National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-02-28

said lightly but he went away quickly
to the station, and did not come near
us for three whole days. Eleanor re-
paired her Notifications and received
him with the same dead calm of cour-
tesy. He resumed his daily sittings
with us, but he threw no more stones
into the deep waters Of Eleanors ma
ture.
Nothing could be more desirable than
that these two should love each other.
/ longed to beg Eleanor to look into
his eyes, and see the interest written
there, but the words were never spoken.
| left them alone together whenever ]
dared, and forbade any of my tribe, on
peril of ban shment, to make the least
approach to a joke on my match-ma-
king. said a word or two of my hope
to Mr. Eustace, but he was utterly
skeptical. "Eleanor is too cold and
calm to love any man, and too con
scientious to marry without it. l. should
like to see the man who should be bold
enough to kiss her. Walking up to the
cannon's mouth would be nothing to it.
| wanted to see him, too but MS the
days went on and Hayiland's departure
began to be talked of, / was forced to
think that he was not to be that bold
man.
Eleanor was very busy upon Hughs
outfit he had been at the Naval School,
and now had conspired with Haviland
to sail i'll the same ship.
The Winona was under repairs at st.
Bo's, and Mr.. Eustace and Eleanor
went there with Hugh, stopping at the
hotel for n week to buy the last things
and say the last words.
Eleanor came home so wan and hag-
gard that for many weeks there might
as well have been a ghost in the house
1t was very difficult to offer consolation
when none was asked or expected, but /
could not altogether refrain.
Il had no idea you loved that boy SO
much, | said awkwardly
"You are very good, but I'm afraid
cannot talk about it, D." was the discour-
aging reply.
"If You can love brother so much,
how you would worship husband" L
said, trembling at my own bravery in
thus walking over her boundaries.
Eleanor actually laughed.
"Do you know" | went on, 81 think |
Haviland was just ready to fall in love
with you if you had given him the least
crumb of encouragement"
Ibid he tell you SOP
"No, but one could see it with half
an eye.
You are very clear-sighted in such
perhaps
Il have lived longer than you, Flea
nor, and I know that man cannot go
all the way to woman she ought to
take tho least little step toward him."
II could not do that" said Eleanor.
"Oh, / know it, and so you have let
the best fellow on earth slip away from
vour'
"' Nature made him and then broke
the mould, said Eleanor with a smile,
"You did not know him as did"
81 dare say I did not
"But when he comes home again, if
he is in the same mind, will you try to
ike him?'
Yes, think I may safely promise
that" {
The tears came to my eyes in my ear
nestness, and all at once l found
Eleanor crying too, like any other ,,
woman.
"My dear little stepmother," she
said, "you have my fathers worries !
md your own to bear l will not trou- :
Die you to carry mine
Then she left me, and I could not
lelp thinking that she might love Havi- |
and after all.
Eleanor came slowly out of her sor-
ow for Hugh's departure and we set
led into the quiet routine which SEEM
d likely to last forever. The Winona was 3
poken of at sea occasionally, and very !
hick letters came for Eleanor, of which !.
he would read page or two aloud and !.
,eep all the rest for her own hunger. I.
tearly two years went by, and we began
o speak of Hugh's return. A sweet :,
heerfulness that had never seen be- !.
ore in Eleanor seemed to crop out of =
er glad heart | was very happy with .
ly stepdaughter. There was not ::
loud as big as mans hand in our ~
ky when Eleanor pointed out to me g
18th trembling finger a line in the -
ewspaper. Her eyes besought me to g :,
I'll her that she had read it wrong. 1t Y
'as a telegram; the Winona had been {:
truck in the night by an English =
and sunk with all on board. " "
As sne rose up and fed away with her 4, a.
rief like Il wounded animal, the lines - -
f her face were drawn and settled like g
hose of middled-aged woman. 4 4
"How does Eleanor bear it ?" was u u
lr. Eustaces first q estion, his own -
rief fading out beside hers. ~ ~
Come and see, 1 said, leading him W
ito her room, where she lay, pale and .;
uiet, and unable to speak of her loss :,
ithout tears. S'
[ left them together, but it was use IL IL
SIS to hope that they could comfort "
,ch other. ~
"She bears it better than I expected" u u
I'D my husband, rejoining me after a - -
w minutes. 81
"If she would only rave and tear her u
air, it would be a great relief to my
ind, but the calmness is unnatural"
said. pl
"Not with her. She is not warm &C
earted; she does not feel things as we to
D." s'
1 did not contradict him. Where I'll
ould have been the use :? But it struck I'll
ustace, who was said to resemble her m
lughter, must of had very lonely al
e of it. re
The i'll news was soon verified, but ca
eanor had believed it from the first.
he went about the house at first as she III
ID always done, but loss of appetite re
ID disturbed sleep gradually told upon OF
r strength. She learned to hold her ma
nd tight ON her heart as she mounted th
e stairs. One little industry after
other dropped from her weak hands,
d without comment on my side or ex