The Portland daily press., 1873-11-01

NoI quite yet, L pleadeu. II on VIII ieI
me nave one look, one word, at the very last
i must, willr'
She hesitated; my face, perhaps. warned
her not to tax submission too far. ''You
VIII promise me, then, to make no attempt to
cnang5 my resolution, or to keep any hold on
meT for Heaven, that knows all l have
oorne, and all L could not bear in the old life,
Heaven Is my witness, that / would return to
1t sooner than-I have your word then?
You have my word,' | answered, per-
celVlng by the determination in her features,
that any hesitation would be worse than use
less.
Come again in an hour, then, and you
VIII ind me ready. My preparations, like
my friends, are few," she said, with another
OF those bitter smiles; and with that we sep
arated.
walked through the streets like one in a
dream, seeing nothing beforeme nothing but
what had left behind-the woman L loved
passionately, and in one little hours time
was to lose forever. But, with all the pas
sion and will that was in me, vowed that L
would not lose her thus. L would fulfill the
letter OF my promise to her. L would not
seek, by word or act, to sway her from her
conscience: but / would keep myself IN
formed of her movements, and contrive,
somehow, sooner or later, to be near her;
L would wait tor her till death, if need were !;
but let her pass wholly and forever out of my
life, [ neither could nor would.
On reaching the railway station, even my
preoccupaton became aware of some unusual
excitement. ljoined knot of eager takers.
and learned that there had been an accident
to apassenger on one Of the eastern trains
just in. The stranger, who, according to the
general testimony, mad appeared to be in a
singular hurry and eXcitement, had jumped
off the train before it was fairly stationary
had somehow slipped and fallen, and-had
been taken up for dead.
L made my way to where the body was ~
ing 1t was that of a man of some thirty
years of age, evidently belonging to the
Weather classes. The face, which was not
dishgured, was handsome, in spite Of the
traces of passion and dissipation. He was
quite dead; they had given up attempting to
restore him, and were searchingthe body for
identification. One Of them, as approached,
had just opened a pocket-book filled with
papers and marked inside with a name l
read the name over his shoulder; it was
James Huntleyi
Strange chapter in the strange romance in
tefwoven with my life This mans death,
SO sudden, so little to be looked Tor, had come
to cut the knot of all the doubts, the diff
culties, the despair which else might have en-
veloped the whole future of two lives! 1t
seemed to me, that fever | saw the finger of
Destiny in any human event, saw il there
L waited only long enough to make sure that
there was no mistake, and then l hurried.
back to Miss Knowes-to Miss Knowles p
that is, 20 Mrs. Huntley. Yes, for the first
time. / realized that it was a husband
dreadful death that was fastening to COM
municate to his newly made widow, and l
shrunk from my task
knocked gently at the door. She opened
md cd a. g. IL. e
moment in silent surprise; then, putting the
natural Interpretation of her own absorbing
thought on my return, so much before the
time set she cried out-"I am too late, then,
after all? He is here already?''
"You have nothing more to fear from him, -
L said gravely, trying to break the shock to
her by degrees. But she did not understan d
''Nothing to fear, do you mean, from
from my husband % she said, slowly, with a
perpleXed look in my fee.
"You have nothing more to fear from the
man who was your husband" repeated dis
tinctly. This time she caught my meaning.
She grew white, and her lips trembed so that
she could scarcely articulate the words, "Tell
me-"
gave her the briefest and most softened
outline possible of what had happened, She
stood like stone, only her face showing that
she heard. l never saw in any human ccun.
tenance such an expression as that in hers
while she listened-pity, relief. awe, all strug
Cling together. Then she moved her lips, bu
| heard nothing; suddenly she dropped to the
floor and buried her face in the sofa-cushions
while voice should not have known fol
hers said: "Go-leave me aloner'
had no words for such emotions as hers in
that moment; L could only obey her in 81
lence.
AS walked away, my mind going over al
that had occurred. l could no help recalling
the old saying, that man proposes and Goo
disposes, This scheme of Webster's, lait
with such malice and treachery-we had rea
son atterward to think that he had had acces.
to her wrting-desk, and so discovered hel
secret-thls plot, | say, on which he haC
counted to crush her utterly, had been the in
strument, in the hands of mysterious Pfovi
dence, OF working her deliverance; working
it after terrible manner, it is true, but no
the less freeing her future from its life-lon,
shadow,
pass by all the history of those sad days
days OF sadness if not mouIning-the months
of seclusion and waiting-to a time when
| The world, and call my neighbor, my friend
by the dearest name of vile.
Eleanor" l said to her on our wedding
day, asking the inevitable question which
suppose every lover since Adams timo ha,
asked, tell me. when did you begin TO carr
for me?"
George" she answered, looking at MI
with the sunshny smile in which there wa
never any ice now, do you remember IN,
| saying, the day we met, that was believe
in physiognomy? I think the mischief va
done when you looked at me with your gen
erous. honest eyes, and offered me that rasl
pledge Of friendship; but 1 did not know
them" she added more gravely, ''or l SHOULD
have run away from yon.'
Sand you dare to tell me sop I said, as
Stunning testing tone, for didn't want thos
old troubles to cloud her face. ''Don't 70,
| know that is high treason now? From thi
| time forth you are to consider yourself a
having no past, nothing but present. TIL
tyrant has spoken! Do you mean to obey p
II obey, George" she said, her lovely darl
eyes looking earnestly into mine; ''and
thank Heaven for giving me present tina
makes obedience easy"
took the soft, white hand that was 81
uear mine, and-but go back to your owl
honeymoon for the rest; for, to use my wife
! quotation, 81 never kiss and tell.''-Fron
the AIdine for November.