Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-07
BRATTLEBORO, VT, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER z,


smile; "such delicate scruples are mis-
respect your confidence as you would re-
spect mine, James Huntley." And with
that she opened the letter again and read 1t
through deliberately.
VI have no time 10 lose," she cried, when
1t was finished. "That man, Webster, has
somehow discovered my secret, and be-
trayed 1t toto him"-striking the paper.
"He will follow his letter, he writes, at
once-why, good God he may be here,
then, at any time-tbis very day! No,
have not an instant to spare" She stood
up, and holding out both her hands, looked
long and earnestly up 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 ~
mot quite yet" 1 pleaded. "You will
let me have one look, one word, at the very
last-I must, will ~
She hesitated my face, perhaps, warned
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 1
have borne, and all could not bear, in the
old life, Heaven is my witaess, that would
return TO 1t sooner 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.
"Come again in an hour, then, and you
will find me ready. My preparations, like
my friends, are few," she said with anolh-
er of those bitter smiles and with tina. we
separated.
/ walked through the streets like one in
dream, seeing nothing before me, moth
ing but what had left behind-the woman
loved passionately, and in one lt.le 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 wonld
fulfil the letter of my promise to her. 1
would not seek, by word or act to sway her
from hor conscience but | would keep
myself informed of her movements, and
contrive somehow, sooner or later, TO be
near her 1 would wait for 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
preoccupation became aware of some un-
usual excitement. 1 Joined knot of Gag
er takers, and learned that there bad been
an accident to passenger on one of the
eastern trains just in. The stranger, who,
according to the general testimony, had ap-
pearcd in a singular hurry and excitement,
had jumped of the train before it was fair
ly stationary-had somehow slipped and
fallen, and-had been taken up for dead.
] made my way to whore the body was
lying. 1t was that of a man of some thir-
ty years of age, evidently belonging to the
wealthier classes. The face, which was not
disfgurod, was handsome in spite of the
traces of passion and dissipation. He was
quite dead they had given up attempting
to restore Kim, and were searching the
body for Identification. One of them. as /
approached, had just opened a pock et- book
filled with papers and marked inside with
a name. 1 read the name over his sEoul-
der: it was james Huntley!
Strange chapter in the strange romance
interwovcn with my life! This man. death,
so sudden, so little to be looked for. had
come TO cut the knot of all the doubts. the
difficulties, the despair which else might
have enveloped the whole future of two
lives! 1t seemed TO me that if ever l saw
the finger of Destiry in any human event
/ saw it there.
waited only long enough to make sure
that there was no mistake, and then hur-
ried back to Miss Knowles-to Miss
Knowles ?-that is, to Mrs. Huntley. Yes.
for the first time, realized that il was
husbands dreadful death that was hasten
ing to communicate to his newly made wild
ow, and shrunk from my task.
knocked gently at her door. She open
ed it, and, seeing me, looked at me for the
first moment in silent surprise then, put
ting 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 al
ready"
"You have nothing moro to fear from
him." said, gravely, trying 10 break the
shock TO her by degrees. But she did not
understand.
"Nothing to fear, do you mean from
from my husband ?" she said, slowly, with |
a perplexed look on her face.
You have nothing more to fear from the
man who was your husband" repeated |
distictly. This time she caught my mean
ing. She grew white and her lips trembled |
so that she could scarcely artculate The !
words, "Tell me"
I gave her the brefest and most softened |
outline possible of what had happened. |
She stood like stone, only her face show
ing that she heard. never saw in any
human countenance such an expression as |
that in hers while she lstened-pity, relief, |
awe, all struggling together. Then she |
moved her lips, but heard nothing sud |
denly she dropped to the floor and buried |
her face in the sofa cushions, while a voice |
should not have known for hers said
"Go-leave me alone y
had 40 words for such emotions as hers |
In that moment; I could only obey her in |
silence.
As walked away, my mind going over |
all that had occurred, l could not help re- |
calling the old saying, that man proposes |
and God dlsposes. This scheme of Web |
ster's, laid with such malice and treachery |
we had reason alerward to think that he |
had had access to her writing desk, and so |
discovered her secret-this plot, say, on |
which he had counted to crush her utterly, |
had been the instrument, in the hands of
mysterious Providence, of working her
deliverance; working it after a terrible
manner, it is true, but not the less freeing
her future from its lifelong shadow.
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