St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-05-31
From Hearth and Home
THE END OF THE WORLD.
Bl EDW ARD EtiGLESTDT.
Chapter NV.
TiID SPIDERS WEE.


Now that Humphreys had his prey he
did not know just what to do with it.
Not knowing what to say, he said moth
ing. in which he showed his wisdom.
But he felt that saving nothing WAS al
most aS bad as say ing something And
he WAS right. For with people of i'm
pul>INe temperament reactions are sud
den, and III one minute after Julia had
SAID yes, there came To her memory the
vision of August standing in the barn
and looking into her eyes 50 purely
and truly and Loyalty. and >nwimg Such
sweet VOWS of love. and she looked back
upon that hour of pure love with some
such feeling perhaps ;ls Dives felt look
my out of torment across the great gulf
into paradise. only that he had never
tasted of paradise. while she had. For
the man or woman that knows Il pure
self sacrificing love. returned in kind
knows that hich. of all things in this
world. lies nearest To God and heaven.
There he those who have ears to hear
this. and for them is it written. Julia
thought of Augusr'> love with sinking
into despair. But then returned the
memory of his taithle>SneSs, of all She
had heard and believed and suffered.
Then her agony came back. and She
WAS glad that she had taken Il decided
step. Any escape WAS Il relief. sup
pose ii Is under some such impulse that
people commit suicide. Julia tclt as
though she had committed suicide and
escaped.
Humphreys on his part WAS not sat
iStied. used the wrong figure of
speech awhile ago. He WAS not eat
with paw upon the prey. He wa> only
an angler. and had but hooked his fish.
He had not landed it Vet. He felt how
slender was the thread of committal 10y
which he held Julia. August had her
heart. He had only Il word. The
slender vantage that he had. he meant
to Use adroitly. To Use crattilN.
He knew that the first thing was to
close this interview without losing ANY
ground. The longer She remained
bound. the better for him. And with
his craft against the country girls sim
plicily it would have Jared badly with
Julia had it not been for one defect
which always inhcrcS in Il bad man ;
plots i'll such il ease. \ man like Hum
phrcyS never really understands pure
woman. Certain detached facts he may
know. but hc cannot put himself in
her place"
Humphreys remarked with tender
ness that Julia must not stay in the
night air She wis too precious to bc
eNpo>cd. This tlattcry WAS comforting
to her wounded pride. and She found
his words pleasant t" her. Had he
stopped here he might have left the
field Victorious. But it WAS very hard
for an atlianccd lover to stop here. lie
than this if he would leave on her mind
the impression that She WAS irrcVncahll
houud to him. He stopped quickly
with IL wrll-aifrctcd tervor and lifted
her hand to kiss it. That act awaken
cd Julia Anderson. She must have
awaked anyhow. sooner on later. Hut
when one is in the tolls at such man
sooner Is better. Tn" touch of Hum
phrcy>'S hand aud lips sent = shuddcl
through her frame that Humphreys felt
Instantly there came to her Il pcrCcp
ton of ali that marriage with Il rcpul
sivc man signifies. Not suicide. hu
perditiou. She icrkcd her hand from
his aS though ie w"rr i snake.
MIR. Humphreys. what did say
can't have you. cont love You. In
, crazy fortnight. must take back wha
| said.
- No. Julia. Let me call you M
Julia. lou must not break my heart
Humphreys had lost his cue. an,
every word of tenderness he spok,
made his case more hopeless.
Il never can marry Nou-lct me q
} in" she said. brushing past him. Thcl
she remembered that her door was ta>
ON the inside She had climbed ont q
] Il l. L..
SaW his advantage.
Il can not release YOU. Take tim
to think before vou ask it. Go to slceI
-. now and do not act hastily" He Sto"'
Of between her and the window, wishing
n to get some word to which he coul'
T. hold.
Julia's two black eyes grew brighter
Il see. You took advantage of III,
trouble. and you want to hold me t
-, my words. and YOU are bad, and now
e. now hate your Then Julia felt bet
ter. Hate is the only wholesome thin
in such Il ease. She pushed him aSid
vigorously, stepped upon the sette'
slipped in at the window and closed Il
p, She drew the curtain: but it SCENE
thin. and with characteristic impulsive
ness she put ont hel light that sh
might nave Ine friendly uTdptrN q
darkness about her. She heard the sol
for the first time it seemed to Ii,
Stealthy tread of Humphreys, as h
Y, returned to his room. Whether Sh
swooned OF whether she slept after thi
20. she never knew. 1t was morning with
:" out any time intervening, she had
headache and could scarcely walk. an
there was August's note lying on til
ny floor She read it again-if not wit
more intelligence. at least with MOI
SUSPICION She wondered at her ow
H. hastiness. She tried to go about tn
It. house. but the excitement of the pr,
vious night. added to all she had sutfe
ed beside, had given her Il headache 5
mt. binding and paralyzing that she SOC
went back to bed.
', And there she lay in that half-aslee
- half-awake mode which nervous hea,
ache produces. She seemed to he Il #
he in web, and the spider was trying,
er, fasten her. He was a polite splde
"e with smile that went half way up h
ng face but which never seemed able
oi reach his eyes. He wore straps to b