Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-20
Talfs aud Sketthfs.
From the Aldine for Noyember.l
MY NEIGpBOR.

CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY.
Not to friendship, ! broke in, reused
out of my stupor. ''but to love! Why
should a man you hate stand between you
and
stop. Mr. Denvers,n she interposed,
gravely, "stop, before you speak any word
to destroy the single pleasant memory of
all my later years. Do 1 look like a wom-
an" she continued, lifting her head proud
ly. "to sacrifice honor to happinessP Have
| ! ever given you tone that could let you
think thatp"
No." said bitterly, lyon have been
prudence it eff! Itis so easylto be prudent
when one is cold; so easy to say-Go, for
don't love your' aT
There was moments silence and then
voice, her voice, but as had never heard
it yet, spoke my name; George it said
softly, 81 do not say-Go, for l do not
love you but, Go, because love you
Hush! You know me we'll 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. l set my teeth to
keep back the struggling words, when she
continued, II count on you to help instead
of hindering me. feel too stunned, too
bewildered to think clearly" She took
up the letter again, and looked at it as if
some sort of conflict were going on in her
mind Nonsense ~ she said, fually.
with bitter smile "such delicate scrupies
are misplaced between husband and wife
will respect your confidence as you would
respect mine, James Huntly." And with
that she opned the letter again and read it
through deliberately.
81 have no time to lose, she cried,
when it was finished. THAT man, Web
ster has somehow discovered nv secret,
and betrayed it Misunderstanding the
paper. ''He will follow his letter, he
may be here, then. at any time-this very
day up, and holding out both her hands
looking long and earnestly in my face,
"Good-by, George" she said wherever
my life may be, it will be the brighter for
the memory ofyou. God bless you, and
good-by forever -
Not qnite yet u pleaded. "You will,
let me have one look, one word, at the }
very last-I must. will ~ e4.-y'
She hesitated !; my face, perhaps, warned
her not to tax submission too tar. '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 I
have borne, and all could not bear, in
the old life. Heaven is my witness, that
would return to it sooner than-I have
your word, thenp"
"You have my word" answered, per-
ceiving by the determination in her fea-
lures, that any hesitation would be worse
than useless.
Come again in an hour. then. and you
will find me ready. My preparations, like
my friends, are iew," she said, with an
other of those bitter smiles and with that
we separated.
walked through the streets like one in
dream. seeing oothing before me but
what l had lett behind-the woman |
loved passionately, and in one little hours
time was to lose forever. But. with all
the passion and will that was in me, |
vowed that | would not lose her thus. l
would fulfill the letter of my promise to
her. | would not seek, by word or act,
TO sway her from her conscience; but |
would keep myself informed of her move
ments, and contrive, 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 life. neither
could nor would.
OH IcacuilS tne railway SlallOn, even
my preoccupation became aware of some
unusual excitement. joined knot of
takers. and learned that there had been
an accident to ID passenger on one of the
eastern trains just in. The stranger, who
according to the general testimony, had
appeared to be in a singular hurry and ex-
element, had jumped Oft the train before
it was fairly stationary-had somehow
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 80
years of age, evidently belonging to the
weather. classes. The face, which was
not disfigured, was handsome, in spite of
the traces of passion and dissipation. He
was quite dead; they had given up at
tempting to restore him, and were search
ing the body Tor identification. One Of
them, as approached. had just opened
pocket-book filled with papers and marked
inside with name. / read the name
over his shoulder; it was James Hunt
ley!
CONCLUDED ON FOURTH PAeE.1