National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-08-23


length of Millville 10 take home this young
person, who had married one of the Hall
burton employees.
Gesrgy stood snmovcd, little con.
oerned a. to whether her last dress and
bonnet should walk or ride, not at all
concerned as 10 her own disposal.
The factory bell had done ringing, and
John Randall was In sight OF home inst as
the carriage of his employer STOPPED at
the door, and his wife stepped from it,
! He did not, however, Overhear her say 10
Stephen Halliburton, "Ifyou call to-rnor-
row afternoon, ] will show you what ]
mean"
"llad you q pleasant afternoouI' rhe
husband asked, by-and-by, as they sat at
the tea table.
"very pleasant she said, thought
fully.
at was very polite in Mrs. Halliburton
to bring you home"
"Yes, I should have spoiled my dress"
1t WAS alway. with little effort that
John Randall could get his wife to talk,
aud she seemed peculiarly silent tonight
and absent as well as silent.
Her eyes were brighter. too, than com
mon-her face little flushed. He was
too generous, too unsellsh a man to be-
grUdge her even happiness in which he
had no part; but something in her
abstraction filed him with unoasiness
| The uneasiness was not decreased when.
reaching homo 4 little before the usual
hour the following afternoon, he met
Stephen Halliburton u>tleaving the house,
nor when he found Georgy with the same
Enlightened eyes and heightened color rs
the night before.
That was the beginning OF John Ran
dall's trcable.
II was not SO much common ieGlou-y-
a mans instinct of revolt at another man's
admiration of his handsome wlfe--as it
was tear---a desperate, t'atllike fear
that Georgy needed something lie could
not give to make her happy. He could
never give her any luXuries. He could
never say such things az he fancisd
Stephen Halliburton must be able to say
to woman But lie loved her SO o
heavens he loved her so! How could he
endure that anything shouM come between
thelns
al won't wrong her and tease her with
suspicious" he said to himself, in the
depth Of the night. I'm just fight my
way the best can against it. I'll keep
on steady. Perhaps she'll see It right by
and by"
Poor fellow he did not realize how his
own determination implied the dreary
thought that her heart was turned from
him. He raised himself on his arms to
look on her as she slept; and all through
what followed he retained the pure, calm
face, as it pressed the pillow, whitened by
the moonlight that glnted the frost On the
window panes and flooded the room.
She seemed colder to him after this, aud
he kept silent.
He knew that she met Halliburton a
her sunt's he knew that when she went
to the seaside the ensuing summer, for o
weeks visit to Mrs. Paul Appleton, there
he was also. lie knew that shs seemed
to be living life apart from him; and
once-that was when the iron entered his
soul, when he went into her little desk, q
present he had made her during their en-
gagement-for q sheet of note paper, and
found 1t locked and as ed her carelessly
enough for the key, she flushed and said
she would get the paper for him.
But he kept true to the promise he
made himself. He kept on fighting his
way against it as best he could, hoping,
with q sick heart, that she "inlght see it
right by-andby."
The months wore away. The second
year of their marriage was nearly com
pleted. John had been very careful-as
careful as Georgy herself - that there
should be no outward or visible sign Of mis-
understanding or GOODNESS between them.
No suspicion had come to any that the
second year OF their married life had been
less happy than the fret. Nor had he
ever omitted to give her any lttle indug-
gence within his power. lie had prepared
a surprise for her on the coming anniver-
sary of their wedding during the year.
The anniversary fell upon Sunday; and
so their little commemoration of the day
must come the preceding evening. No
allusion had been made to any celebration
by either OF them; but John felt sure,
some way, that she could not let the time
pass without some sign. For his own
part, he had half resolved to attempt
some explanation of their estrangement.
Anything, he thought, would be better
than this chilling reserve. With his mind
divided between the anticipation Of relief
and jealous dread, he went to the cOant-
ing house that Saturday night to receive
his money. The Cashier looked up with a
certain embarrassment at the approach.
"Ah, Mr. Randall--tlle accumulation
you have left in my hands? To be sure
And, by the way, Mr.. Halliburton spoke to
NE to mention to you that there were TO
be some changes made, and-.and--but
there he ia himself, SIR
John Randall turned, with feeling
akin to desperation, to meet his employer.
It had gone through him like thunder
bolt, as the cashier spoke, that he was to
be displaced. Stephen Halliburton simply
said. as John faced him. Pinot detain
You now, Mr.. Randall. shall call this
evening to let you know of the changes 1
feel obliged to make"
And the owner bowed, and left him.
With the money In his nervless hands,
John Randall walked homeward like
man dazed. He WAS TO lose his place.
For what reason he could not conjecture.
But to lose it was to lose reputation,
courage everything. He had never inn
gined snch o possibility as that The