St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-02-23

ndlI WIS ldlr. anu 0tI com pleAlOH ol
that soft pale tint, with slight under
tone of brown in it. which can kindle
i'll moments of excitement into Il brill
lance far outshining any brunette skin.
She talked rapidly with much gesture.
She was giving John an account of the
stupidity of the people with whom she
had heen dining. Her initiative facul
ty amounted almost to genius. No
smallest peculiarity of manner or speech
ever escaped her, and she could be
come dozen different persons in Il
minute. John laughed as he listened.
but not so heartily as he was wont to
laugh at her humorous SAYINGS. He
had been too deeply stirred III the long
interval of solitude before she returned.
His cheeks were flushed and his voice
unsteady. She soon felt the effect of
his manner, and her gaicty died away;
before long they were sitting i'll silence.
each looking ut the fire. knew ought
to make the proposition to go home,
but | seemed under IL spell | was con
sciOus of Il morbid desire to watch and
wait. At length Mrs. Long rose, say
ing:
lift will not disturb Sally's reading.
| learned yesterday"
"Oh no." said |. but we must go
as soon as finish this chapter
She passed into the music room and
looked back for John to follow her:
but he threw himself at full length on
the sofa, and said
NO, will listen here"
My quickened instinct saw that he
dared not go; also that he had laid his
cheek i'll an abandonment of ccstacy OH
the arm of the sofa on which he had
been resting. Even III that moment
had sharp pang of pity for him. and
the same old miSgivimg of question,
whether my good and sweet and almost
faultlc>s Ellen cOWd he loved just iii
the same way i'll which Emma Long
would he,
As soon as she had finished the noe
turne. "A sad. low sweet strain. she
came back to the parlor. Not even for
the pleasure of giving John the delight
of the music he loved would she STAY
where she could not see his face.
But had already put down my book
and was ready to 90. Our good nights
were short and more formal than usual.
All three We're conscious of an undet-
mite con>traint i'll the air. Mrs. Long
glanced up uncasily in Johns face ;is
we left the room. Her eyes were un-
utterahly tender and childlikc when IL
look of grirved perplcNity Shadowcd
them. Again my heart achcd for her
and for him.
This was no idle caprice. no mere en-
tanglcment of senses between two un-
Il i L / l..
was IA subtle harmony. organic. spirit
ual. intellectual. between two susccp-
tihle and intense natures The, bond
was ii natural and inevitable as any
other fact of nature. And in this very
fact lay the terrible danger
We walked home in silence. \ few
steps from our house we met DR.. Willis
walking very rapidly. He did not rec
ognize us at first. When he did. he
stopped as if about to speak. then sud
denly changed his mind. and merely
bowed, passed on. \ bright Ii ght was
WAS burning i'll Ellen's room.
why. Ellen has not gone To bed ="
exclaimed John.
"Prrhap~ some one called" said |
guiltily.
"Oh. dare say" replied he: per
hap> the doctor has been there. But it
Is half past twelve. added he. pulling
ont his watch as he entered the hall
Ill" could not have >taid until this
time"
! went to my own room Immediately.
In Il few moments heard John come
up. say few words t" Ellen. and then
go down stairs. calling back. as he left
the room:
"Dnn't keep awake for me wife.
have hinge pack of letters to answer.
! shall not get through before three
orlOck."
| crept moi>elcS>lN to Ellon'S room.
1t wa> dark. She had cxtinguished the
gas as soon a> she had heard lis enter
the house. knew hy the first sound of
her voice that she had been weeping
violently and long. i said:
Ellen. must come iii and have IL talk
with YOU.
Not tonight. dear. Tomorrow |
tied. Goodnight. Don't urge me to-
night. Sally. | can't bear any more"
1t is >trange-it is marvellous what
power there is in words knew as
soon as Ellen had said. Not tonight
/ tt'l. lIIsli lIlttl tll 1 Ndllttl III
say, that she knew all knew. and that
the final moment. the crisis. had come.
Whatever she might have to tell me in
the morning should not he surprised.
| did not sleep. All night tossed wear
| lily, trying to conjecture what Ellen
would do. trying to imagine what ]
should do in her place.
At breakfast Ellen seemed better than
she had been for weeks. Her eyes were
bright and her checks pink: but there
was an inetfable. almost solemn tender =
ness in her manner To John. which was
pathetic. Again the suspicion crossed
my mind that she knew that she must
die. He too was disturbed by it: he
looked ut her constantly with il linger-
ing gaze as if trying to read her face
and when he bade us good-by to go TO
the office. he kissed her over and over
as ! had not seen him kiss her for
months. The tears came into her ewes.
and she threw both arms around his
neck for Il second,-a very rare thing
for her to do i'll the presence of others.
"Why, wife" he said. ''you mustn't
make it too hard for fellow to get off
Doesn't she look well this morning.
Sally ?" turning to me. II was think
ing last night that | must take her to
the mountains as soon as il was warm
enough. But such cheeks as these don't
need it." And he took her face in his
two hands with caresS full of tender
ness, and sprang down the steps.
Just at this moment Mrs. Longs car
riage came driving swiftly around the
corner, and the driver stopped sudden
.,,.I+ % T,1,,