted her conduct to it without ap-
pearing 70 notice it. 1t was not that she op-
pressed him with any special kindness Of
manner no, that he would have resented
the effect her conduct seemed to be calculat
ed TO produce was rather this,-that nothing
extraordinary had occurred, that she attach
ed little 1r no Importance now to having ~
recently discovered his fatal temptation
Towards evening, in consequence Of a sug-
gesti5n made by Caroline, they all three set
out together for a walk, and went down one
# the side-yalleys to visit the only friend the
family had, retired surgeon, named Wat
son, who lived some mile and a hall away.
1t was late when they returned. That night.
a- Caroline and her aunt were kissing each
other outside the latter's bedroom door. Mrs
Natkin raised her candle the better to peer
into her uiece's face 80 You and Steuhen
have not bad till while my back has been
turned 2' She inquired.
D." % no What made You think it," and
Caroline Vut on anair Of perfect innocence.
'' thought YOU seemed to want to make
something up with him YOU were 50 yery
attentive {, him. Good night You are a
pattern brother and sister
The elder laly's own experience had Icaus-
ed her partially 10 understand the conduct Of
the younger. and % perceive something of
what was going On, though she did not
guess all
IIo be continued J