St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-06-02


aside. When she looked up, her eye
met his. Both Were silent Il suldei
Oblivion fell like a shadow over them
Over their heads ratified the machinery
from without came the mOnotonou
FLASHING of the water as it fell over thC
wheel. Gradual y the lips of the youn:
man began 10 move, and sheltered by til,
d"alcning noise, which drowned his voice
Inc whispered mad, Intoxicating words
Her ear did not receive them, but shC
read ihcir meaning in the motion of hi.
lips, and in the passionate paleness Of hi:
face. She laid her head back and CLOSED
her eyes; only the smile ON her lips gave
token of life. SO she stood bound by al
evil spell, her face lifted helrlessly toward
him, her hands lying as if forgotten in
his own.
Then suddenly the noise ceased, the
mill stopped, working. Above them they
heard the millers man moving about,
and outside the water dripping from the
wheel fell FLASHING into the pond. The
lips OF the young man were silent, and
when Veronica drew herself away from
him he did not try to hold her. Not
till she had reached the door which led
into the open air did he seem to have
found words again. lie called her name,
and held ont his arms imploringly toward
her. But she shook her head without
looking toward him, and went slowly
through the garden to tire house.
As she approached the half-shut door
OF the inner room, she saw the old miller
lying with folded hands on his bed
| Above him, Il wooden cruciiix was fast
cned TO the wall, from which hung Il ro-
sary. \ young woman, with child in
her arms, had just entered and was lean
ing over the bed. ''lIe only wants
BREATH" she said; ''hc rc!ishes his food
well enough"
"WIat doctor do you have for him ~
asked the lawyer, who stood near with 4
packet of papers in lis hand.
''Doctor! ," she repeated. 1--WE don't
have any doctor"
''Then you do wrong"
The young woman gave an cmbarras-
sed laugh. ats old age" she said, as
she wiped her stout baby's nose with her
apron. ''The doctor couldn't do any
good"
Veronica listened, brcaihless, to this
conversation. The old man began to
cough, and passed his hand over his eyes
SIS this your will, Mr.. Martin, as it is
written here ," asked the lawyer. But
the sick man did not seem to hear him.
Father" said the young woman, rs
what the lawyer has read all right p
Yes answered the sick man; ..it's
all right"
'And you have thought it over we'll -
asked the lawyer.
The old man nodded Yes. yes"
said he. "rvc had to toll and muiI :;
but we mustn't he too hard on the young
man.
The son, who had been sitting smpk-
iug i'll the corner, now Joined in the con
vcrSation.
.'Hnt the sum reserved for the old man
Is TO be pad by M, and h" has some
yet to live"
The lawyers cray eyes looked down
on the square-buill peasant. ''Is that
your SON, WicSmann ," lie asked, point
in@ 10 Il boy playing near the bed
Send him out OF the room if you have
any thing more 10 say"
The man was silent, bat hi. eyes met
those ot the lawyer with IN almost
threatening expression.
/ The old man strokcd the cuvrrlct with
his hard land, and said, quietly, sit
won't bc 50 l0m@, Jacob. But" hc adj
ded, turning 10 the lawyer, she must
bury me according 10 the custom OF the
yillagr-Ihat costs somcthing.'
"Ncronica stole away as quietly as
-he had come, from the open door at
which she had stood during this CONVEX
sation
She saw Rudolph on the other side of
the garden, talking with the miller's
man but she turned away and went
along foot-path which led down to the
brook below the mill Her eyes gazcd
drcamiIy into the distance. She did not
see how the twilight settled down upon
the mountains before her, nor how, as
she wandered up and down, the moon
rose slowly behind them, and poured its
light over the quiet valley. Life in its
bare poverty stood before her, as she had
never seen it-a long, dreary road, with
death at lis end. 1t seemed TO her that
she had lived in dreams hitherto, and
that she was now moving in 4 checrless
world of realities, in which she knew not
how TO find her way.
1t was already late when her huS-
bands voice called her back to the house,
where he was waiting for her ut the
door. She walked home in silence by
his side without feeling how sympathiz-
iDgly his eyes rested on her,
"You have been shocked, Veronica !"
he said, laying his hand ON her check.
''But these people measure things by Il
different standard from ours; they are
harder toward themselves, as well as
toward thusc who belong TO them
She looked up for moment into her
husbands calm face, then looked down
to the ground again and walked meckly
on by his side.
Equally silent, Rudolph followed with
the old notary, Ills eyes were fixed on
the little hand, SO white in the moon
light, which had lately rested helplessly
in his, and which he hoped TO clasp once
more, if only for Il moment, as he said
good night. But it was not to be; for,
as they approached the town he saw the
little hands, one after the other, glide
into 4 pair Of dark gloves, which, as he
well knew, Veronica usually wore only
OH occasions requiring full dress
AT last they reached the house and