Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-14

tell you Whicn these good people are not TO
hear. We will talk il over some other time"
and she looked at him 50 mcaungy that he
understood that the subject must be dropped.
That night she told me that she wished me
to propose to John TO 90 over with me aud
spend the evening at Mrs Longs that she
had sent for DR.. Willis, and she wished to
have a long talk with him without Johns
knowing it,
Dear" said I hastily, 8" will not 90
to Mrs Longs with John. | hate Mrs
Long"
Why, Sally, what do you mean never
heard you 20 unjust. Emma is one Of the |
very sweetest women ever saw in my life. |
How can you say such a thing Everybody |
loves and admires her. Don't 90 if you feel |
So | never dreamed that you dsliked her. |
But l thought John would be less likely to
suspect me Of any desire to have him away,
,if you proposed going there and must have
him out Of the house. ! cannot talk with
the doctor if be is under the roof" She said
these last words with an excited emphasis so
unlike her usual manner, that it frightened
me. But | thought only Of her physical
state | feared that She suspected the exis-
/ teucc Of s0mc terrible disease.
went with John to Mrs. longs, almost
Immediately after tea He accepted the pro-
posa with uncoucealcd delight and | won
dcred it Ellen observed the very nonchalent
way in which be replied when She said She
did not feel well enough to 60. He already
liked better to see Mrs Long without his
wie's presence, cordial aud unembarrassed as
her manner always was. His secret con-
sciousnoss was always disturbed by it.
When we reached Mrs Longs house, we
learned that she had gone out to dinner.
Johns face became black with the sudden
disappointment, and quite forgetting himself,
he exclaimed Why, what does that mean ?
She did not tell me she was going"
The servant stared but made no reply.
was confused and indignant; but john went
on: "We will come in and wait. | am
sure it is some very informal dinner, and Mrs.
Long will soon be at home"
| made no remonstrance, knowing that it
might annoy and disturb Ellen to have US
return. John threw himself into chair in
front Of the fire. and looked modify into the
Goals, making no attempt at conversation
took mp a book. Very soon John rose saun.
tered abstractcdly about the room, took up
Mrs Longs work-basket and examined ev-
cry article in it, and at last sat down before
her little writing, desk, which stood open.
Presently saw that he was writing. More
than an hour passed. pretended to read I;
but watched my brother-in-laws face,
could not mistake its language Suddenly
+ there came low cry Of. delight from the
door, "Why, John -
Mrs. Long had entered the house by side
door, and having met no servant before reach
, ing the drawing groom, was unprepared fol
finding any one there. From the door sh,
7 could see John, but could not see me, excep
= in the long mirror, to which she did not rast
5 her eyes, but in which | saw her swift move
! meut, her outstretched hands her look of un
, speakablo gladness In less than a SECOND
z she had seen me, and with no perceptbl,
change Of manner had come rapidly towards
me, holding out her left haud familiarity t,
y. him, as she passed him. Emma Long wa
not a hypocrite, but she had an almost super
, human power Of acting 1t was all lost upo
me, however, on that occasion. | observe
It the quick motion with which John thrus
u into a compartment of the desk, the sheet o
o which he had been writing | observed tn
+ clasp of their hands as she glided by him
! observed her face observed his; and
t knew as had never fully known before how
e intensely they loved each other.
4 Ny resolution was taken. Cost what i
r. might, come what might, | would speak fully
9 and frankly to my sister the next day.
j. would not longer stand by and see this thing
= 90 on. At that moment | hated both Johl
z Gray and Emma Long. No possible pain t.
G Ellen seemed to me to weigh for a moment
= against my impulse to part them.
/ could not talk. ayailcd myself Of tn,
freedom warranted by the intimacy botweer
the families, and continued to seem absorbed
d in my book. But lost no word no look
T. which passed between the two who sat oppo
j. site me. never saw Emma Long look Sc
Z nearly beautiful as she did that night. Sh,
j. wore black velvet dress with fine white lac,
- ruliles at the throat and wrists. Her hai
was fair and her complexion of that soft pale
+ tint, with slight undertone Of brown in it,
r which is at once fair and warm, and whict
c can kindlc in moments Of excitement into
c brillianee far outshining any brunette skin
i She talked rapidly with much gesture She
: was giving John an account Of the stupidity
i of the people with whom she had been dining
c Her initiative faculty amounted almost I,
d genius. No smallest popularity Of manner
c or speech ever escaped her, and she could be
: come dozen different persons in minute
j ohm laughed as he listened, butnot so heart
l. lily as he was wont to laugh at her humorou
j. sayings He had been too deeply stirred il
y the long interval Of solitude before she re
d turned His cheeks were flushed and hi
l. voice unsteady She soon felt the effect o
J his manner, and her gayety died away; be
c fore long they were sitting in silence, eac
s. looking at the fire. knew | ought to max
y the proposition to 60 home, but seemed uu
= der a spell | was conscious of morbid dc
&c sire to watch and wait. At length Mr.
Long rose, saying
Is "lf it will not disturb Sally's reading,
& will play for you lovely little thing
r learned yesterday"
IN "Oh no." said l. " But we must go a
g soon as | finish this chapter"
so She passed into the music-room and locke
ot back for John to follow her but he thro'
ID himself at full length on the sofa, and said
s. "No, | will listen here"
NV quickened instinct saw that he dare
in not 20 also that he had laid his cheek il a
re abandonment OF ecstasy on the arm Of tn
e. sofa on which her hand had been resting
Is Even in that moment had a sharp pang {
1t pity for him, and the same old misgiying {
Sc question, whether my good and sweet and a
At most iaultlcss Ellen could be loved just in tn
t. same way in which Emma Long would be
)t As soon as she had finished the nocturne, r
d a sad, low, sweet strain, she came back to tn
IN parlor. Not even for the pleasure Of giyin
n John the delight of the music he loved woul
IS she stay where she could not sec his face.
10 But had already put down my book, an
Ie was ready to 60. Our good nights were shol
', and more formal than usual. All three wer
y conscious Of an underlined constraut in tn
d air. Mrs. Long glanced up uneasily
j. Johns face as we left the room. Her ey,
d we're unutteraby tender and ehidlike when
IN look of grieyed perplexty shadowed then
e. Again my heart aehed for her and for hin
| This was no idle caprice, no mere entanglC
q las.a