The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-11-11

Sdy-uO, lOr L uO uOt lONc yuu
There was moments silencc; and
then a voice, her voice, but as had never
heard it yet, spoke my name; George
it said, softly, Il do not say-Go, for l
do not love you but, Go, because | love
you Hush You know me well enough
to know that means good-by forever -
not one word more, if you would have
me believe you worthy Of my confession
She had known how to use an appeal
impossible to resist. | set my teeth to
keep back the struggling words. while
she continued, Il count on you to help
instead Of hindering me. | feel too
stunned, too bowidered to think clearly
She took up the letter again, and looked
at it as it soma sort of conflict were GO.
ing on in her mind. Nonsense !! she
said, finally, with bitter smile; such
delicate scruples are misplaced between
husband and wife; l will respect your
confidence as you would respect mine
James Hun.ley.' Aud with that she
opened the letter again and read it
through deliberately.
Il have no time to lose,' she cried,
when it was finished, That man, Web.
stcr. has somehow discovered my secret,
and betrayed it to-to him'-striking
the paper He will follow his letter, he
writes, at oncc-why, good God he
may be here, then, at any time-this
very day No, | have not an instant to
spare She stood up. and holding out
both her hands. looked long and earnest
ly in my face. 'Good-by, George, she
said wherever and whatever my life
may be, it will be the brighter for the
memory of you. God bless you, and
good.by forever
"Not quite yet" pleaded. You will
let me have one look, one word at the
very last--I must, l will !"
She hcsitatcd; my lace, perhaps, warn
ed her not to tax submission too far.
You will promise me, then, to make no
attempt to change my resolution, or to
keep any hold on me for Heaven, that
knows all have borne, and all | could
not bear, in the old life, Heaven is my
witness, that would return to it soouer
than-I have your word then ?"
"You have my word" | answered, per-
ceiving by the determination in her fea.
lures. that any hesitation would be worse
than useless.
"Co,ae again in an hour, then, and you
will fud me ready. My preparations,
like my friends. are fcw," she said, with
another of those bitter smiles and with
that we separated.
walked through the streets like one
in dream, seeing nothing before me-,
nothing but what l had left behind--the
woman | loved passion1tely, and in one
little hours time was to lose forever.
But, with all the passion and will that
was in me, vowed that | would nat lose
her thus. | would fulfill the letter of my
promise to her | would not seek by
word or act, to sway her from her con-
science but | would keep my self Informed
Of her movements, and contrvc, somehow
sooner or later, to be near her | would
wait for her till death if need were but
let her pass wholly and forever out of
my lite, | neither could nor would.
On reaching the railway station, even my
preoccupatiou became aware Of some un-
usual excitement. | joined knot Of
eager takers, and learned that there had
been an accident to passenger on one Of
the eastern trains just in, The stranger,
who according to the general testir ony
had appeared to be in singular hurry
and excitement had jumped off the train
before it was fairly stationary-had some.
how slipped and fallen, and-had been
taken up for dead.
made my way to where the body was
lying. 1t was that Of man of some
thirty years Of age, evidently belonging
to the wealthicr classes. The face, which
was not disfgured was handsome, 10 spite
of the traces of passion and dissipation.
He was quite dead ; they had given up
attempting to restore him, and were
searching the body for Identification.
One Of them, as approached, had just
opened pocket.book filled with papers
and marked inside with a name. read
the name over his shoulder it was James
Huntley
Strange chapter in the strange romance
interviewer with my life This mans
death, SO sudden, SO little to be looked
for, had come to cut the knot Of all the
doubts and diff ,uities, the despair which
else might have eaveloped the whole fu-
ture of two lives 1t seemed to me, that
if ever | saw the finger of Destiny in any
human event, saw it there.
waited only long enough to make
sure that there was no mistake, and then
| hurried back to Miss Knowles-to Miss
Knowles ?-that is to Mrs Huntley.
Yes, for the first time, realized that it
was a husbands dreadful death that
was Fastening to communicate to his
widow, and | shrunk from my task.
knocked gently at her door, She
opened it, and, seeing me, looked at me
Tor the first moment iD silent surprise !;
then, putting the natural Interpretation
o: her own absorbing thought on my re-.
turn, SO much before the time set, she
cried out am too late, after all ? lie
is here already p
You have nothing more to fear fom
him. said, gravely, trying to break the
shock to her by degrees. But she did
not understand.
Nothing to fear, do you mean, from
from my husband 2'she said, slowly, with
a perplexed look in my face.
You have nothing more to fear from
tbs man who was your husband repeat
ed distinctly, This time she caught my
meaning She grew white, and her lips
trembled SO that she could scarcely articu-
late the words Tell me-
, gave her the briefest and most s,iten.
ed outline possible of what had happened,
She stood like stone, only her face
showing that she heard never saw 70
; any human countcDance such an express
, sion as that in hers while she listened